Nvidia's first GPU was made in France — Macron wants the country to produce cutting edge chips again

Core Insights - French President Emmanuel Macron is advocating for France to become a leading manufacturer of advanced semiconductors, aiming to establish the country as a key tech hub in Europe [1][3] - The discussion on chipmaking was prompted by Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, who highlighted the historical significance of France in GPU manufacturing [2][3] - Macron emphasized the need for France to produce semiconductors in the range of 2 to 10 nanometers to strengthen its industry [3][4] Semiconductor Manufacturing - STMicroelectronics, while historically significant, is not currently at the forefront of semiconductor manufacturing, focusing mainly on automotive chips rather than cutting-edge technology [3] - The production of smaller nanometer chips allows for more transistors, resulting in more powerful semiconductors, with companies like Samsung and TSMC leading in this area [4] Collaboration and Investment - For France to achieve its semiconductor ambitions, partnerships with companies like TSMC or Samsung may be necessary to establish local manufacturing facilities [5] - Macron mentioned a collaboration involving Thales, Radiall, and Foxconn to explore setting up a semiconductor assembly and testing facility in France [5] - Nvidia announced a partnership with French AI model firm Mistral to develop an "AI cloud," which is part of France's broader strategy to enhance its AI infrastructure [6][7] - Macron indicated that France's AI sector is expected to attract 109 billion euros (approximately $125.6 billion) in private investments in the coming years [6]