04:05 AM EDT, 09/17/2025 (MT Newswires) -- STMicroelectronics ( STM ) said Wednesday that its panel-level packaging technology is expected to begin operations at its site in Tours, France, in Q3 2026.

The company said the automated chip-packaging and test process technology increases manufacturing efficiency and reduces costs, as well as enabling the creation of smaller, more powerful, and cost-effective electronic devices.

The development of the new pilot line in Tours is backed by a capital investment of more than $60 million, the company said.

Panel-level packaging technology is an alternative to the wafer-level packaging and flip-chip technology connecting silicon microchips to external circuitry, the company said.