ANTWERP, Belgium, May 21 (Reuters) - Leading European

research labs will receive 2.5 billion euros ($2.72 billion) in

funding under the European Chips Act to set up a pilot line to

develop and test future generations of advanced computer chips,

Belgium's imec said on Wednesday.

The European Union's 43 billion euro Chips Act was announced

in 2023 to support domestic European chipmaking, a

counterbalance to plans by China, the U.S. and other governments

to shore up their own industries following shortages during the

COVID pandemic.

Leuven, Belgium-based research hub imec will host the pilot

line for the sub-2 nanometre chips to help European industry,

academics and start-ups access chip manufacturing technology

that would otherwise be too expensive for any one of them to

test or use in development.

Top chipmakers such as TSMC, Intel ( INTC ) and

Samsung are launching 2 nanometre chips this year

and next year in commercial plants, or fabs, costing as much as

$20 billion euros.

The European R&D line is intended to help develop future

generations of even more advanced chips, and will be outfitted

with equipment from European and global equipment and materials

firms.

"The investment will allow us to double volumes and learning

speed, accelerating our innovation pace, strengthening the

European chip ecosystem, and driving economic growth in Europe."

said imec CEO Luc Van den Hove in a statement.

"The NanoIC pilot line will support a diversity of

industries in Europe, including automotive, telecommunications,

health and others."

Several EU programs and Belgium's Flanders government are

providing 1.4 billion euros in funding, with industry players

including leading equipment maker ASML providing 1.1

billion euros, imec said.

Other research laboratories participating include CEA-Leti

of France, Fraunhofer of Germany, VTT of Finland, CSSNT of

Romania and the Tyndall Institute of Ireland.

Actual aid under the EU plan comes mostly from member states

and has lagged money received in other regions, with only

STMicroelectronics so far approved to receive 2.9

billion euros in aid from France for a plant in Crolles.

Intel ( INTC ) and TSMC are still awaiting EU approval for billions

of euros in German state funding to begin building plants in

Magdeburg and Dresden this year.

($1 = 0.9206 euros)