The ChipDiplo consortium, co-funded by the EU, facilitated the activity by developing a fiction but plausible scenario affecting global semiconductor manufacturing hubs, leading to disruptions in the supply chain.
The exercise has been prepared for months and involved participants from all 27 Member States, sitting both in the European Semiconductor Board and in the Council Working Party on Competitiveness and Growth (Industry).
In the course of the event, the players analysed the effects of a chips shortage on the European industry and in particular on critical sectors of the society and the economy such as energy, transport, health, digital infrastructure, space, security and defence – as defined in the Chips Act. Each Member State was briefed with country-specific information compiled by the Joint Research Centre and produced in the context of the supply chain mapping activities of the EU Chips Act. Together, participants explored options to mitigate the impact of the crisis, including mechanisms from the EU Chips Act crisis toolbox.
Tabletop simulations help increase preparedness by allowing decision-makers to play out the rules and procedures in place for a specific scenario and engage with critical decision points. These exercises also foster cohesion and a common understanding of challenges in semiconductor supply chain resilience among EU Member States and across institutions.
Next steps
The results from the exercise will be discussed at the 10th meeting of the European Semiconductor Board on 25 November 2025. Lessons learned from the exercise will inform the EU actions on Economic Security and feed into the review of the Chips Act and into the Chips Act 2.0 planned for Q1 2026.