Exchanging ideas, intensifying networks, joining forces - that was FTME 2025 in Ilmenau

As the week drew to a close, our conference “Microelectronics research in Germany: from the basics to application” 2025 was a key event for us. For two packed and exciting days, the specialist community gathered on the campus of Ilmenau University of Technology to discuss current specialist topics as well as many aspects of the essential topic of recruiting, training and promoting young talent. The discussions were also quite controversial.

The symposium is the central annual meeting of the members of the ForLab network, our partner networks such as Chipdesign Germany and other important players from all ecosystems – university research, industry, education and training, networks, politics and funding institutions. In light of the current challenges, it is imperative that all players continue to network closely, exchange ideas and pool their individual strengths in order to focus on the major common goals.

In the workshop sessions, we came together in smaller groups to discuss a variety of topics. Among other things, projects from the ForLab network that are currently in the development or launch phase were also presented. Stefan Helmerich (TU Ilmenau) presented the status of the Competence Atlas, a joint online information service of the partners in the ForLab network, in which their skills, equipment and laboratory facilities can be researched and accessed in detail. Pia Marie Braun (Ruhr University Bochum), Tilman Lieberknecht (TU Dresden), Tina Jene, Stefan Braun (Kaiserslautern University of Applied Sciences), Uta Voigt and Anja Quednau (skills4chips) posed and answered the question: “Getting young people excited about microelectronics – but how?” by talking about the recently launched Instagram channel www.instagram.com/elektrotechnikentdecken and virtual cleanrooms.

In the plenary session, Apollonia Pane from the BMBF presented innovation-related funding strategies and approaches to strengthen the German microelectronics ecosystem in her keynote speech: “Microelectronics in Germany: BMBF measures for a strong ecosystem”. Our guests from Japan from the JSTC presented the Japanese Chips Act. Klaus Burmeister (foresightlab) highlighted future prospects in times of upheaval in a final keynote speech.

A big thank you to the perfectly organized team at the TU Ilmenau, who, together with the central project office, put together a very successful event that lacked nothing and thus offered the ideal environment for intensive exchange!