Luc Van den hove discusses his background leading to becoming CEO of imec, a research organization in semiconductor technology. As CEO since 2009, he oversees teams developing next-generation chip technology as well as applications in areas like IoT, healthcare, and energy. Imec also collaborates closely with European suppliers and provides resources for small companies. Van den hove supports focusing on IoT through the Important Projects of Common European Interest to boost Europe's semiconductor industry and sees opportunities for smaller European companies in fragmented growth markets. He suggests imec and ESIA strengthen cooperation by documenting issues of collective interest and helping formulate policy.

1. After years of mutual commitment, ESIA is now glad to
showcase imec’s future projects and its vision on the
latest semiconductor industry’s trends. Below, the full
interview with Luc Van den hove (LVdh), President and
CEO of imec.
ESIA: What’s it like to be the CEO of imec and how your
background led you to this position?
LVdh: At the time imec was founded, I was just finishing
my PhD. Along came this idea to start a super lab in
semiconductor technology, so I jumped on the
bandwagon. I learned all aspects of R&D, but also of the
business. I got into close contact with the engineers and
decision makers at the world’s major electronics
companies. And eventually, after two decades of learning
and growing under my formidable predecessors, I was
offered this rewarding position.
When I took up this position as CEO in 2009, it was a
great honor but also a challenging opportunity. The world
was just witnessing economic turmoil, and also the
technical challenges for further scaling were growing. But
with the excellent teams and partners that we have,
we’ve managed to thrive even in this environment. And I
must say, with the positive feedback we get from our
partners, and with the leading role we play, being CEO of
imec is a stimulating and rewarding job. I truly feel
humbled by having the chance to lead such fantastic and
successful organization.
ESIA: What do you wish people should know more about
imec?
LVdh: A lot of people associate imec with a technology
house, mainly active in developing next-generation chip
technology. That is indeed a core activity of imec, but we
do more.
We are, e.g., also a platform where suppliers of tools and
materials get the chance to innovate in close
collaboration with world leaders. For the many European
suppliers of the ICT industry, having a supplier hub close
to home is of vital importance. And through the years,
we’ve also created great value for the fabless
community. Through us, they get insight into the
opportunities and characteristics of emerging technology,
long before it is actually offered at the fabs. That gains
them years of advance knowledge and design time.
In addition, we are also developing technology for smart
applications in the emerging Internet-of-Things,
healthcare, and sustainable energy generation. In these
areas, we want to leverage silicon nanotechnology to
make applications that are much faster, smaller, cheaper
and more efficient. Solutions that can be mass-produced
and that will allow people to lead better, healthier lives in
a sustainable environment.
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Luc Van den hove, President & CEO imec
Interview with Luc Van den hove
President and CEO of imec

2. ESIA: As a participant of the European Leaders Group
(ELG), how do you think the group’s ambitions and goals
will be met under the new Commission?
LVdh: Under impulse of former European Commission Vice
-President Neelie Kroes, the ELG started in 2013 and
prepared a plan to double the economic value of
semiconductor component production in Europe within
the next 10 years. This is not unrealistic, as the European
industry has excellent assets: world-class research
organizations, powerful regional eco-systems and leading
companies both in component design and production and
in designing and building complex systems.
But the industry will need to act and in this respect the
IPCEI (Important Projects of Common European Interest)
that the multinational actors are preparing is a crucial
move. The proposal is not complete yet, but it seems that
the Internet-of-Things (IoT) will be selected as the
overarching theme, based on the recommendation of the
ELG. I strongly support this choice as it will offer a real
opportunity for Europe. IoT offers a differentiated market
and many of the technology users higher up in the value
chain are strongly present in Europe (e.g. in healthcare,
automotive, industrial applications, etc.).
ESIA: Is there any ongoing project of relevance for the
European semiconductor industry that you would like to
talk about it?
LVdh: The opportunities that are being pursued by smaller
European ICT companies today will have a big impact on
the ICT environment the coming years. There is a high
degree of fragmentation and differentiation in the new
growth markets such as security, medical and wearables,
imaging and sensors, and the Internet of Things. This is an
ideal environment for SMEs with high levels of technical
skill. Progress, change and innovation under these
conditions do not follow schedules or five-year plans. It
occurs through the rapid, dynamic, collective interaction
of SMEs, often across borders and time zones.
We have coined this collective interaction of SMEs in new
fragmented, differentiated growth markets as ‘substream
innovation’. At imec IC-link, the division of imec
responsible for providing SMEs with the technical support
and access to foundry technologies needed to make low
production volume ASICs, we have experienced growth
rates in excess of 30% over the last couple of years. So
here is a definite game changer, still largely ‘substream’,
and we are looking forward with great pleasure to help
grow these new innovating SMEs into great enterprises.
ESIA: How do you think ESIA and imec could further
strengthen their cooperation?
LVdh: The companies that ESIA represents are part of
imec’s natural habitat: the semiconductor industry in
Europe. And that industry thrives on a number of key
enabling technologies that address major societal
challenges and contribute to Europe’s economic growth.
Imec’s mission is to support the industry in developing
those enabling technologies, to leverage our scientific
knowledge with the innovative power of our partners in
ICT, in healthcare and in energy, to deliver industry-
relevant technology solutions.
I’m convinced that imec has the expertise to strengthen
ESIA’s policy advice. We already contribute actively to the
various policy committees and task forces set up by ESIA.
I see an opportunity for imec to strengthen some of these
activities even further by pointing out and documenting
issues that are of collective interest for the semiconductor
industry in Europe, and by helping to draw up clear policy
statements.
As a specific action point, the ELG recommends that IoT
would be supported as one of the key drivers for European
growth, as it presents a differentiated market and many
opportunities both for large companies and for SMEs.
The transition to the new commission may have
raised doubts about a possible discontinuity in focus
and execution. But I am convinced that Commissio-
ner Oettinger fully embraces the challenge and the
ambitions of the ELG – in fact, he said so explicitly in
his keynote address on the European microelectro-
nics strategy at the recent DATE conference.
Rather than waiting for external advice at this inflec-
tion point, I suggest that ESIA gathers the key
players and stakeholders and helps them to formu-
late an ambitious policy and roadmap for Europe.
Also here, imec has key know-how on various core
technology components of IoT and would definitely
be willing to support an IoT-related ESIA action.
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Imec Headquarters, Leuven, Belgium