Data corner: Europe narrowly leads US in chip design and fabrication papers

11 Mar 2025 | News

China leads both the EU and US by a wide margin, and its lead has been growing

Photo credits: Vishnu Mohanan / Unsplash

Europe has a slim lead over the United States in semiconductor design and fabrication research, a new analysis has found, although both are far behind a rising China. 

The analysis suggests that while the US has tried to stop China gaining the means to manufacture the most cutting-edge chips, Beijing may ultimately have a much stronger basic research base.

The EU, shaken by chip shortages that hit car manufacturers during the pandemic, is also trying to increase its own market share of semiconductors. To this end, the European Chips Act, passed in 2023, includes support for research and development. 

Here are the three most important takeaways from the report:

Europe leads the US, but both lag China