he semiconductor industry is evolving rapidly, with increasing demand for open, collaborative R&D environments that accelerate innovation from lab to fab. In this context, the FAMES Pilot Line initiative organized on May 13th, 2025 its Open Access Workshop during the ICOS “International Cooperation On Semiconductors “2025 Workshop in Warsaw. This event was part of a series of semiconductor-related activities organized that week in Warsaw by the SiNANO Institute, highlighting the critical role of open-access pilot lines in strengthening Europe’s semiconductor ecosystem.

The event brought together researchers, industry stakeholders, and FAMES partners to present how the FAMES Pilot Line supports open-access experimentation for semiconductor development. Speakers included Mariusz Malinowski (Vice Rector for Scientific Affairs, Warsaw University of Technology), Bruno Paing (CEA-Leti), Dominique Noguet (CEA-Leti), Piotr Wiśniewski (CEZAMAT WUT), and Susana Bonnetier (CEA-Leti). Participants discussed specific use-cases, technical offerings, and support structures available for European companies and academic groups.

Crucially, this workshop provided a concrete opportunity to share early success stories and stimulate demand for future access calls. Discussions emphasized the importance of co-innovation, flexibility in prototyping, and how the pilot line complements national infrastructures and competence centres. The audience reflected a strong participation from Central and Eastern Europe: out of the 55+ attendees, 32 came from Poland, including representatives from 7 large enterprises (>250 employees), 4 medium-size enterprises, and 4 small enterprises (<50 employees). On the academic side, 17 of the 30 participants were from Polish institutions and 5 were representatives of Competence Centers.

The workshop seamlessly transitioned into the 11th Joint EuroSOI Workshop and International Conference on Ultimate Integration on Silicon (EuroSOI-ULIS 2025), enabling many of the attending researchers to continue technical discussions in a broader scientific context and allowing the conference participants to attend these side events. This synergy amplified FAMES visibility among both technical experts and strategic partners.

FAMES played a central role in making this workshop a success – not only by coordinating logistics and speaker participation, but also by curating the technical content to reflect the pilot line’s unique strengths. From substrate engineering to advanced device integration, the offerings demonstrated FAMES’ full value chain coverage.

This initiative represents an important milestone for FAMES. It marks a shift from internal consolidation toward external engagement, demonstrating how the pilot line is now ready to serve real users. It also signals FAMES’ active involvement in Europe’s semiconductor roadmap through close interaction with projects like ICOS and events like EuroSOI-ULIS. As highlighted by Mariusz Malinowski, Vice Rector for Scientific Affairs at Warsaw University of Technology, hosting the FAMES workshop in Warsaw provides the Polish semiconductor community with an exceptional platform to engage with various stakeholders – “It represents not only a technological platform but also a unique opportunity to connect academia, industry, and competence centres across Europe, which fosters the development of innovative technologies and products.”

 The workshop’s impact is expected to be far-reaching. As open access calls continue, these interactions will shape new project proposals, technology transfers, and reinforce Europe’s goal of strategic semiconductor autonomy.