SILICON AUSTRIA LABS GMBH

Their core work

Silicon Austria Labs (SAL) is an Austrian research centre specializing in semiconductor technologies, sensor systems, and electronic components — from GaN power devices to MEMS microphones to CMOS transceivers. They operate across the full semiconductor value chain: materials research, device design, packaging, and pilot-line manufacturing. Their applied work bridges fundamental chip-level research with real-world applications in electric mobility, 5G/6G communications, industrial automation, and environmental sensing. SAL functions as a technology development partner that helps bring advanced electronic components from lab prototypes to production-ready solutions.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

SAL's early H2020 work (2015–2018) was firmly rooted in semiconductor manufacturing infrastructure: GaN pilot lines, sensor fabrication front-end/back-end processes, and printed electronics for biosensing. From 2019 onward, the focus shifted decisively toward intelligent systems and applications — smart mobility, AI-integrated electronics, trustworthy autonomous systems, and 6G communications hardware. The trajectory shows SAL moving up the value chain from component fabrication toward system-level intelligence, embedding AI and connectivity into their core semiconductor expertise.

SAL is evolving from a semiconductor fabrication research lab into an intelligent systems integrator, combining their deep hardware expertise with AI, 6G connectivity, and trustworthy computing — making them increasingly relevant for projects that need the full stack from chip to smart application.

How they like to work

SAL operates predominantly as a specialist partner (12 of 14 projects), contributing focused semiconductor and sensor expertise to large European consortia — their 255 unique partners across 24 countries confirm a broad, hub-like network. They have coordinated twice (CITRES and AEROMIC), both in niche areas where they hold deep domain knowledge (thin-film capacitors and MEMS microphones). This pattern suggests an organization that is most valuable as a technical contributor embedded in larger initiatives, though capable of leading focused research topics.

SAL has built a wide European network of 255 unique consortium partners across 24 countries, reflecting deep integration into the EU electronics and semiconductor research ecosystem. Their partnerships span the ECSEL Joint Undertaking community, ERC-funded research groups, and MSCA training networks, giving them connections across both industry-driven and fundamental research circles.

What sets them apart

SAL sits at a rare intersection: they combine semiconductor materials and process research with pilot-line manufacturing capability and increasingly strong AI/systems integration skills — all within a single research centre. Unlike university labs that stop at proof-of-concept, SAL participates in pilot-line projects (PowerBase, IoSense) that push technologies toward production readiness. For consortium builders, SAL offers a one-stop partner that can contribute from GaN wafer processing to AI-enhanced system design, which is uncommon for an organization of their size.

Highlights from their portfolio

• Hydroptics
  SAL's largest funded project (EUR 596K) and an unusual diversification into photonics-based oil industry sensing — showing capability beyond their semiconductor core.
• AEROMIC
  One of only two projects SAL coordinated, developing MEMS microphone sensors for aerospace wind-tunnel and flight testing — demonstrating leadership in a specialized niche.
• HERMES
  Their most forward-looking project (running to 2026), combining AI with sub-THz CMOS transceivers for 6G — signalling SAL's strategic direction toward next-generation wireless hardware.