VDL ETG TECHNOLOGY & DEVELOPMENT BV

Their core work

VDL ETG Technology & Development is the advanced technology division of the VDL Group, a large Dutch industrial conglomerate based in Eindhoven. They specialize in developing and manufacturing precision equipment and modules for the semiconductor industry, particularly for lithography, metrology, and wafer processing at the most advanced technology nodes (3nm and 2nm). Their H2020 work focuses on enabling next-generation chip manufacturing by contributing equipment engineering, system integration, and materials expertise to Europe's semiconductor pilotline programs.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

VDL ETG's early H2020 involvement (2015–2018) centered on semiconductor process equipment and materials at the 7nm and 3nm nodes, with a relatively narrow focus as a third-party contributor to SeNaTe and then a full participant in TAPES3. From 2019 onward, their scope expanded significantly — projects like IT2 and ID2PPAC show them engaging with lithography, metrology, photonics, heterogeneous integration, and design-technology co-optimization at the 2nm frontier. The trajectory is clear: they moved from supporting roles in single-domain semiconductor equipment toward broader system engineering contributions spanning the full advanced node manufacturing chain.

VDL ETG is moving toward full system-level integration for sub-2nm semiconductor manufacturing, combining equipment, metrology, and heterogeneous integration — making them an increasingly strategic partner for Europe's chip sovereignty programs.

How they like to work

VDL ETG operates exclusively as a participant or third-party contributor, never as coordinator — consistent with their role as an industrial equipment supplier embedded in large semiconductor consortia. With 96 unique partners across 14 countries, they are well-networked within the European semiconductor ecosystem, particularly through ECSEL Joint Undertaking programs. Their participation in successive, closely related projects (SeNaTe → TAPES3 → PIN3S → IT2 → ID2PPAC) suggests they are a trusted, recurring partner in Europe's semiconductor pilotline community rather than a one-off contributor.

VDL ETG has collaborated with 96 unique partners across 14 countries, primarily through large ECSEL semiconductor pilotline consortia. Their Eindhoven base places them at the heart of Europe's semiconductor ecosystem, with strong connections to the Dutch, Belgian, French, and German chip manufacturing networks.

What sets them apart

VDL ETG occupies a rare position as a large-scale precision equipment manufacturer that is deeply integrated into Europe's most advanced semiconductor R&D programs. Unlike research institutes or design houses, they bring industrial manufacturing capability — the ability to actually build, assemble, and deliver the complex equipment modules that semiconductor fabs need. For any consortium targeting advanced node manufacturing, they offer what few European companies can: production-grade engineering at the frontier of chip technology.

Highlights from their portfolio

• TAPES3
  Largest single EC contribution (EUR 891,603) and their entry as a full participant in 3nm semiconductor pilotline development.
• ID2PPAC
  Most recent and technically ambitious project, targeting 2nm node power-performance-area-cost optimization with the broadest keyword scope across their portfolio.
• IT2
  Covers the widest range of semiconductor technologies (14 keywords from lithography to photonics to DTCO), reflecting VDL ETG's expanding system-level role.