Europe can compete in robotics and physical AI, top chipmaker CEOs say

Advertisement Business Europe can compete in robotics and physical AI, top chipmaker CEOs say 10 Nov 2026 03:17PM (Updated: 10 Nov 2026 03:20PM) Bookmark Bookmark Share WhatsApp Telegram Facebook Twitter Email LinkedIn Set CNA as your preferred source on Google Add CNA as a trusted source to help Google better understand and surface our content in search results. Read a summary of this article on FAST. Get bite-sized news via a new cards interface. Give it a try. Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST FAST MUNICH, Nov 10 : The CEOs of top European chipmakers Infineon, STMicroelectronics and NXP said on Monday the region was well positioned to compete with the US and Asia in robotics and "physical AI", building on its traditional strengths in automotive and industrial technology. As AI moves from data centres into robots, vehicles and industrial machinery, demand will grow for chips and systems that can operate safely and reliably in the real world, the executives told an industry gathering in Munich, Germany. The three companies are major suppliers of the power chips, sensors and microcontrollers used in such machines, competing with US rivals including Texas Instruments and onsemi. "For me, industrial AI or physical AI is, first of all, a must win for Europe," Infineon CEO Jochen Hanebeck said. "There are so many topics where we feel that we are second to other regions." CNA Games Guess Word Crack the word, one row at a time Buzzword Create words using the given letters Mini Sudoku Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser Mini Crossword Small grid, big challenge Word Search Spot as many words as you can Show More Show Less STMicroelectronics CEO Jean-Marc Chery said physical AI would require close cooperation between chipmakers and customers, including training robots in AI-simulated environments before putting them to work. ST itself has agreed to introduce humanoid robots from Italy's Oversonic into its factories, with the first already installed at a semiconductor plant in Malta. Most such projects remain at an early stage, with factory trials far more common than widespread use. Rafael Sotomayor, CEO of NXP, said Europe's historical strengths gave it an advantage in developing the safe, reliable systems required as AI moves from making recommendations to taking physical action, where mistakes can have irreversible consequences. "There's no undo for a broken bone if you make a wrong decision," Sotomayor said. Source: Reuters Newsletter Week in Review Subscribe to our Chief Editor’s Week in Review Our chief editor shares analysis and picks of the week's biggest news every Saturday. Sign up for our newsletters Get our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inbox Subscribe here Get the CNA app Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories Download here Get WhatsApp alerts Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app Join here Advertisement Also worth reading Content is loading... Advertisement Expand to read the full story Get bite-sized news via a new cards interface. Give it a try. Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST FAST