The French Minister of Industry, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, and the electronics industries, including Soitec, reinforced their commitments to the country’s economic recovery plan, “France Relance”, in a meeting at Soitec’s headquarters today.
The Minister Delegate to the French Minister of the Economy, Finance and Economic Recovery, in charge of Industry, and the Strategic Industry Committee (CSF) of the Electronics Industries, represented by its Chairman Thierry Tingaud, signed an amendment to the support contract for the Electronics Industry.
The addendum updates a contract initially signed for the sector on March 15, 2019, and introduces new axes structuring the priorities of the “France Relance” plan. Soitec is one of the six industrial leaders of the “Nano 2022” plan, along with STMicroelectronics, Lynred, Murata France, X-Fab France and UMS.
Agnès Pannier-Runacher said: “Our ambition for electronics rests on two pillars: the technological leadership to guarantee our sovereignty, and the development of a key sector that generates added value and jobs. We are taking the lead today to boost our development and invest in building our country’s future and our vision for France in 2030.”
On the occasion of the signing, the Minister visited Soitec’s premises to assess the progress of the work carried out as part of the “Nano 2022” program and look at the development of Soitec’s site in Bernin, which was supported by public funding. Since 2018, Soitec has transformed a production unit and dedicated it to the production of its new generation of 300mm substrates; a second unit dedicated to filter applications for smartphones has been developed since 2020. Soitec’s objective over the entire duration of the “Nano 2022” plan is to create 700 new jobs; at present, 500 jobs have already been set up at the Bernin site.
During her visit, Agnès Pannier-Runacher also announced 105 winners of the call for projects to support critical sectors, including some 20 new projects from electronics and photonics companies.
“The support of the French government, the European Union and local authorities over more than ten years has enabled us to develop new products that give us a strategic position in the sector of radio frequency and smartphones,” said Paul Boudre, Soitec’s Chief Executive Officer. “We look forward to continuing this path of innovation and industrialization in France, reinforcing this winning model of cooperation with the public authorities and major laboratories such as CEA-Leti, our historical partner. We are currently deploying the Nano 2022 plan at full speed, supported by the French government, the Communauté de Communes Le Grésivaudan, the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes Region, the Grenoble Metropolitan Council and the Isère département, to whom all I would like to extend my warmest thanks.
