€24M for next-gen chip technology: Aarhus University to develop energy-efficient AI hardware

Artificial intelligence has become a driving force behind the digital transformation of society. But the growing demand for computing power comes at a cost. AI systems require vast amounts of energy, and that demand continues to rise as the technology finds its way into everything from healthcare and industry to the smartphones in our pockets.

To address this challenge, the European Union is investing approximately €23.8 million in the SPIN-CHIP project, which will develop new hardware technologies capable of making future AI systems far more energy efficient. Aarhus University plays a central role in the initiative, contributing to the development of novel computing methods and hardware security solutions based on spintronics – a technology that exploits the magnetic properties of electrons to process information.

“Artificial intelligence will play a central role in our future society, but that will require new breakthroughs in hardware that power these technologies. SPIN-CHIP is a strategically important project that gives our researchers the opportunity to contribute to some of the technologies that could shape next-gen digital solutions,” says Mikael Bergholz Knudsen, Head of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Aarhus University.

“As the demand for computing power continues to grow, we cannot keep increasing energy consumption at the same pace,” says Assistant Professor Sonal Shreya, who’s leading the project at Aarhus University. She continues:

“Our research explores how new spintronic components can be used to develop hardware that is both more energy-efficient and better suited to the demands of future AI systems.”

New hardware for more sustainable AI

The technology at the heart of the project is based on so-called Magnetic Tunnel Junctions (MTJs), which use the magnetic or spin properties of electrons to store, sense, and process information.

Researchers believe the technology can enable a new generation of chips and microelectronic systems that are faster, more energy-efficient and more robust than many of the solutions currently dominating the market.

Through SPIN-CHIP, the consortium will demonstrate the potential of spintronics in applications ranging from artificial intelligence and space technologies to biomedical diagnostics and secure communications.

The goal is to show how spintronics can help address some of the most pressing challenges facing European microelectronics while laying the foundation for new industrial solutions.

Aarhus University develops the AI engines of the future

Aarhus University leads the development of new stochastic computing methods based on MTJ technology. The objective is to create hardware capable of performing advanced AI computations with substantially lower energy consumption than today’s solutions.

The researchers are also working on universal random number generators for hardware-based security technologies that can make future AI systems both more energy-efficient and better protected against cyberattacks.

“When developing next-generation AI systems, it is no longer enough to focus on performance alone,” says Sonal Shreya.

“Energy efficiency and security must be built in from the very beginning, and that is exactly what we are working on in SPIN-CHIP.”

The work is carried out in close collaboration with leading European research institutions, including University of Sourthern Denmark, CEA Spintec in France, the University of Messina in Italy, University of Calabria Italy, imec in Belgium, Fraunhofer IPMS in Germany and several industrial partners. In total, 32 partners are involved in the project.

Strengthening Europe’s chip ecosystem

Running over the next 42 months, SPIN-CHIP will demonstrate the value of spintronic technologies through practical applications in healthcare, space technologies and edge AI.

In addition to its research activities, Aarhus University leads the project’s task on standardisation and the development of the European spintronics ecosystem. This includes initiatives aimed at strengthening diversity within the research community and encouraging more women to pursue careers in the field.

The project officially kicked off in Palacio and Paris on 2-3 June, where consortium partners met for the first time to align their ambitions and establish the foundations for the collaboration ahead.

Through SPIN-CHIP, Europe is investing in technologies that can contribute to both digital competitiveness and the green transition. The ambition is to demonstrate that spintronics can become a key building block of Europe’s future microelectronics landscape.

About the grant

Project: SPIN-CHIP

Funding: Horizon Europe and the Chips Joint Undertaking

Duration: 42 months (2026–2029)

Total budget: €23.8 million

Fact box: What is spintronics?

Spintronics is a technology that exploits the magnetic properties of electrons – known as their spin – to store and process information.

Conventional computer chips rely on electric charge to represent digital information as ones and zeros. Spintronics adds an extra dimension by also using the magnetic state of electrons. This opens up new possibilities for electronic components that are faster, more energy-efficient and more robust than many of the technologies in use today.

Researchers see significant potential for spintronics in areas such as:

• Artificial intelligence and energy-efficient computing
• Next-generation memory technologies
• Cybersecurity and hardware-based encryption
• Medical sensing and diagnostics
• Space applications and advanced communication systems 

In the SPIN-CHIP project, researchers are working with so-called Magnetic Tunnel Junctions (MTJs), which are among the most promising spintronic devices for future microelectronics..

Contact

Assistant Professor Sonal Shreya
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Aarhus University
Mail: sshreya@ece.au.dk
Tel.: 93522648

Jesper Bruun
Journalist, Aarhus University
Mail: bruun@au.dk
Tel.: 20622492