Silicon Box Joins Imec Consortium to Secure Supply Chains for Future Vehicles
Leuven, Wednesday 15 April 2026
Following a 436% surge in first-quarter automotive revenue, Silicon Box has partnered with imec to develop advanced packaging solutions, securing critical semiconductor supply chains for next-generation European vehicles.
Accelerating the Chiplet Revolution in Automotive
Today, 15 April 2026, Singapore-based advanced semiconductor packaging firm Silicon Box formally announced its integration into the Automotive Chiplet Program (ACP), an initiative led by the Leuven-based research institute imec [1]. The automotive sector is currently grappling with rising costs and significant bottlenecks due to the surging computing requirements of modern, software-defined vehicles [1]. To navigate these challenges, chiplet technology—which connects multiple smaller chips to function as a single unit—is increasingly recognised as a critical solution [1]. Silicon Box’s involvement is far from a mere symbolic gesture; the company’s revenue from automotive clients expanded at an annualised rate of 436% during the first quarter of 2026 [1].
European Strategic Autonomy and the Novara Expansion
This partnership underscores a broader push towards European strategic autonomy in the semiconductor sector [1][2]. Silicon Box is actively developing its second manufacturing facility in Novara, Italy, which is scheduled to commence production in 2028 [1]. This plant will replicate the panel-level packaging capacity of its Singapore flagship foundry—which surpassed a 100-million-unit production milestone in October 2025—and establish a comprehensive semiconductor value chain from design to final testing within Europe [1]. Crucially, this Italian expansion aligns with the European Union’s strategic objective to manufacture 20% of the world’s semiconductors by 2030 [1].
Navigating Geopolitical Risks and Market Dominance
While ASML’s technological moat is protected by decades of investment and high barriers to entry against competitors like Canon and Nikon, the company remains exposed to significant geopolitical and market risks [2]. Over 30% of ASML’s revenue is dependent on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), and an additional 20% to 30% is vulnerable to United States export restrictions targeting China [2]. Despite these pressures, analysts from JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley forecast robust growth for ASML, driven by the relentless demand for AI infrastructure [2]. First deliveries of their next-generation High-NA systems to Intel and TSMC could accelerate throughout 2026 [alert! ‘actual delivery timelines may shift due to supply chain constraints or client readiness’] [2].