SEQUANS COMMUNICATIONS SA

Their core work

Sequans Communications is a French fabless semiconductor company that designs and supplies 5G and 4G chipsets, with particular strength in low-power wireless connectivity for IoT devices. Within EU projects, they contribute hardware and RF component expertise — developing silicon-level solutions for 5G air interfaces, millimeter-wave connectivity, and RFSOI (RF Silicon-on-Insulator) technology. Their work spans from chip-level design through to integration in real-world verticals including connected vehicles, smart tourism, and industrial IoT supply chains.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In 2015–2017, Sequans focused on foundational 5G infrastructure — flexible air interfaces (FANTASTIC-5G) and hardware/software platforms for network elements (Flex5Gware). From 2019 onward, their work shifted decisively toward applied verticals and semiconductor sovereignty: network slicing for tourism and e-health (5G-TOURS), European RFSOI supply chain development (BEYOND5), and IoT-enabled supply chains (iNGENIOUS). The trajectory shows a company moving from "building the 5G pipes" to "enabling what runs through them" — with growing emphasis on European semiconductor independence.

Sequans is moving toward European semiconductor autonomy in RFSOI and low-power IoT chipsets — expect future work in supply chain sovereignty and vertical-specific 5G/6G silicon.

How they like to work

Sequans operates exclusively as a participant, never leading consortia — consistent with their role as a specialist component supplier that plugs into larger system-integration projects. With 155 unique partners across 19 countries in just 7 projects, they work in large consortia (averaging 22+ partners per project) and rarely repeat the same partnership group. This makes them a well-connected but non-dominant partner — easy to integrate, technically focused, and unlikely to compete for project leadership.

Broad European network of 155 unique partners across 19 countries, built through consistently large ICT consortia. Their connections span telecom operators, automotive OEMs, research institutes, and semiconductor companies across Western and Southern Europe.

What sets them apart

Sequans fills a specific gap in EU consortia: they are one of few European SMEs that can contribute actual silicon-level RF and 5G chipset design, not just software or integration. In a landscape where most European 5G hardware depends on Asian or American suppliers, their RFSOI and low-power IoT chip expertise represents strategic European capability. For consortium builders, they bring credible hardware component contributions without the overhead of engaging a large semiconductor corporation.

Highlights from their portfolio

• BEYOND5
  Directly addresses European semiconductor sovereignty by building an RFSOI supply chain for 5G, sensing, and millimeter-wave — a strategically important project for EU chip independence.
• CPS4EU
  Their largest single grant (EUR 495,625) and broadest scope — cyber-physical systems spanning automotive, aerospace, energy, and manufacturing automation.
• iNGENIOUS
  Combines next-gen IoT with supply chain applications, integrating advanced technologies like neuromorphic sensors, edge computing, and blockchain — their most application-diverse project.