The program, led by France’s CEA-Leti, will run for three years and aims to address emissions, resource consumption, and supply chain resilience across the entire semiconductor lifecycle. In doing so, it aligns with Europe’s broader digital and green transition ambitions.
Rather than tackling the problem piecemeal, GENESIS is structured around a comprehensive roadmap targeting five critical stages of chip manufacturing: materials development, chemical processes, waste monitoring and treatment, air emissions control, and final waste processing.
Real-time emissions tracking is one of the initiative’s key areas of focus. By advancing process monitoring and sensing technologies, GENESIS aims to enable manufacturers to spot environmental impacts during production—not after products are out the door.
Waste reduction is another priority. Researchers are working on advanced recycling systems to recover solvents, gases, and slurries that are typically discarded. At the same time, project teams are developing chemical alternatives that avoid PFAS and offer lower global warming potential, helping to clean up some of the sector’s most problematic processes.
The initiative also addresses Europe’s vulnerability around critical raw materials. GENESIS aims to develop technologies that reduce reliance on scarce inputs while strengthening supply chain resilience—goals that support both environmental and strategic policy objectives in the EU.
The launch of GENESIS is well-timed. With chips now powering everything from AI systems to clean energy technologies, the environmental performance of semiconductor manufacturing is under growing scrutiny.
Laurent Pain, director of CEA-Leti’s Sustainable Electronics Program and project leader, says the consortium expects to deliver around 45 innovations designed to improve sustainability across the entire chip value chain.
