On April 23, 2026, Oulu hosted Chips from the Very North, a high-level international event organized by the Finnish Chips Competence Centre (FiCCC) and Business Oulu. The event brought together European decision-makers, industry leaders, researchers, and technology companies to discuss the future of semiconductors, digital infrastructure, and sustainable growth in Europe.The event was hosted by Golriz Ghonouei (BusinessOulu / FiCCC), guiding participants through the day’s programme.
Held at Oulu City Hall, the event positioned Oulu not only as a regional innovation hub, but as a strategic contributor to Europe’s semiconductor ecosystem. The programme followed the semiconductor value chain, from European policy and investment frameworks to research excellence and real-world industrial applications, demonstrating how local ecosystems translate strategic ambition into concrete impact.
Oulu: A Northern Hub for Global Technological Impact
The event opened with remarks from Mayor Ari Alatossava, who highlighted Oulu’s strong position as a center for research, development, and innovation. With approximately €1 billion invested annually in R&D, most of it driven by private companies, Oulu represents a highly collaborative ecosystem where industry, academia, and public actors work closely together.
He emphasized that semiconductors are increasingly critical not only for economic growth, but also for security, resilience, and digital infrastructure. In a rapidly changing geopolitical environment, strengthening Europe’s semiconductor capabilities has become essential. Oulu’s expertise in wireless technologies, system-on-chip design, and 5G/6G development positions it as a key contributor to this effort.
Europe’s Semiconductor Strategy: From Dependency to Resilience
The opening keynote by Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, set the strategic direction for the day. She described semiconductors as the foundation of Europe’s competitiveness, economic security, and technological sovereignty.
Her keynote highlighted key challenges:
- Europe produces less than 10% of global semiconductors
- There is strong dependence on external suppliers, especially for advanced chips
- Global competition is intensifying with major investments worldwide
At the same time, she underlined Europe’s strengths, including world-class research, strong industrial ecosystems, and significant investments through the EU Chips Act. Over €80 billion in semiconductor-related investments have already been announced, creating a strong foundation for future growth.
Looking forward, she emphasized the need to:
- Strengthen European chip design capabilities
- Scale manufacturing and industrial capacity
- Build resilient supply chains
- Invest in talent and skills
Her message was clear: Europe must act collectively to transform its strengths into global competitiveness.
Industry Perspective: SoC Design and the Role of AI
From an industry perspective, Derek Urbaniak (Nokia) explored how advanced system-on-chip (SoC) design is shaping the future of digital infrastructure.
He highlighted that:
- Custom SoC design is essential for 5G and future 6G networks
- AI is transforming both chip design processes and network performance
- The future of connectivity will move from connecting devices to connecting intelligence
Nokia’s 40-year legacy in silicon development was presented as a strong example of long-term investment in technology and talent.
The session also emphasized the importance of:
- AI-driven design tools
- Advanced packaging and integration technologies
- Strong collaboration between industry and universities
From Excellence to Impact: The Oulu Ecosystem and FiCCC
A central theme of the event was how to turn European excellence into real-world impact.
Jussi Leponiemi and Tapani Lähdesmäki presented how the Oulu ecosystem connects design, research, and deployment. They emphasized that Europe’s challenge is not a lack of capability, but the gap between innovation and implementation.
Oulu addresses this by:
- Connecting chip design with real-world systems
- Supporting collaboration between companies, universities, and research organizations
- Enabling startups and SMEs to access funding, tools, and expertise
FiCCC plays a key role in this ecosystem by supporting innovation, facilitating access to funding and investors, and strengthening collaboration across Europe.
The EU Chips Act in Practice
In the second keynote, Jari Kinaret, Executive Director of Chips Joint Undertaking, explained how the EU Chips Act is being implemented in practice.
He described it as a joint effort between the EU, member states, and industry, aimed at strengthening research, design, and manufacturing capabilities.
Key actions include:
- Establishing pilot lines for advanced technologies
- Supporting design platforms for startups and SMEs
- Funding collaborative R&D projects
He also noted that while Europe is strong in areas like wireless technologies and equipment, there is still a need to strengthen advanced manufacturing capabilities.
