The south of Dresden is now home to a new office and laboratory building for the Engineering of Adaptive Systems (EAS) division, significantly improving working conditions for researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS in Saxony. Their previous workplace had become too small for the growing number of staff, and without any laboratory space to speak of, development possibilities were severely limited in their research areas.

Besides generous office space, the new building now also offers three testing halls integrated into the building as well as numerous electronics laboratories and measuring rooms. And with a floor space of 4,300 square meters, it doubles the previously available space. Moreover, the premises offer good prospects for future growth, potential extension buildings and new employment opportunities. The construction project was supported by the European Union and the Free State of Saxony under the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and co-financed by the German government.

In his address to the opening ceremony’s invited guests, Saxony’s Minister President Michael Kretschmer emphasized the importance of microelectronics for the state. “One in three microchips made in Europe come from Saxony. Microelectronics has a long tradition and a promising future in our state. This is in part due to the European Chips Act, which sets the course for further investments in the EU’s semiconductor industry, strengthening its global competitiveness. In doing so, it gives Saxony in particular the opportunity to further expand the state’s leading role in Europe together with local companies and research institutes. The research profile of Fraunhofer IIS/EAS makes for a perfect fit here, forging a bridge between microelectronics and its application.”

Saxony’s Minister of Science, Sebastian Gemkow, added: “One unique selling point of Saxony’s researchers is their intense networking among themselves and their close contact with industry to boost their combined innovative strength. That’s another reason for Saxony to stay firmly on the path of preserving, expanding and interlocking its successful microelectronics and ICT research landscape by supporting pioneering research topics. This effort is what’s behind our investments in the new building – with the aim to give innovation and new ideas room for development.”

“Research into microelectronic systems that are fit for the future is a key issue for the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft – not least because microelectronics is a cross-industry pillar of our technological sovereignty,” said Professor Reimund Neugebauer, President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. “That’s why the future-proof development of microelectronic systems of the kind that the EAS division of Fraunhofer IIS focuses on is central to the goal of making high technology available not just to multinational corporations but to small and medium-sized companies as well. The improved framework and additional capacity provided by the new institute building will help us promote research and development in this important field and reinforce Saxony’s status as a microelectronics location.”

Professor Albert Heuberger, Executive Director of Fraunhofer IIS, and Dr. Peter Schneider, Division Director of Engineering of Adaptive Systems EAS, agreed that, for the purpose of systematically developing current research topics and opening up new ones, the construction of the new institute building was of paramount importance for the EAS. Their thanks went primarily to the EU, the German government and the Free State of Saxony for making the new building possible, the Heinle Wischer architecture firm for the design, and the many companies involved in making it a reality.