Poland emerges as key player in Europe’s semiconductor future at ISS Europe 2025
At the SEMI Industry Strategy Symposium Europe (ISS Europe) 2025 held in Sopot, Poland, senior leaders from government, industry, and investment sectors convened to discuss the rapidly evolving European semiconductor landscape. The event featured a dedicated press briefing focusing on Poland’s emerging role within this ecosystem, the importance of international collaboration, and strategic measures necessary to enhance Europe’s competitiveness in semiconductor manufacturing and innovation.
Poland, as one of Central Europe’s key players, is increasingly recognised for its industrial readiness, engineering talent, and strategic geographic position. Representatives at the briefing underscored that while the EU Chips Act is driving unprecedented investment across Europe, success in semiconductor development requires more than financial support; it demands coordinated cross-border collaboration, integrated public-private strategies, and long-term commitment to nurturing talent and securing supply chain resilience.
Key figures contributing to the discussion included Laith Altimime, President of SEMI Europe; Agnieszka Sygitowicz, President of The Polish-Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Dr Pawel Pudlowski, Deputy CEO of the Polish Investment and Trade Agency (PAIH); Monika Morali-Majkut, Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board at Atlas Ward; Benedikt Ernst, Senior Vice President and Head of Strategy Transformation at Merck Group; Dionys van de Ven, President of Comet Yxlon; and Anna-Riikka Vuorikari-Antikainen, Chief Commercial Officer at Okmetic.
Monika Morali-Majkut emphasised the essential role of the private sector in building Poland’s semiconductor ecosystem. She highlighted Atlas Ward’s initiative, SEMICON Supply Poland, which focuses on creating a robust and scalable supply chain infrastructure—including land, utilities, materials, and specialised services—to attract incoming semiconductor investments. Morali-Majkut noted, “This isn’t just a national effort. We’re closely aligned with ecosystem-building in Dresden, Prague, and across Central Europe. Collaboration across borders is essential.”
Agnieszka Sygitowicz elaborated on the philosophy of “building bridges” with international partners, particularly Taiwan, through connections spanning knowledge, people, business, development, and shared success. She said, “Poland is not trying to replicate what others have done, but to learn from it—particularly in ecosystem development. The long game is not just investment attraction; it’s ecosystem maturity.”
Addressing the pressing challenge of talent shortages within the semiconductor sector, Monika Morali-Majkut detailed how Polish academia is partnering with industry to expand vocational training and university-level programmes aligned with industry needs. She remarked, “The semiconductor industry has one of the most complex supply chains in the world. Investing in this industry creates ripple effects across a wide range of skill areas. When we invest in semiconductor education, the spillover benefits for the broader economy will be immense.”
Laith Altimime further highlighted the scale of the talent gap, stating, “Europe is projected to face a shortage of 271,000 skilled workers in the semiconductor sector by 2030 if current trends persist.” SEMI is leading initiatives around reskilling, upskilling, and fostering partnerships between academia and industry, with actions such as the SEMI Educational Leaders Board and the recent SEMI On Campus event at the University of Gdańsk aimed at strengthening talent development across Europe.
On the topic of supply chain resilience amid geopolitical pressures, Benedikt Ernst pointed to Europe’s existing strengths, including world-class companies, technologies, and a robust consumer market. He observed, “What’s needed now is coordination—government and industry must work together to align efforts, avoid fragmentation, and ensure that political initiatives channel support in a unified direction.”
Dionys van de Ven stressed the importance of maintaining open global market access for industry players, noting that excessive trade controls and intellectual property restrictions can create bottlenecks. He recommended that companies embed themselves within ecosystems that connect production facilities with research institutions to foster innovation and a future-ready industry.
Poland’s competitive advantages were further expanded upon by Agnieszka Sygitowicz and Anna-Riikka Vuorikari-Antikainen, who highlighted factors such as availability of ready-to-develop land, financial incentives (including grants and tax exemptions), strong government support for innovation, acceleration programmes, and increasingly agile project execution processes. Vuorikari-Antikainen mentioned that speed, often overlooked, is critical, and that countries able to fast-track permitting and investment processes will gain a competitive edge.
Regarding the European Commission’s discussions on a potential second Chips Act, attendees reflected on lessons learned from the first. Dionys van de Ven underlined the need for straightforward support mechanisms: “From an industry standpoint, what’s most helpful is straightforward support—mechanisms that empower companies to invest where it makes sense and move quickly.”
Dr Pawel Pudlowski acknowledged that Poland had not fully capitalised on the initial Chips Act but highlighted recent developments positioning the country for greater involvement. “Poland now has a national semiconductor strategy backed by the government, and this, combined with growing engagement from organisations like SEMI, positions us for stronger inclusion going forward.”
Laith Altimime welcomed Poland’s national chip strategy, calling it “both timely and critical” for creating a conducive environment through clear roadmaps, strong government backing, and industry alignment. He stated, “With Poland’s new strategy in place, we expect to see even greater integration into the European semiconductor value chain in the next phase of the initiative.”
Morali-Majkut also noted a shift in international perceptions of Poland’s role within the semiconductor ecosystem, stating, “Poland has long played a vital role in Europe’s industrial supply chain, particularly in collaboration with Germany. We bring a strong foundation in engineering, education, cost-efficiency, and industrial land availability.” She proposed viewing Central European countries like Germany, the Czech Republic, and Poland not as isolated markets but as a collaborative supply chain hub.
The ISS Europe 2025 event in Sopot showcased a collective vision among stakeholders for a strengthened, cohesive European semiconductor ecosystem, with Poland emerging as a growing centre of investment, innovation, and international collaboration in the sector.