Initiative européenne pour transformer des microélectroniques en nanoélectroniques[en] 

Following the adoption by the Council, in December 2007, of a special regulation establishing the European Nanoelectronics Initiative (ENIAC ), this public-private partnership was launched on 22 February 2008. 

Nanoelectronics refers to the use of nanotechnology in electronic components, in particular transistors, which are semiconductor devices used to amplify or switch electronic signals. The EU initiative aims to create sufficient critical mass in Europe for research into this field and improve interaction between research and production. 

According to the Commission, Europe's semiconductor industry is currently worth around €200 billion, alongside an €800 billion electronic systems market. The sector is expected to grow some 8-10% annually over the coming years. According to the EU executive, the decade-long ENIAC initiative represents a "substantial boost to the longer-term developments based on nanoelectronics, which will largely supersede the current generation of microelectronic devices within the same time period". 

Development of nanoelectronics is expected to lead to an increasing number of functions being integrated into simple consumer products, leading to the creation of intelligent everyday objects, but also to more assisted driving and greater autonomy for vehicles, intelligent portable medical equipment, intelligent building monitoring and reduced energy use.

ENIAC is one of the six Joint Technology Initiatives (JTIs ) announced in the EU's Seventh Framework Programme for Research (FP7). JTIs establish long-term, public-private partnerships on specific research areas, combining private-sector investment with national and European public funding. 

Originally, JTIs were envisaged as true industry-led initiatives, in which the choice of research to be funded would be based on excellence only. However, decision rights for ENIAC will be divided between industry, the Commission and the group of individual member states providing it with additional funding. This means that a member state can still decide on the use of the money it contributes, potentially vetoing its use for national initiatives. 

The founding members of the ENIAC Joint Undertaking are the European Commission, a number of member states (not all the EU-27) and AENEAS, an association representing nanoelectronics companies and R&D organisations active in the field in Europe. Currently, Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom participate in ENIAC.

On 22 February 2008, another JTI, this time on the Embedded Computing Systems Initiative (ARTEMIS ), was also launched. This €2.5 billion public-private partnership aims to drive innovation on invisible computers embedded in all kinds of electronic equipment, machines and devices.