Participation in ECSEL initiative of the EU / administrative agreement with the federal government ensures co-financing for Thuringian projects / country will provide one million euros by 2019
Thuringia wants to benefit from the European microelectronics research initiative ECSEL ("Electronic Components and Systems for European Leadership"). To co-finance corresponding research projects from the Free State, an administrative agreement was signed today between the Federal Ministry of Research and the Thuringian Ministry of Science.
"Without a pronounced electronics competence, a leading industrial location like Germany is hardly imaginable," said Thuringian Minister of Economic Affairs Wolfgang Tiefensee. As a cross-sectional technology, microelectronics is a classic innovation driver and contributes significantly to strengthening the innovative power of many different industries. These include, in particular, the five areas of expertise that have developed in Thuringia with its innovation strategyfrom new production processes and systems to mobility, health economics, energy and resource efficiency, digitalisation and information technology. "Especially for us in Thuringia, it is therefore important to invest specifically in microelectronics and to further expand our position in this area," says Tiefensee.
Professor Wolf-Dieter Lukas, head of department at the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, commented: "We want to help shape digitization in Germany. This requires its own competencies, especially in microelectronics. Germany is already the largest microelectronics location in Europe today. But let us not forget that our strongest competitors are in the US and Asia, and that only through cooperation at all levels in Europe can we stand up to fierce competition. This is what ECSEL does. I very much welcome the fact that Thuringia is making its contribution to this European research initiative, thereby considerably strengthening the German partners in ECSEL. "
After all, with the company X-Fab, the world's tenth largest and at the same time the largest European semiconductor manufacturer in the foundry sector has its headquarters in Thuringia. In total, the microelectronics industry in the Free State comprises around 133 companies with more than 14,000 employees and an annual turnover of 2.9 billion euros.
The ECSEL initiative aims to promote EU-wide cooperation between companies and research institutes in the field of microelectronics and microsystems technology. The goal is the development of intelligent electronic systems, new digital technologies, more efficient production methods, resource-saving and reliable components and circuits. The total volume of the initiative launched in 2014 is expected to amount to more than four billion euros by 2024, of which 1.2 billion euros will be raised by the EU and the member states and another 1.7 billion euros by the private sector.
Following the agreement signed today, the Federal Government and the Land intend to jointly provide the necessary co-financing in the same amount as the subsidies granted under the ECSEL for Thuringian microelectronics projects. In each case, half of this supplementary funding is allocated to both sides. According to the current draft budget, in 2018 and 2019, Thuringia will initially provide 500,000 euros each. The selected projects are selected by mutual agreement. The basis for this is the ranking, which is compiled by the experts commissioned by ECSEL.
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