European Commission Launches $12 Billion Chip Support Campaign 111
An anonymous reader writes "Neelie Kroes, European Commission vice president responsible for the digital economy, wants to use 5 billion euros of European Union tax payers' money, together with matching funds from the chip industry, to recreate European success in semiconductors similar to that of Airbus. Because of its strategic importance to wealth creation Kroes wants Europe to reverse its decline in chip manufacturing and move back up from 10 percent to 20 percent of global production."
Ask IBM why they left . . . ? (Score:5, Interesting)
IBM used to produce chips in Sindelfingen, Germany. They shut it down a long time ago. On the other hand, Mercedes Benz automobiles are still rolling off the Daimler assembly line in Sindelfingen. So it's not like it's the location or lack of skilled workers or anything like that.
So why is that . . . ? Of course, cars are not chips, despite the Slashdot penchant for car analogies. But it would be interesting to know why someone like IBM pulled out, before dumping a bunch of money on the problem . . .
And what about Siemens . . . ? Do they still make chips . . . ?