imec

TLDR

imec is a Leuven-based independent research and innovation hub in nanoelectronics and digital technologies, employing around 6,500 people from over 100 countries and operating one of the world's most advanced semiconductor R&D facilities.

Overview

imec was founded in 1984 by Roger Van Overstraeten of KU Leuven, set up as an autonomous non-profit organisation funded by the Flemish government to give Flanders a regional micro-electronics research capability. Over four decades it grew into a global node for semiconductor research, partnering with every major chip manufacturer and equipment vendor, including ASML, TSMC, Intel, Samsung, and IBM. The Leuven campus houses 300mm wafer cleanrooms, EUV lithography tooling, and a EUR 3.5 billion 300mm pilot line, with a NanoIC sub-2nm pilot line announced in 2025.

Research at imec spans semiconductor scaling toward sub-2nm logic and memory, integrated silicon photonics, AI hardware, beyond-5G connectivity, sensing and actuation, automotive chips, cryogenic and quantum computing, and life sciences applications including neuromorphic computing, biosensors, and precision medicine. The institute operates a hybrid model, conducting pre-competitive research with industry partners while spinning out independent companies and running imec.xpand, a deeptech Venture Capital arm that co-invests in spin-offs and external rounds. Between 2014 and 2023, imec generated EUR 6.98 billion in added value in Flanders. The imec.istart accelerator has produced over 300 tech startups, and the organisation has spawned more than 120 spin-offs.

imec employs around 6,500 scientists, engineers, and innovators from more than 100 countries. It operates offices and labs across Belgium, the Netherlands (OnePlanet Research Center, Holst Centre), Germany (Heilbronn), Italy (Naples), the UK (Cambridge), Spain (planned 300mm cleanroom in Malaga), the USA (Florida, Indiana, Michigan), Taiwan, China, India, and Japan. Luc Van den Hove has served as President and CEO since 2009, growing turnover from EUR 275M to over EUR 1B. In September 2025 the board announced his transition to Chairman effective 1 April 2026, with Patrick Vandenameele appointed as incoming CEO.

imec sits at the centre of European semiconductor strategy, anchoring Leuven as a global chip research capital and acting as a critical training ground for engineers, founders, and researchers across the Flemish deeptech ecosystem.

Key People

• Luc Van den Hove - President and CEO (transitioning to Chair April 2026)

Notes

imec is a foundational institution in the Belgian deeptech ecosystem. Many Flanders-based hardware, photonics, and semiconductor startups trace their roots to imec research groups or alumni. The venture arm imec.xpand co-invests in spin-offs and external deeptech rounds. The Belgian government and Flemish ministers regularly cite imec as a strategic asset in EU Chips Act discussions.

Sources

• https://www.imec-int.com/en/about-us
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMEC
• https://www.imec-int.com/en/press/leadership-transition-imec-luc-van-den-hove-becomes-chairman-patrick-vandenameele-appointed
• https://www.imec-int.com/en/articles/leadership-transition-at-imec
• https://www.belganewsagency.eu/imec-opens-new-chip-pilot-line-in-leuven