Key data
| Regulation | Order TDF/733/2026, of July 15 |
|---|---|
| BOE Publication | July 18, 2026 |
| Entry into force | July 18, 2026 |
| Project | InnoFAB — R&D Center for advanced semiconductor chips with cleanroom |
| Infrastructure budget | €360.9 million |
| Financing framework | PERTE Chip (component C15.I8 of the Recovery and Resilience Plan) |
| Source of funds | EU Recovery and Resilience Mechanism (Next Generation EU) |
| Linked European milestone | CID#455b (partial compliance) |
| Technologies covered | Beyond-CMOS and CMOS |
| Scientific basis | Experience of ICN2 (Institut Català de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia) |
| Category | Regulatory Changes |
| Year | 2026 |
The Spanish microelectronics ecosystem is taking an unprecedented leap. With the publication of Order TDF/733/2026 in the BOE on July 18, 2026, the agreement between the General State Administration (through the Spanish Society for Technological Transformation, SETT), the Generalitat de Catalunya, and the Innofab Foundation is formalized to execute the InnoFAB project: a research and development center specialized in technology and preproduction of chips based on advanced semiconductors.
This project is not a statement of intent. It is an infrastructure with a cleanroom, committed budget, and linked European milestone. And it opens concrete opportunities for companies in the technology and microelectronics sector in Spain.
What does this regulation establish?
Order TDF/733/2026 publishes the tripartite agreement that regulates collaboration between three parties to execute the InnoFAB project:
| Signatory party | Role in the agreement |
|---|---|
| Spanish Society for Technological Transformation (SETT) — General State Administration | Executing entity and financing channel for PERTE Chip |
| Generalitat de Catalunya | Territorial administration co-promoting the project |
| Innofab Foundation | Managing and executing entity of the InnoFAB center |
The InnoFAB project aims to build and operate an R&D center with a cleanroom specialized in technology and preproduction of advanced semiconductor chips. The technologies covered are two:
- CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor): the dominant technology in conventional chip manufacturing.
- Beyond-CMOS: next-generation technologies that surpass the physical limits of CMOS, such as spintronics, integrated photonics, or applied quantum computing.
The center is built on the accumulated experience of the ICN2 (Institut Català de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia) and has the mission of closing the gap between basic research and commercial semiconductor production, a structural weakness that Europe has recognized as critical following the chip supply crisis of 2021-2022.
The project contributes to partial compliance with Milestone CID#455b of the EU Recovery and Resilience Mechanism, which means Spain must demonstrate progress to the European Commission to receive the committed funds in the Recovery Plan.
Economic and operational impact
The €360.9 million committed for the cleanroom infrastructure makes InnoFAB one of the largest technology R&D investments in recent Spanish history. This figure covers exclusively the physical infrastructure (cleanroom, specialized equipment), without including future operational costs or associated research programs.
From the perspective of the business ecosystem, the impact translates into:
- Access to preproduction capabilities that until now forced Spanish companies to outsource to European centers (IMEC in Belgium, Fraunhofer in Germany) or Asian ones.
- Reduction of costs and time in the chip development cycle for companies that can access the center.
- Unique infrastructure in Spain and singular in Europe for beyond-CMOS technologies, positioning Catalonia as a hub for attracting microelectronics investment.
- Demand for specialized suppliers: the construction and operation of the center will generate contracts in engineering, scientific equipment, cleanroom maintenance, and technology services.
Who does it affect?
- Microelectronics and chip design companies based or operating in Spain: potential access to preproduction infrastructure without leaving the country.
- Technology startups and scale-ups in semiconductors, photonics, quantum computing, or advanced sensing.
- Research centers and universities collaborating with ICN2 or the Innofab Foundation.
- Suppliers of scientific and industrial equipment: cleanroom, lithography, layer deposition, materials characterization.
- Construction and specialized engineering companies in high-tech infrastructure.
- Public administrations (Generalitat de Catalunya, AGE) with monitoring and justification commitments to the EU.
- Investors and venture capital funds interested in the Spanish deeptech ecosystem.
Practical example
A Spanish chip design company (fabless) that currently sends its prototypes to IMEC (Belgium) for preproduction incurs access costs, sample transport, weeks of waiting time, and dependence on external schedules. With InnoFAB operational in Catalonia, that same company could access a cleanroom with beyond-CMOS technology on national territory, reducing logistical friction and development cycle time.
Similarly, a supplier of lithography or thin-layer deposition equipment that wants to position itself as a supplier to the InnoFAB center should monitor the bidding processes that the Innofab Foundation —as the managing entity— will have to publish for equipment acquisition worth part of the €360.9 million budgeted.
What should companies do now?
- Identify if your company can be a user of InnoFAB: if you design, research, or produce in the field of semiconductors, photonics, MEMS, or beyond-CMOS technologies, contact the Innofab Foundation and ICN2 to explore access conditions to the center.
- Monitor public tenders: the execution of the €360.9M in infrastructure will generate public contracts. Register your company on the Public Sector Contracting Platform and activate alerts for tenders linked to InnoFAB, SETT, or the Innofab Foundation.
- Explore complementary financing from PERTE Chip: the InnoFAB project is one piece of the broader PERTE Chip. Review if your company can opt for other aid lines from component C15 of the Recovery Plan.
- Evaluate relocation or expansion of R&D activities to Catalonia: the existence of unique infrastructure in Spain can justify location decisions for deeptech companies seeking proximity to preproduction capabilities.
- Follow compliance with Milestone CID#455b: if your company participates in projects linked to the Recovery Plan, note that InnoFAB is part of compliance with this European milestone, which affects schedules and justifications.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the InnoFAB center infrastructure cost?
The cleanroom infrastructure budget for the InnoFAB project amounts to €360.9 million, financed through PERTE Chip (component C15.I8 of the Recovery and Resilience Plan) with funds from the EU Recovery and Resilience Mechanism.
What is PERTE Chip and how does it relate to InnoFAB?
PERTE Chip is the Strategic Project for Economic Recovery and Transformation of the semiconductor ecosystem in Spain. InnoFAB is framed within its component C15.I8 of the Recovery Plan and contributes to partial compliance with the European Milestone CID#455b.
Who are the signatories of the InnoFAB agreement?
The agreement is tripartite: the Spanish Society for Technological Transformation (SETT) representing the General State Administration, the Generalitat de Catalunya, and the Innofab Foundation. Order TDF/733/2026, of July 15, formally publishes this agreement in the BOE.
What chip technologies does the InnoFAB center cover?
InnoFAB will cover CMOS technologies (the standard chip manufacturing technology) and beyond-CMOS (next-generation technologies that surpass the physical limits of CMOS). It is based on the experience of ICN2 (Institut Català de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia).
When does the agreement enter into force and when will the center be operational?
The agreement published through Order TDF/733/2026 entered into force on July 18, 2026, the date of publication in the BOE. The construction timeline and launch of the InnoFAB center is not specified in the published data; it will depend on the project execution schedule and the Recovery Plan milestones.
Official source
Consult complete regulation in official source — BOE-A-2026-15736
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-15736