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EU Invests In Revolutionary Microchip Technology For AI and Space Exploration

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

February 3, 2025

The EU is ramping up investment in cutting-edge microchip technology, crucial for AI, space exploration, and beyond. As demand for smaller, more powerful chips grows, Europe is backing innovative research and production to secure its future in tech.

On June 1, 2024, China’s Chang’e 6 mission successfully landed on the Moon to collect samples, and Edouard Lepape, managing director of NanoXplore, a French firm specializing in microchips for space, proudly highlighted his company’s contribution. “One of our components is currently on the Moon,” he said, referring to a specialized chip used in aerospace.

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Lepape leads DUROC, an EU-funded initiative designed to advance microchip tech for space, involving experts from Germany, France, Greece, and Sweden. Partners like Airbus and Thales are also on board, pushing European chip technology to new heights. Space chips are distinct from commercial devices, and designed to withstand extreme radiation, cold temperatures, and vibrations. “You can’t just use ordinary chips in space,” Lepape explained, noting the harsh environment that requires chips to be ultra-durable and energy-efficient.

Microchips, which power everything from smartphones to supercomputers, have been shrinking and becoming more powerful since the first integrated circuit in 1959. Today’s microchips contain billions of transistors and are essential in everything from AI to everyday gadgets. The industry constantly pushes for smaller, faster chips, with each generation offering improved power efficiency and performance. In 2019, the 7nm chip was introduced, followed by the more advanced 3nm chips in the latest smartphones.

“The demand for smaller transistors is driven by the need for smarter devices like smartphones and AI,” said Marc Assinck, spokesperson for ASML, a company specializing in microchip lithography. ASML’s SeNaTe consortium helped develop 7nm technology, which paved the way for today’s 3nm chips.

However, Europe’s share of the global chip market has dwindled to just 10%, with Asia dominating production. To regain competitiveness, the EU launched the European Chips Act, aiming to double Europe’s semiconductor market share to 20% by 2030, with a €43 billion investment in R&D and manufacturing.

In 2024, TSMC, Taiwan’s largest chipmaker, began construction of its first European plant in Dresden, Germany, in partnership with Bosch, Infineon, and NXP. Production is set to begin in 2027. Meanwhile, Intel is also building a massive facility in Germany, expected to be Europe’s largest semiconductor plant.

Both TSMC and Intel are among the few capable of producing cutting-edge 3nm chips, alongside South Korea’s Samsung. As Europe aims to boost its chip manufacturing capacity, the focus is not just on consumer electronics but also on the unique needs of space tech.

Space-bound chips, unlike those used in smartphones, must be able to process large amounts of data while consuming minimal power and resisting radiation. Currently, space chips use 65nm and 28nm technology, but NanoXplore and DUROC are working to bring space chips to 7nm. “If we achieve 7nm for space, we’ll be a major player,” said Lepape.

With support from the EU’s Horizon Programme and initiatives like Space R&I, Europe hopes to stay competitive in the global chip race, ensuring technological sovereignty for AI and other critical industries.

Research for this article was funded by the EU’s Horizon Programme, and the opinions shared are those of the interviewees, not necessarily the European Commission.

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Cyprus’ Strong Youth Employment Rate Still Does Not Guarantee Early Independence

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

September 16, 2026

Young people in Cyprus have a relatively high employment rate, but they leave the parental home later than the EU average, according to Eurostat data.

Cypriots left home at an average age of 27 in 2025, compared with 26.3 years across the EU. At the same time, 72.3% of people aged 20 to 29 in Cyprus were employed, well above the EU average of 65.5%.

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Strong Employment Does Not Mean Early Independence

Only nine countries recorded higher youth employment rates than Cyprus. Iceland led at 85.3%, followed by the Netherlands at 84%, Malta at 82.1%, Switzerland at 78.3% and Germany at 77%.

Norway recorded 76.5%, Ireland 76.1%, Denmark 74.8% and Austria 74.6%. Eurostat said countries where young people leave home earlier generally tend to have higher youth employment rates.

Southern Europe Sees Later Moves

Finland had the lowest average age for leaving the parental home at 21.4 years, followed by Denmark at 21.8 and Estonia and Lithuania at 22.7. Croatia recorded the highest average at 31.5 years, followed by Greece and Slovakia at 30.9. Spain and Italy both stood at 30.2 years.

Across the EU, the average has remained close to 26 since 2002, rising only slightly from 26.2 years in 2024 to 26.3 years in 2025.

Cyprus Labour Market Is Cooling

The figures come as Cyprus’ labor market shows some signs of easing, although demand for workers remains relatively strong by European standards.

Separate Eurostat data showed Cyprus had the EU’s largest annual decline in its job vacancy rate in the second quarter of 2026. The rate fell to 2.6% from 3.3% a year earlier, but remained above the EU average of 2.0% and the euro area average of 2.1%.

Cost Of Living Remains A Factor

Housing and other living costs can also affect how quickly young workers establish independent households. Eurostat reported that Cyprus’ household consumption price level was 89.2% of the EU average in 2025.

A relatively lower overall price level does not eliminate affordability pressures for people on modest incomes. For younger workers, the issue can be whether wages are sufficient to cover rent, utilities, food and other basic expenses.

Cyprus therefore combines relatively high youth employment with a later transition to independent living, suggesting that access to work and the ability to afford a separate household do not always move together.