Waste-derived innovative solutions for the secured and sustainable supply of semiconductor raw materials to Europebroad
WISER · Horizon Europe grant · 2026-05-01–2030-04-30
EC contribution
Total cost
Beneficiaries
About the data
Source: CORDIS (official EU open data), Horizon Europe. Framework HORIZON · call HORIZON-CL4-2025-01 · scheme HORIZON-IA · topic HORIZON-CL4-INDUSTRY-2025-01-MATERIALS-63. CORDIS record →
Objective
The 4-year WISER project aims to transform Europe’s sourcing of semiconductor raw materials by demonstrating sustainable, secure, and responsible alternatives for antimony, silicon, and silver. It will showcase methods to process these elements into electronic-grade wafers and ensure full traceability along the value chain. To do so, WISER leverages untapped resources such as asbestos mining waste, photovoltaic waste, and geothermal water residues.From 2030 onward, these technologies could meet up to 75% of Europe’s projected demand for these critical materials at up to 50% lower cost. The WISER project brings together an interdisciplinary consortium of five research institutions, six industrial partners, and two non-profit organizations, covering the full semiconductor value chain, from waste recovery and purification to wafer production, qualification, and traceability.WISER will demonstrate eight technologies at TRLs 6–7, each backed by strong business cases and deployment roadmaps. These innovations target over 20 markets, including mainstream and lightweight photovoltaics, power electronics, satellite mega-constellations, cybersecurity, and AI systems.The WISER project is expected to deliver major economic and environmental benefits: €4 billion in annual production cost savings, 28 billion kWh in energy savings, and 15 million tons of CO2 emissions avoided from 2030 on. WISER will also create two joint ventures, 350 local jobs, and generate over €150 million in cumulated profit for its industrial partners by 2035.In short, WISER supports the shift toward circular economy solutions that reduce ecological and social risks, such as land and water conflicts, while significantly lowering energy use and carbon emissions compared to primary extraction, thereby protecting industrial resilience and jobs across the EU.
Beneficiaries (13)
| Organisation | Country | Role | EC contribution | SME |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CSEM CENTRE SUISSE D'ELECTRONIQUE ET DE MICROTECHNIQUE SA - RECHERCHE ET DEVELOPPEMENT | CH | coordinator | €1,457,065 | |
| FORSCHUNGSVERBUND BERLIN EV | DE | participant | €1,074,661 | |
| UNIVERSITE DE SHERBROOKE | CA | participant | €974,950 | |
| NORGES TEKNISK-NATURVITENSKAPELIGE UNIVERSITET NTNU | NO | participant | €962,618 | |
| Kore Metals SARL | LU | participant | €937,262 | Yes |
| COMET TRAITEMENTS SA | BE | participant | €582,750 | Yes |
| ETHNICON METSOVION POLYTECHNION | EL | participant | €404,545 | |
| POWERSHIFT VEREIN FUR EINE OKOLOGISCH SOLIDARISCHE ENERGIE & WELTWIRTSCHAFT EV | DE | participant | €400,000 | |
| AMIRES THE BUSINESS INNOVATION MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE ZU | CZ | participant | €396,250 | |
| ADVANCED ISOTOPIC ANALYSIS | FR | participant | €352,625 | Yes |
| RECMA | BE | participant | €316,522 | Yes |
| TOPSIL GLOBALWAFERS AS | DK | participant | €121,371 | |
| HS ORKA HF | IS | associatedPartner | — |
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