Françoise Chombar

MELEXIS Chairwoman, Pact For Skills Flanders STEM network

Françoise Chombar is Chairwoman and co-founder of Melexis. She served as the CEO of Melexis for 18 years (from 2003 to 2021). She is currently a member of the Board of Soitec, Antwerp Management School and Mediafin and as investor in some start-ups / scale-ups. She has served as president of the STEM-platform for a decade (until September 2025) and continues to be an active member. The STEM-platform, an advisory board to the Flemish government, aims to encourage young people to pursue a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics education and to promote STEM to the broader public as a conduit towards more prosperity and well-being. Françoise Chombar’s long-term commitment to actively advocating more STEM and diversity and inclusion is driven by her profound belief in their positive societal impact.

Sessions

Theatre - Main stage Panel

09:50–10:30

Breakthrough innovations, leadership and talent shaping Europe’s semiconductor ecosystem

Europe’s semiconductor ambitions depend on leaders who can turn breakthrough technologies into industrial scale, navigate uncertainty and build strong ecosystems. Bringing together perspectives from industry, entrepreneurship and research, the session will explore what leadership Europe needs to compete globally, scale innovation and broaden the talent pipeline for the next generation.