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Vilamalla: The Territorial Cornerstone of Europe’s Semiconductor Sovereignty

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The challenge of European semiconductor reindustrialisation is no longer just a high-level policy debate in Brussels; it is becoming a grounded, territorial reality. Recent reports from Empordà.info have highlighted the growing momentum behind the proposal for a major industrial semiconductor hub in Vilamalla (Alt Empordà) . This development marks a critical milestone in the FabCat.eu strategy to position Catalonia as a vital node in the European microelectronics value chain. Beyond Research: The Shift to ERSFabs For too long, the European conversation has been dominated by “Pilot Lines”—essential for low-TRL research but insufficient for industrial resilience. The Vilamalla project is designed to achieve the foundry production and the resilience under the  ERSFab (European Resilience and Skills Fabs) model in Anglès/Riudellots . Unlike traditional foundries, an ERSFab serves a dual purpose: Industrial Resilience: Providing high-volume manufacturing capacity (TRL 6 through 9) ...
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El Manifest 2.0 a la premsa: FabCat projecta el model territorial per a la fabricació de xips a Catalunya

Aquesta setmana, la iniciativa FabCat ha estat protagonista als mitjans de comunicació. El diari ON ECONOMIA (El Nacional) ha publicat un extens article signat per la periodista Maria Teresa Coca , on es fa ressò de la presentació del nostre Manifest 2.0 i de l'evolució del nostre pla industrial per atraure la fabricació de semiconductors a Catalunya . L'article, titulat "FabCat projecta una fàbrica i un 'hub' per produir xips a Catalunya" , destaca que ja no parlem només d'una ubicació, sinó d'un model territorial definit, mallat i resilient . Un model de doble node: Producció i Resiliència. Tal com recull la publicació, el Manifest 2.0 aterra l'estratègia europea de la Chips Act sobre el territori català a través de dues localitzacions estratègiques: El Motor de Producció (Alt Empordà): L'aposta principal per a la gran fàbrica de semiconductors se situa a la zona del Far, a Vilamalla . La premsa destaca els avantatges inqüestionables d...
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Expanding the Alliance: Universidad de Zaragoza and Cambra de Comerç de Girona Back the FabCat Manifest 2.0

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We are thrilled to announce a significant milestone for the FabCat Manifest 2.0 . Our alliance for European industrial sovereignty continues to grow with the official endorsement and strategic backing of two pivotal institutions. Today, we proudly welcome: Universidad de Zaragoza (UNIZAR): The university’s governing body has officially backed the Manifest 2.0 and formally agreed to join the #ERSFabs (European Resilience and Skill Fabs) network. Their integration brings world-class academic excellence and robust research capabilities to the project. Cambra de Comerç de Girona (Chamber of Commerce of Girona): A leading economic voice in the territory, reinforcing the critical link between industrial needs, logistical realities, and technological development. A Powerful Dual Endorsement This combined endorsement from top-tier academic and economic sectors sends a resolute message: the urgent need for a resilient, sovereign European semiconductor supply chain is a shared priority. It de...
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Industrial Responsibility: Why Catalonia Must Lead if Malta Can Produce

 The global semiconductor race is often framed as a battle of giants, but the reality of European industrial resilience is being written in smaller, strategic nodes. At FabCat.eu , we have closely analysed the "Malta Benchmark"—a small island nation that has successfully sustained a world-class semiconductor ecosystem—to highlight a critical truth: If Malta can do it, Catalonia has a strategic mandate to lead the reindustrialisation of Southern Europe. The Malta Proof of Concept Malta’s semiconductor sector, anchored by STMicroelectronics, is a testament to what focus can achieve. Despite its size, Malta’s semiconductor exports reached approximately €1 billion in 2024, representing a massive share of its total industrial output. STMicroelectronics in Malta is the largest private employer on the island and operates the largest advanced manufacturing backend plant for the company in Europe. Malta has proven that geographic scale is not a barrier to becoming an “indispensable” ...
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Phase 2 Initiated: The FabCat Manifest 2.0 and the #ERSFabs Era

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Since 2021, the FabCat initiative has worked tirelessly to “assess and advocate” for the potential of Catalonia within the European semiconductor landscape. We call this period Phase 1 . It was a time of academic mobilisation, raising awareness, and aligning with the initial objectives of the EU Chips Act. Today, following the successful completion of Phase 1, we are proud to officially launch Phase 2 of our roadmap. From Aspiration to Implementation With the publication of the FabCat Manifest 2.0 , we move from general advocacy to a specific industrial blueprint. This new phase is defined by a mature consensus between academia, industry (AESEMI), and territorial leadership. The core of Phase 2 is the establishment of the European Resilience and Skill Fabs (#ERSFabs) network. This concept shifts the focus from purely pursuing leading-edge nodes (which has proven difficult for Europe) to securing industrial resilience through mature nodes and workforce development. The Territorial Me...
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