MAGICS Technologies

MAGICS Technologies, established in 2015, operates as a European fabless semiconductor company specializing in high-reliability, fault-tolerant, and radiation-hardened integrated circuits. The company emerged as a spin-off from the Belgian university KU Leuven and the SCK-CEN nuclear research center, founded by Jens Verbeeck (CEO) and Dr. Ying Cao (CTO). Their collaboration began during their PhD research, where they developed a novel design methodology to make standard electronics resistant to extreme radiation, a foundational element of the company's core technology.

The firm's business model is centered on designing and supplying these specialized chips as a fabless entity, meaning they handle the design and marketing while outsourcing the manufacturing. This strategy allows them to focus on their core competency: creating robust electronics for strategic sectors where system failure is not an option, including space, nuclear energy, aerospace, and defense. Revenue is generated from the sale of their off-the-shelf semiconductor products, as well as customized ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit) design services and IP licensing for clients with specific needs. A significant milestone was achieved in April 2025 with a €5.7 million funding round to accelerate product development and commercial expansion, marking a transition from a research-focused model to a product-centric semiconductor supplier.

MAGICS's product portfolio is engineered to enable digitalization and automation in harsh environments where conventional electronics would fail. Their offerings are grouped into distinct series: the **Vision Series** provides rad-hard imagers and serializers for nuclear cameras and inspection systems; the **Time Series** delivers high-precision timing and clock generation chips crucial for satellite communications and LiDAR systems; the **Motion Series** includes chips for sensing and controlling robotics and actuators; and the **AI Series** features accelerators for on-board intelligent processing. These components are designed to be compact and lightweight, eliminating the need for heavy radiation shielding and reducing system complexity and cabling.

Keywords: radiation-hardened chips, fabless semiconductor, rad-hard-by-design, space electronics, nuclear robotics, fault-tolerant circuits, custom ASIC design, aerospace technology, defense electronics, high-reliability semiconductors, sensor interface chips, time-to-digital converter, satellite components, motion control ICs, imaging sensors, extreme environment electronics, machine learning hardware, KU Leuven spin-off, SCK-CEN spin-off, strategic semiconductors, ITAR-free, harsh environment solutions