Malaga aims to become a European hub for microelectronics, and on Monday it received clear backing to pursue that goal. IMEC, the Interuniversity Center for Microelectronics, plans to open a research and development center in the city. This would be IMEC’s second European facility, following its headquarters in Leuven, Belgium. The announcement came from Jose Luis Escrivá, minister of Digital Transformation and Public Service, and the Andalusian Government confirmed the site will be at the Andalusian Technology Park, also known as Malaga TechPark, in the Campanillas district.
Escrivá stated that the second IMEC headquarters will be in Malaga. He noted close cooperation with the Andalusian Junta and the Malaga City Council, and that discussions with IMEC’s board and local authorities have reached an advance stage. He described the planned Malaga facility as an ultra-modern center for state of the art chip design and fabrication, with final terms expected to be settled in the coming days.
IMEC already operates a large network with about 5,000 researchers and more than 600 industrial partners from 95 countries, including major global players in microelectronics and semiconductors. This positions IMEC as one of the globe’s leading research centers in the field.
The Board highlighted that IMEC’s arrival would have a strong positive impact on the local and regional economy by creating jobs, attracting investment, and boosting the region’s competitiveness in the global tech scene.
Malaga is fortunate that IMEC chose it to host its second R&D and production center in Europe after months of negotiations. The Andalusian Government said cooperation between the Ministry of Economy, Finance and European Funds and other agencies would help support the microelectronics center in Andalusia.
This new center will be the sole IMEC facility outside Leuven and is expected to unite the Andalusia region in a strategically important zone for microelectronics and semiconductor prototype design and production. The project, led by the Ministry of Economy, Finance and European Funds and with involvement from Carolina España, aims to provide substantial economic backing for the site while terms are still being negotiated.
Earlier this year the government signaled its intent to bring IMEC facilities to Spain, with Malaga as the chosen location. This move is expected to boost the city’s tech ecosystem, aligning with initiatives at PTA and Innova IRV Foundation, both focused on growing a hub for microchips and advanced electronics.
Work of Innova IRV Foundation
The Innova Foundation, led by Ezequiel Navarro and Juan Carlos Leceta as general managers, has been in talks with Leuven IMEC to position Malaga and Spain as a global reference in microelectronics.
Innova IRV is also advancing a microchip design center project in Malaga. Last summer the European Commission approved this plan under a program for strategic European projects in microelectronics. The project, called DKULPIOT, aims to create a microelectronic design and advanced packaging platform to help IoT companies. Innova IRV established its own company, Innova IRV Microelectronics SL, owned entirely by the foundation.
The DKULPIOT project involves an estimated investment above 120 million euros. It seeks to meet the growing demand for connected devices across industries such as Industry 4.0, smart cities, healthcare, automotive, and media transport by delivering versatile System in Package solutions that combine multiple functions, reducing both cost and development time for product launches.
With IMEC’s arrival together with DKULPIOT, Malaga stands to become one of the world’s leading centers for chip design and advanced packaging—an early European milestone in this field.
PSOE celebrates IMEC arrival
Malaga’s PSOE secretary general, Dani Pérez, praised the decision to host IMEC’s R&D facilities, calling it a major investment that strengthens the city’s technology ecosystem.
Pérez described the development as good news for Malaga and a decisive step for technology leadership, noting government support for attracting companies like Vodafone and GlobalLogic as part of a broader push to strengthen Malaga’s technological base.
He also pointed to the involvement of the national leadership in facilitating the move and highlighted the government’s commitment to attracting investment and creating high-quality jobs in the tech sector.