VIK researchers also participate in the development of the Chip Competence Centre

The Hungarian Centre for Heterogeneous Integration and Packaging (HCHiP) has begun its operations with the primary goal to establish a nationwide professional centre in Hungary by 2029 at the latest, which will strengthen Hungary’s position in the European value chain in the field of semiconductor technology research and development, innovation and knowledge sharing. With the implementation of the project, a self-sustaining research and innovation infrastructure will be created at national level, to which domestic small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and large companies will also have access. In addition, it is a priority goal to launch new semiconductor-focused engineering and further training programmes that will ensure a steady supply of highly qualified professionals. The consortium leader of the project is the Bay Zoltán Research Centre, while the consortium partners are the Budapest University of Technology and Economics and the HUN-REN Centre for Energy Research. The initiative is in line with the objectives of the European Chips Act, is being implemented with an investment of almost EUR 8 million, and will contribute to the development of a stable, competitive and innovation-driven European semiconductor ecosystem.

The establishment of the Hungarian Centre for Heterogeneous Integration and Packaging (HCHiP) is of strategic importance for Hungary. This is the area whose dynamic development directly determines the competitiveness of the automotive industry, telecommunications, energetics, defence industry and artificial intelligence applications. The centre strengthens European technological sovereignty, expands domestic innovation capacities, increases the added value in the semiconductor technology value chain and helps Hungary to become a development, innovation and knowledge centre in the semiconductor industry. With the implementation of the project, Hungary will join the European Chips Joint Undertaking (Chips JU) network, so that Hungarian engineers, researchers and companies can also be active participants in the development of next-generation semiconductor technologies. As a result, Hungary’s competitiveness, export capacity and technological independence will increase, which will consequently strengthen our economic and innovation position in Europe in the long term.

The Hungarian Competence Centre focuses on the area of heterogeneous integration and packaging technology, which is a key stage of semiconductor manufacturing where the system-level integration and packaging of devices with different functions take place. The centre will provide advanced design, modelling and testing platforms, including Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools, virtual prototype development, and testing of chiplet-based and 3D integration solutions. The experimental manufacturing and packaging technology infrastructure to be established will be suitable for demonstrating state-of-the-art processes, supporting the development of semiconductor industry innovations in Hungary. Dr. Ádám Vida, research director of the Bay Zoltán Research Centre, explained at the opening event of HChiP: “Joining the European Chips JU programme is strategic, as a knowledge network will be established throughout Europe that will shape the future, fundamentally determining the value chain, industry and competitiveness of the coming decades.”

The priority element of the project is human resource development. To this end, new semiconductor-focused engineering and further training programmes will be launched with the involvement of the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME) and the HUN-REN Centre for Energy Research (HUN-REN EK), aiming to ensure the supply of highly qualified professionals and to strengthen Hungarian competences in the field of semiconductor technologies and industry in the long term. Based on decades of work by HUN-REN EK researchers, the Competence Centre can also provide high-quality services in the fields of materials science, micro- and nanotechnology, microfluidics, photonics, and ceramic technology.

The Department of Electronic Devices (EET) of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Informatics (VIK) of the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME) plays a significant role in the implementation of the project. As Department Head, University Professor Dr. András Poppe directs the academic and research coordination, while Associate Professor Dr. Ferenc Ender, the deputy head of the department, is responsible for educational and industrial cooperation. Both of them contribute to the development, research and training tasks as active professionals of the department, thus putting their knowledge and resources at the service of the project.

This allow complex and innovative services to be available to SMEs, which can give provide momentum to the process from the realization of the idea to market entry, and also offer solutions in the methodology of analysis and analytics. The three institutions have decades of experience in the fields of microelectronics, materials science, integrated systems and technology transfer, and have a wide network of industrial and international cooperation. The total cost of the project is EUR 7.91 million, co-financed in equal shares by the European Union’s Chips Joint Undertaking (Chips JU) and the National Research, Development and Innovation Office (NRDI).

Rector's Office, Directorate of Communications