Europe’s semiconductor landscape is advancing rapidly, and Malta is positioning itself as one of the region’s emerging innovation centres. The Global Semiconductor Conference Malta (GSCM 2025), hosted by Malta Enterprise, is a core component of this national strategy. As presented on the official GSCM platform, the event aims to bring together policymakers, industry leaders, researchers and start-ups to strengthen Europe’s semiconductor value chain and highlight Malta’s growing role within it.
The conference reflects Malta’s ambition to become a trusted location for microelectronics research, advanced manufacturing and deep-tech commercialisation. It also aligns with broader European Chips Act objectives focused on supply chain resilience, technology innovation and skills development.
Building a European Semiconductor Hub: Malta’s New Role
A key milestone in Malta’s semiconductor strategy is the establishment of the Malta Semiconductor Competence Centre (MSCC), launched with €8 million of co-funding from the European Chips JU and Malta Enterprise. The centre brings together the University of Malta, MCAST, the Malta Digital Innovation Authority and Silicon Catalyst Europe to build national capability in IC design, advanced packaging, verification, materials research and semiconductor workforce development.
Figure 1: Signing ceremony for the Malta Semiconductor Competence Centre (MSCC), bringing together Malta Enterprise, Silicon Catalyst Europe, the University of Malta, MCAST and MDIA.
The MSCC will also host Europe’s first ChipStart EU incubator, which is modelled on the established UK programme. According to Sean Redmond, President of Silicon Catalyst Europe, the UK initiative has already supported multiple early-stage semiconductor companies in securing investment and maturing their technologies. Chipstart EU aims to create a similar impact for European start-ups. The first cohort received 42 applications from 17 countries, and 12 companies have been selected, including ICECAP Systems, a University of Malta spin-out developing precision thermoelectric cooling solutions.
The one-year programme provides access to EDA tools, IP libraries, mentoring, and prototyping through TSMC and GlobalFoundries. Its purpose is to help early-stage semiconductor companies mature their technology and strengthen their path to investor readiness. According to the GSCM website, ChipStart EU also supports Malta’s broader objective of attracting foreign semiconductor investment and expanding a specialised engineering workforce capable of contributing to high-value microelectronics development.
Europe’s Semiconductor Leaders Gather in Malta
GSCM 2025 will host more than thirty confirmed speakers from across the European semiconductor ecosystem. Below is a representative selection of leaders whose work directly aligns with Malta’s semiconductor ambitions and the broader European strategy:
- Laith Altimime, President of SEMI Europe, will discuss Europe’s progress under the Chips Act.
- Professor Asen Asenov, Chairman of Green SiC Manufacturing and CEO of Semiwise, will speak on CMOS and power-device modelling.
- Jalal Bagherli CBE, Co-Chair of the UK Semiconductor Advisory Panel, will address design innovation and leadership.
- Fabio Gualandris, President of Quality, Manufacturing and Technology at STMicroelectronics, will present insights on advanced back-end manufacturing.
- George Gregory, CEO of Malta Enterprise, will outline Malta’s semiconductor roadmap and investment incentives.
- Christophe Frey, Vice-President of EU Engagements at Arm, will focus on IP strategy and Europe’s expanding design ecosystem.
- Romano Hoofman, Strategic Development Director at imec, will highlight R&D collaboration and prototyping capacity.
- Patrick Camilleri, ChipStart EU Director at Silicon Catalyst Europe, will introduce the inaugural ChipStart EU cohort.
These speakers represent a cross-section of European leadership in design, manufacturing, R&D, start-up incubation, and national semiconductor policy. The names above are a curated selection from the complete GSCM 2025 programme, which includes a broader range of experts spanning industry, academia, policy and deep-tech venture.
Full GSCM 2025 Speaker Ecosystem Overview
To provide a complete view of the event’s scope, the table below summarises all speakers and panellists listed in the official GSCM document, grouped by area of contribution.
Table 1. GSCM 2025 Speakers and Panellists (Grouped Overview)
These grouped profiles reflect the breadth of expertise contributing to GSCM 2025, spanning advanced manufacturing, modelling, photonics, power devices, AI-assisted design, start-up incubation and VC-driven deep-tech growth.
Strategic Partnerships Defining the New Semiconductor Landscape
As highlighted in the Silicon Catalyst EU Newsletter, Europe’s semiconductor momentum is being driven by strong public-private collaboration. Current developments include:
- Arm Flexible Access, enabling rapid silicon prototyping for start-ups such as Weeteq.
- GlobalFoundries, advancing secure and trusted technologies for emerging applications.
- NXP Semiconductors, optimising large-language models for low-power embedded systems.
- Dexerials, supporting innovation in optical and advanced materials.
- Sony Semiconductor Solutions is expanding imaging and sensing capabilities across Europe.
These collaborations are positioned as essential pillars for strengthening Europe’s semiconductor resilience and supporting long-term commercialisation pathways.
From Research to Scalable Innovation
Malta’s ecosystem is already delivering measurable outcomes that align with the vision presented on the GSCM platform. STMicroelectronics Malta, in operation since 1981, is one of the company’s most productive facilities, with robotics, digital twins, and AI-driven automation integrated into its workflows.
At the University of Malta, the Engineering Research and Innovation Lab is developing next-generation IC design capability. The emergence of spin-outs like ICECAP Systems demonstrates the growing potential for university-to-industry technology transfer. Malta’s approach builds on Silicon Catalyst Europe’s mission to minimise investment risk and maximise early-stage success by merging academic talent, start-up incubation, global industry partnerships and government support.
Alpinum Consulting Perspective
At Alpinum Consulting, we continue to support the European semiconductor ecosystem through thought leadership, technical content and industry analysis. Our work spans events such as DESN, FPGA Front Runner and Verification Futures, where Silicon Catalyst delivered the keynote session. The work reflects our commitment to advancing design verification, system integration and innovation strategy across Europe.
This connection is strengthened through the role of Mike Bartley, CEO of Alpinum Consulting and Advisor to Silicon Catalyst Europe, which reinforces Alpinum Consulting’s engagement with the start-up incubation and deep-tech commercialisation ecosystem. As GSCM 2025 approaches, Malta’s progress demonstrates how smaller nations can contribute meaningfully to the region’s semiconductor landscape through coordinated strategy, strong public-private collaboration, and targeted skill development.
About GSCM 2025
Malta Enterprise organises the Global Semiconductor Conference Malta (GSCM 2025) in collaboration with Silicon Catalyst Europe and national government partners. The event aims to strengthen Malta’s position in the European semiconductor sector, create new opportunities for cooperation, and support the country’s long-term transition to high-value microelectronics.
More information is available at: https://gscm.maltaenterprise.com.
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