Following the huge success of the first edition of FMD Innovation Days in Berlin last year, initially a symbolic act marking the opening of the first FMD integration line, the Research Fab Microelectronics Germany has initiated the second edition of their FMD Innovation Days. The participants of the event, which bore the slogan “From IDays to Ideas”, met at one of the 13 FMD locations – the Leibniz Institute for Innovative Microelectronics (IHP)  – to exchange ideas. The “Microwave and Terahertz” focal topic included thought-provoking keynote speeches by speakers from research and industry as well as a fringe exhibition showcasing the latest technology contributions by FMD member institutes. A final roundtable discussion in small groups gave the participants the opportunity to discuss the big questions of the future and explore the topics in greater depth.

Internationally competitive, decentralized research

The Research Fab Microelectronics, the biggest cross-location R&D collaboration in the area of microelectronics, brings together the expertise of the 11 institutes within the Fraunhofer Group for Microelectronics and the two Leibniz institutes, FBH and IHP. This is the first single-source provider of near market-ready R&D services, applications solutions, and innovation technologies to a wide range of industrial customers along the entire microelectronics innovation chain.
Launched two and half years ago, FMD seeks to promote the development, manufacture, and marketing of microelectronics products in Germany to stop experts in this field from leaving Germany for other countries.

Until 2020, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) will be investing some 350 million euros into the idea of conducting successful research and development across multiple locations. This funding will be used primarily to update the research equipment at the 13 participating institutes. The BMBF funding – the biggest investment in research equipment by the BMBF since German reunification – is expected to improve the innovative strength of the semiconductor and electronics industry in Germany and Europe with a view to making it more competitive on the global market.