Arm has joined the European Chips Design Platform (EuroCDP) as its first commercial IP provider, giving European startups, SMEs, and research teams access to Arm Flexible Access under a strategic framework agreement.

The platform is funded through the European Chips Joint Undertaking (Chips JU) under the European Chips Act, which targets more than €43 billion (approximately $49 billion) in policy-driven investment through 2030.

What does Arm bring to EuroCDP?

Participants gain access to the Arm compute platform: architecture, IP, software, tools, and developer ecosystem support. Arm reports more than 350 billion Arm-based chips shipped to date, backed by an ecosystem of over 22 million developers.

"Europe has no shortage of semiconductor talent or ambitious ideas. What our fabless startups need is the technology, ecosystem and support to turn that innovation into products that can compete globally," said Olivier Thomas, Deputy Head of Integrated Circuit and System Division at CEA, who leads the Arm partnership at EuroCDP.

Thomas added that Arm delivers "industry-proven compute technology, deep technical support and a global software ecosystem that can help teams accelerate development, focus on product differentiation and reduce time-to-market."

How does Arm Flexible Access work for participants?

Arm Flexible Access serves as the technical entry point. As of June 2026, the program counted more than 300 active members worldwide and members had completed more than 400 tape-outs.

Qualifying early-stage companies can enter through Arm Flexible Access for Startups, with no annual access fee subject to eligibility criteria. Academic projects can use Arm Academic Access, a complimentary route for non-commercial research and education.

EuroCDP participants can draw on:

• Arm IP portfolio access
• Training and technical resources
• Standardized contracts and licensing
• Startup support framework
• Arm Academic Access for universities

What design support accompanies the IP?

EuroCDP complements the technology with a Design Enablement Team providing engineering support during SoC development. Many of those Design Enablement Teams hold Arm Approved Design Partner status, with verified expertise in building and validating Arm SoCs.

That layer can shorten the path from specification to tape-out while letting internal teams focus on product differentiation.

What does this mean for Europe's semiconductor strategy?

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called in her State of the Union address for Europe to "massively boost" its computing capacity, tying the demand to stronger European AI capabilities and regional independence. A stronger semiconductor design base is positioned as a foundation for that ambition.

"At EuroCDP, we are committed to helping European companies access these capabilities and build on them. By combining Arm's proven technology platform with EuroCDP's support, we are giving Europe's next generation of semiconductor innovators a stronger foundation to scale faster and make a global impact," said Romano Hoofman, Strategic Development Director at imec and Coordinator of EuroCDP.

Arm says it will continue working with industry, research organizations, and policymakers to expand the platform. The next measurable test for the partnership is how many of Europe's fabless startups move from EuroCDP exploration to commercial tape-out using Arm technology.