FAMES at LID World Summit: Where Innovation Meets Collaboration

The second FAMES School brought together 190 participants on 24 June 2026 and successfully showcased the opportunities offered by FD-SOI technology. Breakthrough results and complementary technologies, including eNVM and RF, generated strong interest and active discussions. The event also featured a round table on training and skills development to assess current initiatives and identify future needs.These discussions reinforced the importance of aligning skills development with the evolving European microelectronics ecosystem.

The second edition of the FAMES School, held on 24 June 2026 during the Leti Innovation Days World Summit, brought together more than 190 participants for half a day dedicated to training, technical exchange and collaboration. Attendance significantly exceeded expectations, confirming the strong and growing interest in the FAMES Pilot Line, FD-SOI technologies, and the European semiconductor ecosystem. The Workshop programme provided participants with a comprehensive overview of the latest achievements of the FAMES Pilot Line, from technology development to industrial deployment and skills development. Following the welcome addresses by the Workshop co-chairs, the overall progress of the project was presented by the FAMES Coordinator, highlighting the major milestones already achieved by the Pilot Line. The technical programme then illustrated the breadth of the FAMES technology portfolio, with presentations covering the design of next-generation cleanrooms supporting advanced semiconductor manufacturing (EQUANS), the key technology building blocks enabling the 10 nm FD-SOI node (CEA-Leti), the first embedded FeRAM non-volatile memory integrated into a 22 nm FD-SOI platform (CEA-Leti), and innovative RF solutions based on Bulk Acoustic Wave filters targeting future FR3 communications (CEA-Leti and VTT).

The programme also explored the strategic impact of FD-SOI beyond process technology. Speakers from CEA-Leti, SOITEC and CEZAMAT demonstrated how FD-SOI is becoming a key enabler for Europe’s competitiveness through energy-efficient computing, hardware cybersecurity and next-generation intelligent semiconductor systems. Participants also discovered the latest developments of the FAMES Open Access programme, including the 10 nm FD-SOI Pathfinding Design Kit and automated technology benchmarking capabilities, illustrating how external users will be able to access and exploit Pilot Line technologies for their own innovations.

The event successfully combined structured technical sessions with valuable informal interactions during breaks and follow-up discussions. This balanced format created a highly engaging atmosphere and encouraged active participation among attendees. The primary objective of establishing a strong platform for knowledge exchange and community strengthening within the FD-SOI ecosystem was successfully met, with this year’s edition paying particular attention to breakthrough technological achievements.

A highlight of the morning was the panel discussion, A Strategic Year of Acceleration for FAMES Academy, which gathered representatives from academia, industry and innovation organisations to discuss the skills required to support Europe’s semiconductor ambitions. Regarding the latter, the depth and quality of the panel discussions reflected a strong consensus among participants. Overall, the proposed training initiatives appear well aligned and complementary, forming a coherent framework that balances advanced specialisation with broad accessibility. These initiatives should remain closely connected to the real needs of industry, which drive workforce demand in the microelectronics sector. Together, they contribute to the development of an effective training ecosystem capable of producing the highly qualified workforce required to support future technological innovation. To further enhance the effectiveness of this ecosystem, training programmes dedicated to operators and technicians should be considered a priority. Discussions highlighted existing skills gaps in several areas, particularly in maintenance, where shortages are already evident in some segments of the industry. Addressing these gaps will be essential to ensuring that workforce development efforts fully meet industrial needs.

As anticipated, the event fully benefited from the LID World Summit environment, providing many opportunities for discussion during networking breaks, visits to the exhibition area and in particular the highly popular FAMES booth ( see pictures below), and, for some applicants take part in, a tour of the CEA-Leti clean room facilities. These informal exchanges further strengthened interactions between researchers, technology providers and future users of the Pilot Line.

FAMES Pilot Line booth in the exhibition corner*

The networking-oriented atmosphere helped broaden the scope of stakeholders interested in the FAMES Pilot Line, many of whom expressed their intention to engage through Open Access opportunities or other collaboration schemes. Young researchers were notably well represented, drawn by the prospect of developing their expertise in FD-SOI technologies through the FAMES Academy trainings program. This early-career audience represents a key talent pool for the future, poised to become the next generation of experts who will leverage the Pilot Line to unlock new technological and industrial opportunities. It is therefore essential to build on this momentum quickly in order to accelerate the ramp-up of the Pilot Line in the coming months.

*Photo credit: Utopikphoto / CEA

**Photo credit: Lory Vuillard / CEA

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