The Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs is funding semiconductor research with over 13 million euros. Minister of Economic Affairs Hubert Aiwanger has handed over a funding decision to four participating Fraunhofer Institutes. Specifically, this involves support within the framework of two so-called pilot lines of the EU Chips Act. Aiwanger: "Our Bavarian co-financing makes it possible for a further 66 million euros of EU and federal funding to be invested in Fraunhofer microelectronics research in Bavaria. The whole world depends on semiconductors. Every euro we invest in chip research therefore strengthens Bavaria's position as a business location. I see great potential for new business models and economic applications to emerge from the research results of the two pilot lines."

The focus of the APECS (Advanced Packaging for Electronic Components and Systems) pilot line, which is mainly based in Germany, is on the integration of various technology components. In Bavaria, the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS in Erlangen, the Fraunhofer Institute for Electronic Microsystems and Solid State Technologies EMFT in Munich and the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied and Integrated Security AISEC in Garching are involved. The focus here is on chip design, analysis and testing and also links up with the Bavarian Chip Design Center (BCDC) in terms of content.

The WBG pilot line aims to develop so-called wide-bandgap (WBG) and ultra-wide-bandgap (UWBG) semiconductors. Such semiconductors consist of novel crystals such as aluminum nitride. This material makes it possible to control very high power levels, for example for use in power transmission. The Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Systems and Device Technology IISB in Erlangen is the only German institute involved in this pilot line due to its outstanding expertise in the field of power semiconductors.

Press release no. 91/25 of the Bavarian State Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy