GLOBAL TCAD SOLUTIONS GMBH

Their core work

Global TCAD Solutions GmbH is a Vienna-based specialist in Technology Computer-Aided Design (TCAD) — numerical simulation software and services that model semiconductor device physics, fabrication processes, and electrical behavior before physical chips are built. Their tools allow process engineers and chip designers to predict device performance computationally, dramatically reducing the cost and time of physical prototyping cycles. In H2020 consortia, they contribute semiconductor device modeling as a specialist partner, supporting advanced transistor architecture projects and more recently emerging ferroelectric and neuromorphic memory technologies. Their value to large industrial consortia lies in de-risking expensive fabrication decisions through validated simulation.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

From 2015 to 2017, their H2020 work was firmly anchored in classical semiconductor scaling — specifically fully depleted silicon-on-insulator (FD-SOI) substrates and next-generation transistor fabrication, the mainstream frontier of CMOS miniaturization at the time. Their 2021–2025 project represents a decisive pivot toward post-CMOS territory: ferroelectric devices, 3D vertical integration, and hardware for neural network inference — all driven by the AI hardware boom and the limits of conventional scaling. The trajectory is clear: they are moving their TCAD expertise from traditional chip process simulation into the emerging memory and neuromorphic computing space where simulation tooling is still immature and highly valued.

They are repositioning their TCAD simulation capabilities from traditional transistor scaling into AI hardware accelerators and non-volatile ferroelectric memory — one of the fastest-growing areas of European semiconductor R&D investment.

How they like to work

Global TCAD Solutions has never coordinated an H2020 project, consistently joining as a specialist technical partner — the pattern of a niche tool and service provider brought in for a defined contribution rather than a program manager. Both projects they joined were large ECSEL-type consortia with many industrial and academic partners, which suits a company that offers a specific simulation capability rather than broad system integration. This makes them a predictable, low-friction partner: they know their role, deliver a bounded scope, and do not compete with consortium leaders for control.

Across just two projects, they have connected with 38 unique partners in 11 countries — a reflection of the large, pan-European consortia typical of ECSEL and Research Excellence programs rather than any broad independent networking. Their partner base spans the core European semiconductor and nanoelectronics ecosystem.

What sets them apart

As a dedicated TCAD simulation SME, Global TCAD Solutions occupies a niche that large industrial partners in semiconductor consortia rarely fill — deep device physics modeling without the licensing overhead or commercial constraints of major EDA vendors. Their shift into ferroelectric and neuromorphic simulation gives them an early-mover position in an area where validated simulation tooling is scarce and highly sought after by both hardware startups and established memory manufacturers. For any consortium targeting AI hardware, in-memory computing, or advanced packaging in Europe, they are one of very few SMEs that can provide this specific simulation validation capability.

Highlights from their portfolio

• FVLLMONTI
  Their largest project by far (€787,312) and a strategic pivot — combining ferroelectric devices, 3D integration, and neural network hardware in a single Research Excellence action, signaling their repositioning toward AI chip simulation.
• WAYTOGO FAST
  Their entry into H2020 collaboration via an ECSEL Innovation Action targeting FD-SOI substrate technology — the foundational project that established their presence in European semiconductor consortia.