European Sovereignty Monitor

Industry, investment and R&D

EU clears EUR288 million German state aid for Zeiss and Zadient chip plants

The European Commission approved EUR288 million in German state aid under the Chips Act: EUR222 million for Carl Zeiss to build EUV optics in Oberkochen and EUR66 million for Zadient Materials to make silicon carbide source material in Bitterfeld.

Verified European Commission press release IP/26/1095, 20 May 2026

What it does not test. Does not establish that either facility has broken ground or that the grants have been disbursed.

How this item counts. Towards autonomy: it changes who made the parts. Binding 2 of 3 (agreed or funded), scale 2 of 3 (medium), Verified counts in full: weight +4 of 36 possible. parts: EU approves EUR288M German aid for EUV optics (Zeiss) and SiC material (Zadient) fabs, not yet built. European Sovereignty Index

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