ACCESS
A multi-hub Test and Experimentation Facility for edge AI hardware
What can you access in PREVAIL?
A large part of PREVAIL’s impact stems from its ability to offer the semiconductor ecosystem early access to key advanced AI chip technologies. Depending on your role within the AI hardware value chain, you can access PREVAIL’s infrastructure and expertise for:
Design exploration
As edge AI applications become increasingly demanding, hardware design complexity continues to grow. Achieving optimal performance, energy efficiency, and integration requires tight co-optimization across system architecture, design methodologies, and process technologies. PREVAIL addresses this challenge by providing advanced design enablement capabilities that combine early technology insight with system-level exploration.
Through access to virtual and academic PDKs developed by consortium partners, designers, fabless companies, and research organizations can explore emerging technology options, quantify trade-offs, and assess their system-level impact well ahead of physical prototyping. This early design capability accelerates learning cycles, reduces development risk, and supports more informed architectural decisions.
Accessible via established European frameworks such as Europractice, as well as directly through RTO channels, these resources strengthen the European design ecosystem by enabling faster innovation and validation of design paths aligned with next-generation edge AI technologies. In doing so, PREVAIL contributes to enhancing Europe’s competitiveness and readiness in advanced AI hardware.
Early prototyping
AI hardware development cycles are long, and integrating novel technologies introduces additional challenges. Companies that can prototype, validate, and iterate earlier are better positioned to define system architectures and applications ahead of competitors.
In AI hardware, where performance depends heavily on tightly coupled compute, memory, and interconnect, early exploration of trade-offs between bandwidth, energy and latency is essential to achieving competitive system-level efficiency.
PREVAIL is working towards delivering a fully operational AI hardware Test and Experimentation Facility platform (TEF HW AI), with increased TRL capabilities across the wide range of technologies involved. This platform is designed to support early product validation and to accompany customers towards industrial transfer. It enables industry, particularly start-ups and scale-ups, to perform device and system-level prototyping to demonstrate the viability of their technologies.
Prototyping services are being deployed to allow companies to combine PREVAIL technologies with chips from commercial foundries through wafer post-processing. Dedicated shuttles and multi-project wafers (MPWs) on demand, based on enhanced technologies and new processing flows, are announced on the project website and offered through RTO channels or Europractice.
PREVAIL available technologies include non-volatile memories (STT-MRAM, OxRAM, FeRAM, FeFET, and FeMFET), 300 mm Silicon photonics, 3D integration (TSV, fine-pitch interconnection, and chip-to-foil integration) and RF network testing.
Research and Development (R&D)
PREVAIL offers early access to advanced AI hardware technologies for key actors across the semiconductor and digital value chain, including:
- Fabless companies, hyperscalers, and system designers seeking to explore the impact of emerging technologies such as silicon photonics, embedded non volatile memories, and 3D integration on next generation edge AI architectures
- Integrated device manufacturers (IDMs), foundries, and OSATs preparing future process and integration flows, and assessing the manufacturability of advanced technologies
- Edge device companies and OEMs investigating system level performance, energy efficiency, and integration trade-offs for AI applications
- Research organizations and universities developing novel design methodologies and application driven hardware concepts
- EDA providers, materials, and equipment suppliers exploring and validating new tools, process modules, and design flows
User Access Procedure
PREVAIL follows a continuous access model, allowing users to submit requests at any time via the project website. There are no fixed calls or submission deadlines.
Access process
The access procedure follows a structured workflow:
- Submission of request
Users initiate contact via the PREVAIL website by submitting a technical or business enquiry. - Initial evaluation
The User Interface Team reviews the initial request, assessing its relevance and feasibility, and may accept, reject, or propose modifications. The user is contacted within the following 10 days after the first enquiry submission and may be asked to provide further information for better assessment. In case of a positive initial evaluation, a lead partner is appointed, and an introductory call is scheduled. - Project setup
After advanced assessment, an NDA is generally established to enable further technical exchanges. - Access to design kits
If required, access to PDKs, ADKs, or DRMs is granted by the relevant partner(s) under the conditions of a DKLA. - Quotation and agreement
The lead partner consolidates the contributions of the involved partners into a User Quotation Offer, which is formalized within the PREVAIL User Agreement. - Project implementation
Following signature of the required agreements and receipt of pre-financing, the project is executed under the coordination of the lead partner. - Delivery of results
The device demonstrator is fabricated and delivered to the user in accordance with the agreed specifications.
This procedure ensures a consistent and coordinated implementation of user projects across the PREVAIL pilot line.
User flow chart for PREVAIL’s Test and Experimentation Facilities (TEF)
Selection criteria
User requests are evaluated based on eligibility conditions and technical, operational, and regulatory criteria, in line with the PREVAIL framework.
Eligibility
Applicants must:
- Be a legal entity (public or private organization)
- Be established in eligible countries, including EU Member States and countries associated with the Digital Europe Programme
Evaluation criteria
Each request is assessed based on:
- Technical feasibility of the proposed project
- Availability of required pilot line resources and infrastructure
- Compliance with applicable design rules and process constraints
Additional considerations
A request may be declined if:
- The project is not feasible or presents significant technical risks (e.g. contamination risks)
- Execution would conflict with the legitimate interests of one or more partners
- Required tools or infrastructure are not available during the project timeframe
Legal and compliance checks
All user projects must comply with:
- Applicable export control and sanctions regulations
- Know Your Customer (KYC) procedures
- Absence of significant legal or pre-litigation issues with consortium partners
Additional restrictions apply to ensure compliance with security rules, protection of confidential information, and appropriate handling of intellectual property.
User Access Governance
Access to PREVAIL services is governed by a structured operational and legal framework, ensuring consistent, transparent, and secure collaboration with users.
This framework is defined in the PREVAIL Collaboration Agreement and implemented through a coordinated governance model involving dedicated consortium bodies.
Governance structure
User access and project execution are managed through the following key entities:
- User Interface Team (UIT)
Central entry point for user requests. The UIT is responsible for receiving, evaluating, and managing incoming enquiries, including their acceptance, rejection, or refinement.
- Technical Expert Group
Provides technical support to assess feasibility and supports interactions with users during both evaluation and execution phases.
- Lead Partner
- Assigned to each user project, the lead partner acts as the main interface with the user and is responsible for coordinating the preparation and implementation of the project.
Contractual framework
Access to PREVAIL services is formalized through a set of agreements, depending on the nature of the project:
- Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs)
- Design Kit License Agreements (DKLAs), where applicable
- PREVAIL User Agreement (covering technical, financial, intellectual property, and liability aspects)
- Consolidated quotation offers from the partners involved
This framework ensures clear responsibilities, appropriate protection of sensitive information, and aligned execution across all partners.
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For detailed technical enquiries regarding our offer, access and demonstrators go to CONTACT US.
