Robert Habeck, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, high-ranking representatives of the Länder - including the Minister-Presidents of Saxony and Baden-Württemberg, Michael Kretschmer and Winfried Kretschmann - and representatives from industry and associations will today exchange views on the importance of microelectronics in Germany and Europe.


The event “Microelectronics: a Key to Transformation” at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) will in particular be attended by representatives of companies that are being supported by the Federal Government and the Länder as part of an important joint European project on microelectronics (the “IPCEI”). As part of the IPCEI on Microelectronics and Communication Technologies, 31 German microelectronics projects from eleven Länder are to be supported with a total of around €4 billion. In addition to the projects, the focus of the event is on the challenges and opportunities associated with microelectronics for Germany and Europe.


Federal Minister Robert Habeck said: “As a key enabling technology, microelectronics plays a central role for climate action, energy efficiency and economic growth. Independent access to microelectronic components is more important than ever for the transformation of the economy and for the security of supply in Germany and in Europe.”

Minister-President Michael Kretschmer said: “Microelectronics is the key to successful and sustainable industrial growth in Germany and in Europe. Saxony plays an important role in this area as Europe’s largest microelectronics cluster. The decisive factor for the recent success of factory openings is the unique semiconductor ecosystem of research, development and production that has developed here, and the close links with leading industries such as the automotive industry. It is also clear that all of Germany and Europe, and not only the microelectronics locations, benefit from the national and European efforts in the development and production of chips.”


Minister-President Winfried Kretschmann said: “As an important industrial centre, Baden-Württemberg is a major buyer of semiconductor products, without which digitalisation and the green transition are not possible. At the same time, THE LÄND is an important research and production centre with a large number of institutes and companies developing ground-breaking processes in the field of microelectronics. We will have to be faster in future in order to be able to keep up with the rapid pace of innovation and international competition. The Federal Government, the Länder and the EU must therefore pull in the same direction when it comes to microelectronics. This is the only way we can position ourselves as autonomous players, remain independent from imports and be at the forefront of this forward looking technology.”

In June this year, the European Commission approved the IPCEI (Important Project of Common European Interest) on Microelectronics and Communication Technologies, paving the way for the funding of around 100 European projects. Numerous projects in Germany are now ready for national approval only three months after the aid approval. The first funding notices can be handed out soon. The projects involved, including their locations, are shown here.

Federal Minister Robert Habeck said: “We will invest a total sum of around €4 billion to support complex and investment-intensive development and innovation projects that will strengthen the microelectronics value chain and expand production in Germany. Germany is making a decisive contribution to Europe's security of supply in the field of semiconductors and chips. Numerous regions in Germany will benefit from the funding, strengthen their competitiveness and create future-oriented jobs.”


70% of the funding is provided by Federal funds and 30% by the eleven participating German Länder in which the companies implement their projects. The companies are investing more than €10 billion, not least for production facilities, manufacturing facilities and the development of new types of semiconductor chips. The participating companies in Germany include industry leaders, small and medium-sized companies and one startup. At today's event, the companies presented their projects to policy-makers and the business community. Following the motto “Safety, Security, Sustainability and Sovereignty”, they cover the entire value chain of microelectronics - from the raw material to the wafer, the production equipment and the chip and chip processing to the application.


Microelectronics is of enormous economic importance in all industrialised nations. When it comes to the digital and green transition of Germany’s economy, everything depends on semiconductors. Industrial production, computer centres and modern communication technologies only work if microelectronics controls the necessary processes, transmits and processes data.


Although Germany and Europe have a strong semiconductor industry in some areas such as sensors and power electronics, the demand for all types of microelectronic components is currently significantly greater than the production capacity. In order to ensure long-term security of supply of semiconductor products in Europe, the Federal Government, together with its European partners, has launched a package of measures that goes beyond the IPCEI and is part of the European Chips Act. The ambitious goal of the EU is to contribute around 20% to global microelectronics production by 2030.

A background paper for the press (in German) can be found here.