The European Commission’s Open Microprocessor Initiative to find, design and develop advanced microprocessor technology in Europe, (UX No 315), is set to lift off in April, on the back of UKP200m funding from the EC’s Council of Ministers. The aim of the five-year project is to develop processors with over 100m transistors, which compares very favourably with other chipmakers’ plans. Intel Corp for example doesn’t plan to deliver a 100m transistor product until the end of the millenium, (UX No 289). Components are expected from more than one European chipmaker, as the idea is to reduce Europe’s dependence on foreign suppliers. European firms backing the plan – which does not exclude foreign manufacturers, although they cannot draw upon OMI’s funding – include SGS Thomson Microelectronics BV’s Inmos International Ltd subsidiary, Groupe Bull, Siemens AG, Ing C Olivetti & Co SpA and the UK’s Acorn Computers Plc, and, at least initially, the plan is to support Unix. Despite OMI’s ambitious plans for the hardware, World Electronic News reports that processor development will account for only 10% of the budget, the majority going on operating systems, compiler technology, systems development tools and applications. One of the project’s first applications could be the European Nervous System – a proposed pan-European network to manage the movement of goods after the arrival of the single European market in 1993. Following layoffs at major European computer companies, a report examining ways of stimulating growth in the European information technology industry is being put together by the European Community. Layoffs mean more pressure is inevitably coming to bear on initiatives like the Esprit information technology development programme – the report, which is due by the end of the month, will examine all of these issues in depth.