The European Investment Bank (EIB) and STMicroelectronics have signed a €500 million financing agreement to support Europe’s competitiveness and strategic autonomy. This is the first tranche of a broader €1 billion credit line recently approved by the EIB for ST, a leading semiconductor manufacturer with a strong European footprint in Italy, France and Malta serving automotive, industrial, personal electronics and communication infrastructure markets.
The new financing will back ST’s investments in innovative semiconductor technologies and devices across Italy and France, spanning both research and development and high-volume manufacturing. Approximately 60% of the funding will support manufacturing capabilities at key sites including Catania, Agrate and Crolles, with the remaining 40% directed to R&D. Since 1994, the EIB has supported nine ST projects totaling about €4.2 billion.
“Europe’s ability to lead in semiconductor innovation is vital for our competitiveness, resilience and climate goals. This agreement reflects the EIB’s commitment to supporting strategic industries that enable the green and digital transitions and strengthen Europe’s technological sovereignty,” said Gelsomina Vigliotti, EIB Vice-President.
“ST continues to be committed to strengthening Europe’s semiconductor ecosystem, and this significant loan from EIB aims at bolstering our efforts in R&D for differentiated technologies and high-volume manufacturing across our sites in Italy and France,” said Jean-Marc Chery, President and CEO of STMicroelectronics. “ST’s longstanding collaboration with the EIB underscores our commitment to ensuring European technology leadership in the global semiconductor market.”
“Semiconductors are at the heart of modern economies, powering everything from electric vehicles to digital infrastructure. By financing ST’s investments in research and advanced manufacturing, we are helping Europe secure critical technologies and create high-skilled jobs for the future,” added Ambroise Fayolle, EIB Vice-President.
The announcement follows last week’s visit by an EIB delegation led by Vice-Presidents Gelsomina Vigliotti and Ambroise Fayolle to ST’s Catania facility, a state-of-the-art site covering the full Silicon Carbide (SiC) value chain and a key element of the Bank’s financing focus.
Original – STMicroelectronics