Chips from Tampere

Business Tampere / Ecosystems and networks / Chips from Tampere

Microchips are a key component of the growth and competitiveness of Tampere-based companies. Tampere is home to global expertise, particularly in the design of system chips and the development and manufacturing of optical chips based on compound semiconductors. The region focuses on growing companies in the field, cutting-edge research, and training programs for industry experts, collectively forming a European hub of microchip expertise.

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Chips Competence Centre and SiPFAB pilot line

Chips Competence Centre, FiCCC, has been established in Finland under the leadership of the Tampere Chip Program to accelerate the digitalization of industries and other sectors through chip technology. The centre supports the development of competitive chips for various industries and increases the demand for chips. FiCCC’s headquarters are located at Tampere University’s Campus Arena.

Tampere University is involved in the development of the EU design platform and trains the majority of Finland’s chip designers. Chip design is the most economically profitable and expertise-intensive part of the chip value chain.

Alongside the competence centre, an open SiPFAB (System in a Package) pilot line is being established in Tampere, where new chip systems are developed and tested in collaboration with companies. SiPFAB enables the agile creation and testing of environmentally friendly, customized, and packaged chip systems. Integration and packaging enhance the functionality of chip systems and expand the potential applications of technologies in demanding environments.

Education and research alongside companies

There are 8,000 professionals in chip design working within the European Union, with over 500, over six percent, based in Tampere. Nokia is one of the largest users of advanced chips in the EU, and a significant portion of its chip development is located in Tampere. Alongside Nokia, units of Microsoft and Europe’s leading design service company, Nordic Semiconductors, are also based in Tampere.

Tampere has developed a strong cluster of companies focused on photonic systems, semiconductors, and laser technology, known as the “Laser Valley.” Key global companies operating in the Laser Valley include Modulight, Schott, Coherent, Optofidelity, and Vexlum.

SoC Hub

The System-on-Chip (SoC) Hub is a joint initiative between Tampere University and companies, focusing on the co-development of System-on-Chip systems. It brings together stakeholders and promotes innovation in areas such as smart machines and edge computing applications. By combining their efforts, participants enable the adoption of System-on-Chip models while also advancing research and education in System-on-Chip design.

SoC Hub website
The Optoelectronics Research Center (ORC)

Tampere University’s Optoelectronics Research Center (ORC) is one of Europe’s leading optoelectronics research groups, with over 30 years of experience in the use of molecular beam epitaxy and the development of new optoelectronic devices, such as laser diodes and solar cells.

Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC) website
Laboratory for Future Electronics

Tampere University’s Laboratory for Future Electronics provides a primary research environment and infrastructure for conducting research. The laboratory has over 250 m² of designated lab space, including a 60 m² dust-free processing laboratory.

Laboratory for Future Electronics website

Microchips from Finland – to the world

Expertise in chip design, telecommunications, photonics, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing in Tampere, Espoo, Oulu, and Joensuu forms a high-tech growth platform for Finland, based on its status as a leader in cutting-edge expertise.

The semiconductor industry is a global business worth approximately 600 billion, and chip-related revenue in the Tampere region alone amounts to hundreds of millions of euros. Finland’s goal for the semiconductor industry is to triple its business by 2035.

In 2021, 1.1 trillion microchips were produced worldwide, meaning 140 chips per person on Earth. These chips enable all modern data processing, from artificial intelligence to telecommunications, and are found in smartphones, household appliances, cars, and key infrastructures.