ITF World 2025: How chips are shaping our future

In a world increasingly defined by the accelerating pace of digital innovation, the 2025 edition of the imec Technology Forum (ITF World) in Antwerp offered a glimpse into the semiconductor-driven future. Hosted by imec, the largest independent research and innovation centre for nanoelectronics and digital technology, this year’s forum brought together scientists, engineers, industry experts, and officials. The forum’s theme for 2025 was “Setting the stage for AI-driven digital transformation.” IO+ attended the event to report on it.

Voices shaping the semiconductor future

Vahid Vahedi, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology and Sustainability Officer at Lam Research, emphasised the critical role of semiconductors across different industries. He also explained how virtual twins and AI improve hardware development by allowing engineers to test and refine designs on computers before anything physical is built, as he noted, “the computer goes first.” This approach enhances efficiency, reduces emissions, and helps improve products for manufacturing, usability, and service.

Vahedi also underscored the power of human-AI partnerships. "Engineers with domain knowledge can actually get very close to the final solution," he explained, noting that when paired with AI, they can identify the “cheapest and the most successful" outcomes. This is key in a field challenged by limited data and talent shortages.

David Lazovsky, CEO and Co-Founder of Celestial AI, discussed the development of AI infrastructure. He highlighted the AI power problem, which consists of AI being constrained by the power supply. He noted that up to 75% of power consumption is data transmission, depending on the workload. “85% of this transmission happens over copper, which has reach limitations. According to Lazovsky, a solution to this problem is to use photonics, because there is no need to deal with losses associated with moving information. “There is an opportunity to reduce power consumption by 4 times for the largest contributor to total data centre power consumption,” he explained.

Lazovky

Similarly, Francesc Guim, CEO of Openchip, underscored that the future of AI and the semiconductor industry must be built on the foundation of sustainability, scalability, and safety. He also raised concerns about control in the context of AI systems, especially regarding data ownership, model security, and system transparency. “We need to work together with governments and the European Commission to see how we can co-design legislation for hardware and software, so these things are in place,” he said. 

This push for innovation connects directly to the NanoIC project, an effort by the EU to develop new, advanced computer chip technology. Hosted by imec, the NanoIC pilot line focuses on advancing chip innovation by sharing knowledge, building demonstrators, and expanding manufacturing capabilities, ensuring that chips are reliable. 

Anita Farokhnejad, a DTCO Program Manager at imec, highlighted the importance of Process Design Kits (PDKs) in designing circuits for specific semiconductor technologies. “The demand for compute is growing exponentially,” she noted. 

Traditional chip scaling stalled at 20nm, prompting exploration of innovative approaches like nanosheet architectures and 3D chip technologies. Therefore, pathfinding PDKs are critical, enabling researchers to test and refine chip models in early development.

Romano Hoofman, Strategic Development Director at imec IC-link, addressed another critical aspect: talent. He emphasized the importance of skills development across the European semiconductor ecosystem. “The only way to tackle this is to do this together with all the initiatives we are launching in Europe,” he said.

AI’s impact on healthcare: new partnerships and solutions

AI and semiconductor advancements are also transforming healthcare. One example, presented by Brian Anthony, Associate Director at MIT.nano, is a limb imaging system that is designed to perfectly fit prosthetic sockets. The device uses a water tank with a spinning ultrasound probe and cameras to map tissue stiffness and limb shape, improving comfort for amputees. AI algorithms process the ultrasound and camera data to create a 3D model of the residual limb, while semiconductor technology enables the compact design of the ultrasound probe and sensors for data collection. 

Another innovation, presented by Veerle Reumers, Head of Health Strategy at imec USA, focuses on non-invasive hemoglobin measurement using photoacoustics. This technique sends laser pulses into tissue, detecting sound waves for clearer imaging, offering a faster, cheaper alternative to traditional blood tests for diagnosing anaemia, a condition in which our body doesn’t have enough healthy red blood cells (hemoglobin) to carry oxygen to the body’s tissues.

These healthcare breakthroughs are supported by imec’s new collaborations with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), aiming to develop nanoelectronics-based, minimally invasive diagnostic devices to monitor biomarkers and vital signs, enhancing quality of life across clinical and home settings.

Another collaboration with Merck, a science and technology company, focuses on an advanced MicroPhysiological Systems (MPS) platform, mimicking human organs with integrated sensors to accelerate drug testing for diseases like cancer and brain disorders. “Adequate preclinical models require biological relevance and the ability to generate rich and diverse data sets at high throughput—something that no current model can provide,” said Paru Deshpande, Vice President R&D at imec. 

Live demos: showcasing new technology

Remco Suer and his team from Stichting imec Nederland – OnePlanet Research Center were among the exhibitors at the event. Their booth presented a technology that addresses the environmental and economic challenges that farmers face due to excessive emissions from livestock farming. 

The device that they have designed, a laser, helps farmers regulate their ammonia, methane, and carbon dioxide emissions by tracking the levels of each gas at the barn. “This is the first imec laser with which we can measure multiple gases with the same chip,” explained Suer. “We install it in a barn, and then we shoot the laser to the other side, where there is a special reflector. It bounces the light back the same way and we measure the intensity of the light,” Suer further explained. This, he said, allows farmers to access data on harmful gases and regulate their emissions.

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