20 years of imec in the Netherlands: first steps to key player

Time has flown by: imec has been operating in the Netherlands for 20 years now. During imec’s ITF World in Antwerp, where the international deep tech community gathered, this special anniversary was celebrated. And rightly so, because what once began as an initiative to support local industry has, over the years, grown into an established fixture within the Dutch tech and innovation ecosystem. And the story is far from over.

Imec has been based in Leuven, Belgium, since 1984. In 2005, however, the research center took a bold step toward the Netherlands, at the request of Philips and with support from the Ministry of Economic Affairs. From the Holst Centre in Eindhoven, imec has since worked closely with TNO in fields such as integrated photonics, AI, and quantum technology. It was imec’s first location outside of Flanders (imec now has branches in 14 countries) and marked the beginning of a structural foothold in the Netherlands. This foothold was discussed at length in Antwerp, in a packed hall where the Dutch imec community was strongly represented.

101 milestones

The driving force behind that expansion was the need to support major industrial players such as Philips, explains Jo de Boeck, Chief Strategy Officer and EVP at imec. He was there from the start, alongside Jaap Lombaers (TNO) and a team from both organizations. De Boeck still vividly recalls the opening of the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven. From the start, imec played an active role in the development and expansion of the campus as a meeting place for industry, research, and talent. “I still remember the campus opening very well. What really stuck with me was the great atmosphere there. We did our best to attract talent. Job interviews took place on The Strip, in what is now the fitness room. ”

There are many more milestones from the past decades worth mentioning, as became clear during the presentations in Antwerp. For example, since 2019, imec has been involved in the OnePlanet Research Center, a collaboration with Wageningen University & Research, Radboud University, and Radboudumc. There, work is being done on chip-based applications for healthcare, agriculture, and the environment, among other areas.

The High NA EUV lithography lab in Veldhoven opened its doors in 2024. Here, imec is collaborating with ASML on the next generation of EUV technology. “We’ve already achieved great results,” says Jesse Robbers, VP of imec and Regional Managing Director of imec NL. “Today we announced new developments in the field of quantum technology,” referring to the fact that imec very recently became the first to realize a qubit using High NA EUV lithography.

Supporting startups

During the presentations, imec’s role in supporting startups was also highlighted. In 2015, imec.istart launched in the Netherlands as an accelerator for technology and deep-tech startups. Since then, it has grown into a hub for entrepreneurship. “The program has already built a strong reputation in Flanders and is also growing rapidly in the Netherlands,” says Olivier Rousseaux, director of venture development at imec. And let’s not forget imec.xpand: an independent global venture capital fund focused on innovations in semiconductors and nanotechnology.

Over the past twenty years, more than 40 companies have emerged from the imec ecosystem. Examples include Axelera AI, which recently raised 250 million in funding (out of a total of over 400 million), and eyeo, which recently raised another 40 million (following 15 million last year). Both are based at High Tech Campus Eindhoven.

Visit by former Prime Minister Balkenende with Jaap Lombaers and Jo De Boeck (2006)

National strategic level

In the Netherlands, imec is active not only in industry and academia, but also at the national strategic level. The Dutch government considers technology a strategic priority for the economy and security, as laid out in the National Technology Strategy (NTS). This strategy focuses on ten key areas, including semiconductors, photonics, quantum technology, and AI. Imec aligns its research programs with these priorities, including by participating in national programs such as PhotonDelta.

Today, built on yesterday

Today, a small team has grown into an organization of about 250 people, active in a broad portfolio of research projects, including 3D & heterogeneous integration, and neuromorphic computing, with a strong network of industrial and academic partners. And not to mention: more than 600 students are involved in Dutch imec projects.

A story that continues

The recent breakthrough in the High NA EUV lithography lab proves that there’s still a long way to go. Two decades after taking its first steps in the Netherlands, imec continues to achieve new milestones. Olivier Rousseaux concludes: “Twenty years later, I’m still here, and still enjoying it very much. It means a lot to see how the organization has grown over all these years.”