Technical University of Munich Unveils Europe’s First 7-Nanometre AI Chip Designed in Academia

The Technical University of Munich (TUM) has unveiled the EU’s first AI chip using modern 7-nanometer technology. The neuromorphic chip was designed by Prof. Hussam Amrouch (in the picture).

(IN BRIEF) The Technical University of Munich has developed the EU’s first university-designed 7-nanometre AI chip, created by Professor Hussam Amrouch and aligned with TSMC industry standards, with plans for multiple new designs annually and production from 2028 at ESMC in Dresden, while positioning the project as a strategic response to fragile global supply chains by strengthening European capabilities in chip design, training and manufacturing through the MACHT-AI centre, promoting privacy-preserving on-device AI processing based on RISC-V architecture, and advancing technological sovereignty for sectors such as automotive, defense and quantum computing.

(PRESS RELEASE) MUNICH, 4-Feb-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — The Technical University of Munich (TUM) has announced what it describes as a landmark achievement for European microelectronics: the development of the EU’s first university-designed artificial intelligence chip using advanced 7-nanometre manufacturing technology. The neuromorphic processor was created by Professor Hussam Amrouch and his research team in accordance with industry standards set by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), one of the world’s leading chip manufacturers. TUM now plans to expand this work with at least three additional AI chip designs per year, with production expected to begin in 2028 at the Dresden-based European Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (ESMC).

Professor Amrouch says recent global crises — including the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia’s war in Ukraine, and broader geopolitical tensions — have exposed the fragility of international semiconductor supply chains. He argues that Europe must develop capabilities across the entire value chain, from education and research to manufacturing, in order to secure technological sovereignty. Earlier this year, he established the MACHT-AI (Munich Advanced Technology Centre for High-Tech Chips) research and training centre at TUM, funded by the Bavarian Ministries of Science and Economic Affairs. His vision is for German students to design AI chips in close collaboration with industry, with domestic manufacturing ensuring greater resilience and independence.

Unlike cloud-based AI processors commonly used by companies such as NVIDIA, TUM’s new chip is designed for local, on-device data processing. According to Professor Amrouch, this approach offers a fundamental advantage for privacy protection, as sensitive data does not need to be transmitted to external servers.

The chip is built on the open-source RISC-V architecture, allowing it to be tailored to specific applications. Potential use cases range from medical devices that analyze heart or brain signals to embedded language models and control electronics for quantum computing. Professor Amrouch compares this specialization to choosing an e-bike over a Ferrari in a city — the former may be slower in theory, but is far more efficient for its intended purpose.

Local data processing also strengthens cybersecurity by reducing exposure to external threats. Professor Amrouch emphasizes that full transparency over chip design and manufacturing enables companies to guarantee how their hardware behaves and to reassure customers that their data remains secure.

This is particularly important for industries such as automotive and defense, where trust, security, and technological sovereignty are critical. Dependence on non-European chip suppliers raises concerns about potential vulnerabilities, including hidden backdoors or malicious components. The TUM project aims to mitigate such risks by fostering domestic expertise and production.

Markus Blume, Bavaria’s Minister of Science, welcomed the achievement as a major milestone for both TUM and the regional semiconductor ecosystem. He highlighted the importance of MACHT-AI in training the next generation of chip designers and ensuring Europe’s competitiveness in AI hardware.

Bavarian Minister of Economic Affairs Hubert Aiwanger also praised the breakthrough, noting that AI is transforming global economies and that Bavaria must not only keep pace but actively shape this technological shift.

TUM President Thomas Hofmann stressed that rising geopolitical instability makes it more important than ever for Europe to develop and manufacture its own cutting-edge technologies. He described Professor Amrouch’s work as a concrete step toward reducing dependence on Asia and the United States while strengthening Europe’s technological self-determination in a sustainable way.

Over the next five years, more than 300 students and researchers from engineering and computer science will receive training at MACHT-AI, with the first workshop scheduled for March.

Publications

• Sandy Wasif, Paul Genssler, and Hussam Amrouch. “Domain-Specific Hyperdimensional RISC-V Processor for Edge-AI Training.” IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems I: Regular Papers (2025). ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10931124
• Soliman, Taha, Swetaki Chatterjee, Nellie Laleni, Franz Müller, Tobias Kirchner, Norbert Wehn, Thomas Kämpfe, Yogesh Singh Chauhan, and Hussam Amrouch. “First demonstration of in-memory computing crossbar using multi-level Cell FeFET.” Nature Communications 14, no. 1 (2023): 6348. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-42110-y
• Wei-Ji Chao, Paul R Genssler, Sandy A Wasif, Albi Mema, Hussam Amrouch, “End-to-end Hyperdimensional Computing with 24.65 µJ per Training Sample in 22 nm Technology”, under review at the European Solid-State Electronics Research Conference (ESSERC). Preprint available: https://go.tum.de/440497

Further information and links

• Prof. Hussam Amrouch started his engagement at TUM two years ago. The Chair of AI Processor Design was created as part of Hightech Agenda Bayern. Further information: https://www.hightechagenda.de/
• Prof. Hussam Amrouch is also active in the Munich Institute of Robotics and Machine Intelligence (MIRMI). His chip developments are relevant for health, the environment, and space. Further information on MIRMI: www.mirmi.tum.de/mirmi/startseite//

Media Contacts:

Corporate Communications Center
Andreas Schmitz
presse@tum.de

Contacts to this article:

Prof. Hussam Amrouch
Chair of AI Processor Design (AI-Pro)
Technical University of Munich (TUM)
amrouch@tum.de

SOURCE: Technical University of Munich