The final HiCONNECTS Standards Workshop took place on 20 November 2025 at SEMICON Europa in Munich, with participants joining both onsite and online. The hybrid session marked the culmination of several years of collaboration focused on advancing standardisation in heterogeneous integration and smart manufacturing, and provided an opportunity to reflect on achievements, lessons learned, and future priorities.

A Multi-Year Standardisation Journey

Since 2023, the HiCONNECTS Standards Workshops at SEMICON Europa have brought together experts from across Europe to exchange insights, define priorities, and contribute early recommendations for future European standards. These workshops have played an important role in aligning research and industrial innovation with evolving standardisation needs in the semiconductor sector.

The final edition built on this foundation, highlighting how sustained dialogue and collaboration can support long-term impact beyond the lifetime of a single project.

Contributions from Leading Industry and Research Experts

The workshop was led by Project Coordinator Ilan Englard, who guided the discussions and presented an overview of the HiCONNECTS standardisation journey and demonstrator results.

The agenda featured contributions from a distinguished group of speakers representing key actors across the semiconductor and electronics value chain, including:

Together, the speakers reflected the breadth of expertise required to address standardisation challenges across design, manufacturing, security, and deployment.

Key Topics and Discussion Areas

Discussions during the workshop covered several critical areas, including:

  • The HiCONNECTS standardisation roadmap and demonstrator outcomes

  • Cybersecurity and product security considerations in heterogeneous integration

  • Emerging standards for automotive radar sensors and wireless connectivity

  • Advances in advanced packaging, digital twins, and AI-driven manufacturing

These sessions underscored the need for coordinated approaches that connect technical innovation with robust and forward-looking standards.

Looking Beyond the Project Lifetime

In his concluding remarks, Ilan Englard emphasised the importance of continued collaboration between research organisations, industry, and standardisation bodies to ensure that the progress achieved through HiCONNECTS is sustained beyond the project’s duration. Maintaining momentum in standardisation efforts was highlighted as a key factor in strengthening Europe’s competitiveness and resilience in the semiconductor domain.

A Significant Milestone for HiCONNECTS

The final HiCONNECTS Standards Workshop marked an important milestone in the project’s journey, bringing together years of collaborative work into a shared reflection on impact and future direction. The insights generated and connections strengthened through these workshops will continue to inform standardisation and innovation efforts across the European semiconductor ecosystem.