A panel of high-level Expert Group under the auspices of the European Commission have identified semi conductors, micro -and nanoelectronics to be a key enabling technologies (KET) that are critical to Europe’s capabilities.
Through this initiative, ENIAC would deliver on its purpose to bring European R&D parties through investments from public and the private sector together in order to focus on the “Pilot Line” projects, which have been identified under KET.
A typical “Pilot Line” project will be promoted by a group of European R&D investors wherein they setup a manufacturing company with its very own R&D facilities to work on innovative technologies that can have present and future applications in terms of products and processes that can be utilized in European manufacturing. This initiative is to enhance Europe to be more competitive for newer markets and development of better applications delivering solutions to societal demands.
The initial outlay for the public and private investment on these KET “Pilot Line” projects are estimated to be around one billion pounds over a period of 2 years.
The ENIAC JU unites ENIAC member states in the European Union and An Association representing European R&D actors in the nanotechnology field (AENEAS) which began in February 2008. The total investment in R&D on account of this partnership is worth more than 3B€.
Source: http://www.eniac.eu