SPICE: Semiconductors Start with People

5. October 2026

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Semiconductors power everything from smartphones to space missions, and they shape the technological strength of entire countries. This year, hundreds of executives, scientists and politicians met at Europe’s largest strategic semiconductor symposium. Nobody said a single word about the Czech Republic.

Vision

Martin Balabán attended the symposium as a student, and that silence taught him something. Competing with technology giants such as Intel or ASML makes little sense. Starting with people here in Brno does. SPICE wants to give the next generation of chip experts real, hands-on experience while they are still studying. ‘What makes sense for us, and where we can genuinely help, is developing talent in Brno,’ says Martin Balabán, founding chair of the team.

Gamechanger

SPICE is a student team at Brno University of Technology (BUT) that turns an interest in chips into practice. Members work on technical projects – from chip design to developing their own lithography system. Alongside the engineering, the team runs lectures and field trips that connect students with academia and industry.

Who is it for?

Students who are curious about chips and semiconductors and want to work with them, not just read about them. And people from the semiconductor industry who want to pass their experience on.

What has worked so far?

The foundations are in place. SPICE has motivated students, financial support and a home at BUT, with industry partners behind it. The team is already working on concrete projects, from chip design to its own lithography system.

The team does not need more money or more students. What it needs now is the time and expertise of people from the semiconductor industry. Whether you work as a production operator, consultant or CEO, if you would like to help develop Brno’s semiconductor talent, get in touch with SPICE.

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