From Lab to Industry: VTT and Quantum Innovation
Tauno Vähä-Heikkilä (VTT) presented how semiconductor research and pilot-line capabilities support the development of advanced chips. His session demonstrated how research infrastructure enables companies to prototype, test, and scale innovations.
This was followed by Juha Vartiainen (IQM Quantum Computers), who explored quantum processor design and its role in future digital infrastructure. Quantum computing was presented as a complementary technology to classical computing, with strong potential in areas such as optimization, simulation, and machine learning.
Finland’s Role in the Semiconductor Race
The afternoon programme began with Joonas Mikkilä from Technology Industries of Finland, who examined Finland’s position in the global semiconductor landscape.
His keynote connected industry and policy perspectives, highlighting how Finnish companies can strengthen their competitiveness and how specialization and strong ecosystems differentiate Finland globally.
Design Excellence and Education
Professor Aarno Pärssinen from the University of Oulu focused on IC design excellence and the importance of education and research in building long-term expertise.
He emphasized that successful ecosystems rely on strong collaboration between academia and industry, supported by platforms such as the Devices & Things ecosystem.
Public Funding as a Driver for Growth
Toni Mattila (Business Finland) presented how public funding supports semiconductor innovation, from early-stage R&D to commercialization.
He highlighted available funding instruments and emphasized that public funding plays a key role in reducing risk and enabling companies to scale their innovations.
LUMI AI Factory and Digital Sovereignty
Pekka Manninen (CSC) introduced the LUMI AI Factory, part of the EuroHPC initiative. The system, to be located in Kajaani, will be one of the most advanced AI-optimized supercomputing infrastructures in the world when completed.
The session expanded the discussion beyond semiconductors to the broader digital infrastructure required for Europe’s future competitiveness.
From Technology to Market: Company Perspectives
The final session featured company presentations and a panel discussion moderated by Lauri Koskinen, Professor of SoC Design at the University of Oulu.
The discussion brought together representatives from leading companies in the semiconductor ecosystem:
- Tomi-Pekka Takalo (CoreHW)
- Mikko Loikkanen (Bosch Sensortec)
- Ville Salmi (MediaTek)
- Neil Jackson (Alif Semiconductor)
The session focused on how technology can be successfully commercialized and what factors contribute to building globally competitive companies.
Each company shared insights from their own journey, highlighting the importance of:
- Deep technical expertise combined with market understanding
- Close collaboration with customers and partners
- Access to talent and strong local ecosystems
- The ability to scale innovation into real business impact
The panel discussion further explored how European and Finnish companies can strengthen their position in global markets, emphasizing that innovation alone is not enough, execution, timing, and ecosystem support are equally critical.
Closing Reflections
The event concluded with remarks from Veijo Kontas, summarizing the key takeaways and future actions needed to strengthen the semiconductor ecosystem.
The final message was clear: Europe has the talent, research, and industrial base needed to succeed, but it must act together, connect its strengths, and focus on execution.
Chips from the Very North event demonstrated how regional ecosystems like Oulu play a critical role in shaping Europe’s semiconductor future.
The event highlighted that success depends on:
- Strong collaboration across sectors
- Integration of research, design, and industry
- Access to funding and talent
- A shared European vision
Oulu stands as a concrete example of how these elements can come together, turning strategy into action, and innovation into impact.
This growing recognition of Oulu’s role in Europe’s semiconductor landscape is also reflected beyond the event itself. For example, recent discussions highlighted by 6G Flagship further bring attention to the topic. Their recent article, “Oulu’s chip design expertise enters Europe’s semiconductor debate”, underlines how the region’s capabilities are increasingly part of the wider European semiconductor conversation.
A few moments from Chips from the Very North in Oulu
- Photo Credit: Anna Karppinen, Suvi Sipola / BusinessOulu
- Written by : Golriz Ghonouei/ BusinessOulu- FiCCC