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Bavarian Semiconductor Initiative: Why you should join Bavaria’s semiconductor powerhouse in the heart of Europe.

Electronics&electrical engineering Jul 03, 2023

Bavarian Semiconductor Initiative: Why you should join Bavaria’s semiconductor powerhouse in the heart of Europe.

Bavaria is well on its way to becoming a leading hub of Europe’s semiconductor and microelectronics industry, thanks to its combined strengths in industry and cutting-edge research.

Experts forecast that chip demand will double by 2030. And a chip shortage is currently affecting almost all areas of industry, causing delivery delays wherever electronic systems are used. The consumer goods industry is just as affected as mechanical engineering or the automotive sector.

To meet these challenges, the Bavarian Semiconductor Initiative was launched in fall 2021. It will strengthen Bavaria as an industry and business location and make supply chains more resilient. The Bavarian Chips Alliance and Bavarian Chip Design Center (BCDC) play a crucial role here.

For companies with a stake in semiconductors, either as a supplier or a customer, this initiative offers an opportunity to grow their business, boost innovation, and increase self-sufficiency.

What is behind the “BAVARIAN CHIPS ALLIANCE”?

The BAVARIAN CHIPS ALLIANCE is one of the supporting pillars of the semiconductor initiative of the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development, and Energy.

This new network provides visibility for businesses and research institutions throughout the ecosystem by offering them a platform for showcasing their competencies to potential partners. It also offers an excellent opportunity to network regionally, nationally, and internationally, exchange cross-industry experience, and initiate joint projects.

The network is currently working on the following topics:

Training and skilled labour
Industrial applications, and
Chip design.

Members are invited to actively contribute to accelerate Bavaria’s path towards becoming a leading semiconductor hotspot.

Over 60 Bavarian companies have already joined this initiative. An interactive competence map shows the locations of all members.

A good example are the automation specialists Sensor-Technik Wiedemann (STW) from Kaufbeuren in the Allgäu region, who have already enlisted in the network. Their participation in this initiative constitutes a further step towards ensuring optimum delivery capability to their customers, consisting of manufacturers of robust mobile machinery for the agricultural, forestry, municipal, and construction industries.

Other partners include global players as well as SMEs and start-ups, applied research institutions, industry clusters, associations, and numerous universities and colleges such as the Munich University of Applied Sciences, the Technical University of Munich (TUM), and the East Bavarian Technical University Regensburg (OTH).

All interested companies are encouraged to register. Registration and membership are free of charge.

What is the focus of the new Bavarian Chip Design Centre (BCDC)?

Chip design is a significant part of the value chain that requires the most know-how. That is why a dedicated Bavarian design centre will be established in Bavaria under the leadership of the Fraunhofer Institute. Whoever designs and develops the semiconductors of the future will have influence on a global scale. That, of course, means great economic potential.

Hubert Aiwanger,

Bavarian Minister

The Bavarian Chip Design Centre (BCDC) combines the strengths of universities and three leading Fraunhofer institutes in the fields of IC and microelectronics. The BCDC supports everything from start-ups to medium-sized companies to expand their competitiveness. It focuses on the following strategic areas:

Comprehensive education and training: To counteract the shortage of skilled workers in the chip design sector, BCDC offers support in this area. This is done through on-the-job training with a balanced mix of practice and theory or with chip design courses for both beginners and experts, for example.
Accessible and efficient chip development: The IC ecosystem enables innovation and diverse development opportunities.
Chip production even for low volumes: The BCDC serves as a one-stop shop by facilitating access to a robust supply chain. They can provide small batches and prototypes and establish an extensive supply chain.

Companies are already invited to take an active part today in shaping Bavaria's technological sovereignty in the semiconductor sector, for example, by participating in workshops and surveys.