EU-Wide Advantages & Opportunities under "Space Critical EEE Components for EU non-dependence – Advanced Packages and Memories" (HORIZON-CL4-2025-02-SPACE-74)

1. Single Market Access – "Design Once, Sell to 450 + Million"

• Unified certification & qualification (ECSS/ESCC/EN) allows a single component to be sold to all ESA, EU Space Programme, defence and commercial primes without re-qualification in each Member State.

• Public-procurement leverage: EU institutional buyers (IRIS², Galileo/EGNOS, Copernicus, GOVSATCOM, ESA missions, EDF projects) form an anchor market that can immediately absorb space-qualified MRAM or fine-pitch substrates once TRL 7 is reached.

• Early compliance with forthcoming EU Chips Act labelling positions beneficiaries for preferential access to the new €3 bn Chips Fund and state-aid facilitated fabs.

2. Cross-Border Collaboration & Knowledge Exchange

• Mandatory EU-only eligibility creates a unique, "safe" sandbox for deep-tech semiconductor cooperation between:

• IDM & fab-lite players (e.g. ST, Infineon, X-Fab, Nexperia)

• special-process SMEs (e.g. Swedish spin-out in through-silicon vias) and

• top research centres (IMEC, LETI, Fraunhofer IIS, CEA, VTT, SINTEF, RISE)

• Integrated pilot lines can be distributed: design in France/Belgium, wafer processing in Germany/Italy, substrate packaging in Spain, radiation testing in the Netherlands, thereby using existing ERDF-funded clean-rooms and ESA test facilities.

• Mobility of researchers (Marie-Curie, EIT) is simplified by freedom of movement, speeding up tacit know-how transfer on radiation-hardening, ferromagnetic layer deposition, fine-pitch ABF alternatives, etc.

3. Alignment with Major EU Strategies

| EU Policy | Direct Relevance |

|-----------|-----------------|

| Open Strategic Autonomy | Reduces ITAR/EAR exposure; feeds Critical Technology Observatory KPIs |

| EU Chips Act | Contributes to the 20 % global share target; eligible for "First-of-a-kind" facility label |

| Green Deal & Net-Zero Industry | MRAM = non-volatile + near-zero standby power → lower satellite energy budget & downstream ICT footprint |

| Secure Connectivity (IRIS²) | Trustworthy memory & packaging for quantum-safe satellite routers |

| Digital Europe & AI | On-board AI accelerators need radiation-tolerant, fast NVRAM |

4. Regulatory Harmonisation & Trusted Supply Chains

• Single export-control narrative: One consortium-wide EAR/ITAR gap analysis accepted by all EU security authorities avoids 27 separate vettings.

• EU dual-use list alignment (Reg. 2021/821) and upcoming EU Economic Security Strategy provide a predictable framework for long-term commercialisation.

• 4-year mandatory open supply clause (in MGA) guarantees component availability to any EU entity, stimulating a second-source market and avoiding national stockpiling.

5. Leveraging the EU Innovation Ecosystem

• Synergies with Key Digital Technologies (KDT JU): shared pilot lines and cross-standardisation of MRAM PDKs.

• Access to ESA ARTES & GSTP test campaigns at discounted rates via the Horizon grant.

• Standardisation fast-track: CEN-CENELEC & ETSI research helpdesks can transform project test protocols into European standards, securing first-mover advantages.

• CASSINI & EIC accelerators offer business coaching and venture capital matchmaking for spin-outs commercialising derivative terrestrial products (e.g. IoT low-power MRAM).

6. Funding Synergies & Blended Finance Pathway

1. Horizon RIA (this call) – TRL 4→7, €2.5–3 m public grant.

2. ESA GSTP Element 2 – optional co-fund for full space qualification campaign.

3. EIB/InvestEU Space Equity Facility – growth capital for pilot production.

4. IPCEI ME/CT (state-aid window) – capex for 300 mm radiation-hard wafer line or organic substrate fab.

5. European Defence Fund – dual-use adaptation (radiation-hardened MRAM for secure tactical comms).

7. Scale & Market Impact at EU Level

• Total addressable EU institutional demand (2028-2035): >€800 m for high-density NVRAM & fine-pitch substrates (source: EU Space Programme roadmaps).

• Commercial Leo constellation boom: EU NewSpace start-ups (Isar, PLD, EnduroSat, Loft, Exotrail) projected to require >50,000 radiation-tolerant compute tiles with embedded MRAM by 2030.

• Spill-over into automotive & industrial IoT: once space-qualified, MRAM meets AEC-Q100 Grade 0 easily, opening a €5 bn EU market with 15 % CAGR.

8. Specific Opportunities by Technology Line

8.1 Advanced Packages – Organic Substrate, Very High Fine Pitch

• Fill EU capability gap vs. Ajinomoto Build-up Film (Japan).

• Can dovetail with Circular Electronics Initiative: recyclable, halogen-free substrates.

• Immediate integration path with European Processor Initiative (EPI) chiplets for edge-AI payloads.

8.2 MRAM Memories

• World-first radiation-tolerant STT-MRAM at 28 nm or below within EU borders.

• Provides secure non-volatile memory for EU-made RISC-V space microcontrollers (Horizon 2024 SwARM).

• Enables on-orbit reconfigurable FPGAs with instant boot, vital for SSA/STM adaptive algorithms.

9. Recommended EU-Level Actions for Applicants

1. Map entire supply chain in the EU Single Market; highlight customs-free movement of wafers/substrates under Union Customs Code.

2. Reference EU strategic documents (Chips Act Art. 5, Critical Raw Materials Act Annex I) to show policy fit.

3. Plan standardisation deliverables with CENELEC TC 45X and ECSS Working Group on EEE to gain evaluation points.

4. Include at least three Member States in fabless–fab–packaging–test chain to maximise cross-border spill-overs scored under Impact.

5. Use open licensing models (F/RAND within EU) to satisfy MGA exploitation clause and attract downstream SMEs.

10. Key Take-Away

Operating at EU scale converts a technological R&D project into a cornerstone of European strategic autonomy: a single grant can catalyse a continent-wide trusted supply chain, leverage multiple EU policy tools, and open a commercial market far larger than any national programme could offer.