Belgian semiconductor research hub imec will appoint Patrick Vandenameele as its new chief executive, with current CEO Luc Van den Hove transitioning to the role of chairman, the company confirmed to Reuters on Monday. The leadership change comes as imec seeks to adapt to the rapidly evolving demands of AI-driven chipmaking and deepen collaborations with cloud computing providers.
In an interview, Vandenameele highlighted how the rise of artificial intelligence is reshaping the company’s priorities. Major hyperscalers such as Amazon, Microsoft, Meta, and Google—which control roughly half of the world’s data-center capacity—are expanding rapidly, driving unprecedented demand for new, efficient chips to power multibillion-dollar AI infrastructure. “They are screaming for solutions to scale up, scale out, and to do this at a sustainable power balance. Power is the key problem in this case,” Vandenameele said.
Imec, one of the world’s leading semiconductor R&D organizations, operates at the forefront of chip innovation, matching the capabilities of industry giants like ASML and Applied Materials. Its technology supports leading chipmakers and designers including TSMC, Nvidia, Apple, and Google.
Vandenameele, 52, began his career at imec in the 1990s and co-founded four startups, three of which leveraged imec technology. He later held senior roles at Qorvo and Huawei, gaining extensive experience in chip design and commercialization. Under his leadership, imec plans to launch additional spin-offs, giving startups earlier access to advanced chipmaking facilities and helping European deep-tech firms overcome funding and manufacturing hurdles. “The barrier for these small companies to get access to leading-edge technology is usually very high because they need to compete with huge companies to get access to these fabs,” he explained.
Imec is also advancing its sub-2 nanometer chip pilot line, backed by €2.5 billion ($2.9 billion) from the European Union’s CHIPS Act, to provide European tech firms with access to cutting-edge manufacturing technology that would otherwise be economically unattainable. The organization maintains a close relationship with ASML, the top lithography equipment maker founded the same year in nearby Veldhoven, Netherlands.
With Vandenameele at the helm, imec is set to strengthen its role as a key enabler of next-generation semiconductor innovation, positioning Europe as a significant player in AI-driven chip development and ensuring startups can compete on a global stage.
