A new alliance spanning three European innovation hubs has set its sights on eliminating the gap between laboratory discoveries and market-ready semiconductor companies. The European Fabless Collaboration Layer, or EFCL, launched by TU/e, TUM Venture Labs, and Startup Factory boOst, targets a persistent bottleneck that has allowed talent and intellectual property to leak out of the continent.
Europe finds itself at a crossroads. The Draghi report on competitiveness underscores the urgent need to convert research prowess into tangible social and economic value. Within the semiconductor field, Europe leads in areas like quantum computing, photonics, and heterogeneous integration. Yet very little of this expertise translates into venture-backed, scalable firms. Consequently, promising innovations and the wealth they generate keep flowing toward ecosystems abroad.
The three partners bring distinct capabilities to the table. TUM Venture Labs, backed by the Technical University of Munich and UnternehmerTUM, specializes in nurturing deep-tech startups. Startup Factory boOst operates as a Dresden-based nonprofit focused on technology transfer, with TU Dresden among its stakeholders.
Despite hefty investments through the European Chips Act and Horizon Europe, a disconnect endures. The founders have named this the “lab-to-fab gap,” pointing to the difficult transition from research output to investable enterprise. EFCL plans to bridge it by connecting entrepreneurs, researchers, investors, and industry leaders. Rather than launching another funding program, this initiative will act as a commercialization layer. Its goal involves linking new ventures with industrial partners who can serve as first customers, a critical ingredient that seed capital alone cannot provide.
The collaboration establishes a cross-border framework for mentorship, founder matchmaking, technology scouting, and investor outreach across Eindhoven, Dresden, and Munich. Initial work has already identified 14 startup and spin-off cases spanning high-tech systems, quantum technologies, and semiconductor innovation. Silvia Lenaerts, Rector Magnificus of TU/e, noted that Europe’s strength depends not solely on investment but on how effectively its innovation ecosystems connect to secure those vital early customers. The partners intend for this model to expand, drawing international talent and strategic funding into Europe’s deep-tech landscape.
