Catalonia assumes the presidency of the European Semiconductor Regions Alliance (ESRA)

Catalonia assumed the presidency of the European Semiconductor Regions Alliance (ESRA), a position it will hold throughout 2026. The President of the Catalan Government, Salvador Illa, led the handover ceremony at the Palau de Pedralbes in Barcelona, attended by around 100 European representatives from the semiconductor industry.

During his address, President Illa emphasized, "Catalonia is ready to take on the challenge of driving the scale-up that Europe needs in the semiconductor sector". In this regard, he stated that boosting the semiconductor industry "is a strategic national project", and that Catalonia aims to lead the challenge of achieving technological autonomy, in which semiconductors play a key role.

The event also featured Miquel Sàmper, Catalan Minister of Business and Labour, and Jordi Garcia Brustenga, Spain’s Secretary of State for Industry, together with authorities from across ESRA’s member regions.

“Catalonia is ready to take on the challenge of driving the scale-up that Europe needs in the semiconductor sector”

Salvador Illa, President of the Catalan Government

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Outgoing ESRA president Alberto Cirio, President of the Piedmont Region, highlighted the progress achieved during his mandate: "Leading ESRA has been both an honour and a great responsibility for Piemonte. We are proud to have contributed to strengthening the Alliance and advancing Europe’s semiconductor momentum, turning regional cooperation into a driver of resilience and technological sovereignty. ESRA is more than a network; it is a strategic alliance uniting regions, industry, and research to shape Europe’s microelectronics future. The handover to Catalonia marks a new chapter of continuity and ambition, and we warmly congratulate Catalonia and Tampere for their upcoming leadership".

Catalonia was elected by a majority vote among ESRA members ahead of other nominations. In 2025, Catalonia held the vice-presidency of ESRA together with Saxony, while Piedmont presided over the Alliance. Throughout this year, Catalonia has also led the Alliance’s working group before the European Commission to strengthen dialogue between regional industry ecosystems and EU institutions.

Founded in Brussels in September 2023, ESRA currently brings together 36 European regions with advanced semiconductor ecosystems and proactive policies in this sector, including 13 driving agencies, one of which is Catalonia. The Department of Business and Labour coordinates Catalonia's participation through the General Directorate of Industry and ACCIÓ–Catalonia Trade & Investment. Collectively, ESRA regions represent over 50 % of the EU’s GDP.

Roope Lehto, Chairperson of the Regional Council of Tampere, also highlighted: "The Tampere region is proud to contribute to ESRA through initiatives like the Chips from Tampere Program and our renewed EU Office in Brussels. Regional ecosystems will play a key role as customers for semiconductor companies, driving demand for chip innovations and solutions. Together with Catalonia and Piedmont, we aim to strengthen Europe’s semiconductor ecosystem and ensure active collaboration with the European Commission and Parliament as we move toward Chips Act 2.0".

From Saxony, Dirk Panter, State Minister for Economic Affairs, Labour, Energy and Climate Action, reflected on ESRA’s rapid growth: "When the Saxon State Government initiated the founding of ESRA in 2023, we were convinced that Europe needed a strong regional voice for microelectronics in Brussels – and we were absolutely right. What began with twelve expressions of interest has grown into a strong alliance of 36 member regions. Together, we have established ESRA as a reliable partner of the European Commission and contributed to several strategic initiatives. ESRA delivers – and provides the right impulses at the right time. We are now pleased to hand over the baton to Catalonia, together with the co-chairs from Piedmont and Tampere".

ESRA’s main goal is to ensure that regions play a central role in implementing European semiconductor policies under the European Chips Act, which aims to enhance the continent’s technological sovereignty and production capacity. During Catalonia’s presidency, a new regulatory framework will be defined, with the ambition of achieving 20 % of global chip production in Europe.

The semiconductor ecosystem in Catalonia

As part of the handover activities, Catalonia has hosted representatives from ESRA regions to present its local semiconductor ecosystem. On Thursday, the European delegation visited key facilities such as the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC) and the new Quantum Data Center of the Catalan company Qilimanjaro, which had just been inaugurated. On Friday, attendees participated in roundtables and working sessions addressing the industry’s challenges and opportunities.

Catalonia is currently one of Europe’s most dynamic regions in the semiconductor sector and ranks as the third-largest EU region in attracting foreign investment projects in this field.

According to ACCIÓ–Catalonia Trade & Investment’s report "Semiconductors in Catalonia", the ecosystem comprises 260 agents, including companies, institutions, technology centers, and research organizations, generating a total business volume of €302 million and employing over 4,600 highly qualified professionals. A significant part of this ecosystem is integrated into the Catalonia Semiconductors and Chips Alliance, led by the Department of Business and Labour through ACCIÓ, the agency responsible for business competitiveness.