Places to be: where Europe’s semiconductor ecosystem will meet this October
The European semiconductor ecosystem is diverse and heterogeneous. While innovation takes shape in laboratories and fabs, fruitful collaboration often takes form through the occasions in which researchers, industry representatives, technology developers and policymakers come together to exchange perspectives, present emerging solutions and discuss the direction of the sector.
The coming weeks offer a particularly dense sequence of such encounters, with October set to bring different segments of the semiconductor landscape into focus. From Berlin and Heidelberg to London, Limassol, San Francisco and Eindhoven, a number of conferences and technical gatherings will provide opportunities to follow developments across different technological domains and geographical settings. Here are the places to be this upcoming month to meet the global semiconductor community:
FIRST by FMD – Fast Innovation through Research in Semiconductor Technologies
Berlin | 30 September–1 October
The month gets underway in Germany, where two events will take place across the end of September and the beginning of October. On 30 September and 1 October, Berlin will host FIRST by FMD – Fast Innovation through Research in Semiconductor Technologies, focusing on semiconductor trends, technology roadmaps and strategic alignment in microelectronics.
39th IEEE International System-on-Chip Conference (SOCC)
Heidelberg | 30 September–2 October
At the same time, Heidelberg will host the 39th IEEE International System-on-Chip Conference (SOCC), from 30 September to 2 October, with a programme covering System-on-Chip and System-in-Package technologies, including architectures, circuits, design, process technology, testing, verification and emerging applications.
29th European Microwake Week (EuMW)
London | 4-9 October
From there, the conversation moves to London, where the 29th European Microwave Week (EuMW) will take place from 4 to 9 October. The event brings together the European Microwave Conference, the European Microwave Integrated Circuits Conference and the European Radar Conference, alongside an exhibition and specialised forums addressing areas including 6G, automotive, space and defence.
34th IFIP/IEEE International Conference on VLSI-SoC
Limassol, Cyprus | 11–14 October
The following week, the focus shifts towards VLSI and System-on-Chip technologies. Limassol, in Cyprus, will host the 34th IFIP/IEEE International Conference on VLSI-SoC from 11 to 14 October, covering topics ranging from circuits, architectures and design automation to verification, testing and security, as well as emerging areas such as heterogeneous and neuromorphic computing.
ITF USA at SEMICON West
San Francisco | 12 October
On 12 October, meanwhile, the semiconductor conversation will extend to San Francisco, where ITF USA at SEMICON West will take place under the theme “From Silicon to Systems: Building the AI Future”. Its programme addresses developments including advanced scaling, memory, advanced packaging, optical I/O, sensing and quantum technologies. The event will precede SEMICON West 2026, scheduled for 13–15 October.
ePicture This 2026 – AENEAS Technical Day
Eindhoven | 28 October
The October sequence will return to Europe on 28 October, when Eindhoven hosts ePicture This 2026 - AENEAS Technical Day. The event brings together participants from industry, research organisations and European collaborative projects around topics including imaging, AI and advanced sensors, with organisations such as ASML, imec, Philips, Teledyne Technologies, TNO and Eindhoven University of Technology represented in the programme.
A month across the semiconductor ecosystem
Different venues, different communities, different technological domains. Yet the geographical and thematic breadth of this calendar offers a useful reminder that the semiconductor ecosystem is not a single, homogeneous field. Its development takes place across interconnected layers (from architectures and design to RF technologies, AI hardware, sensing and manufacturing) and across a network of specialised research and industrial communities.
These October events offer different perspectives on Europe's evolving semiconductor ecosystem; to contribute to its next chapter, consider joining the Industrial Alliance for Semiconductors.
