For training quality at the highest level: FMD begins establishing a microelectronics academy

With the establishment of the Microelectronics Academy, the Research Factory Microelectronics Germany (FMD) is laying the foundation for modern training programs in the field of micro- and nanoelectronics. © Fraunhofer Microelectronics

On December 1, 2022, Prof. Gerhard Kahmen, Scientific and Technical Managing Director of IHP GmbH – Leibniz Institute for Innovative Microelectronics, was appointed Director of the Microelectronics Academy. © IHP GmbH

With the launch of the Microelectronics Academy, the Research Factory Microelectronics Germany (FMD) lays the foundation for modern training programs in the field of micro- and nanoelectronics to counteract the skilled labor shortage in Germany. In cooperation with educational providers and industry partners, the academy aims to develop practical module offerings during a one-year conceptual phase and test them over the next three years. The development is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research within the framework program for microelectronics of the German federal government.

The Research Factory Microelectronics Germany (FMD) is establishing a microelectronics academy nationwide, which is realized within the framework of two projects funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) – the cross-location competence center for resource-efficient information and communication technology "Green ICT @ FMD"1 and the FMD module Quantum and Neuromorphic Computing "FMD-QNC"2. The Microelectronics Academy aims to develop and test new content and formats for training specialists in the field of micro- and nanoelectronics. Whether as a supplement to university education or as an additional qualification for employees: the idea promises training and further education opportunities for professionals in the microelectronics sector as well as for young scientists. To enable modern and especially practice-oriented learning and training offerings, the Microelectronics Academy seeks close cooperation with educational institutions, existing youth development projects, and industry.

Prof. Gerhard Kahmen, Scientific and Technical Managing Director of IHP GmbH – Leibniz Institute for Innovative Microelectronics, one of the thirteen institutes cooperating within the FMD, has been appointed as the director of the Microelectronics Academy. Under his leadership, the first year of the three-year project phase will focus on designing a module set tailored to the needs of the field, which will then be practically tested in selected pilot modules. The Microelectronics Academy is a first step to address the skilled labor shortage in this area and serves as a catalyst for subsequent activities in microelectronics training. As a comprehensive national academy, it will develop offerings at both the state and federal levels.

Focus on Microelectronics Topics of Today and Tomorrow

In three thematic pillars, the high degree of specialization required in microelectronics will be enabled at an excellent scientific level, and the demand for skilled workers will be optimally met. The two pillars derived from the projects "Green ICT @ FMD" and "FMD-QNC" – "Resource-Conscious ICT" and "Practice-Oriented Semiconductor Technology and Processes" – together with the third pillar "Design of Microelectronic Circuits and Systems" form the thematic basis of the academy. The goal is to actively influence and advance areas such as climate protection and sustainability, innovative computing technologies, and trustworthiness in the semiconductor and chip sector in the long term.

Mario Brandenburg, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, states: "The innovation power in chip development depends heavily on skilled workers and their ideas. They are a central part of Germany's technology location, and their promotion is a special concern of the Federal Ministry of Research. Therefore, we are expanding the existing training and further education offerings with the help of the Microelectronics Academy. The skilled labor shortage in this future-oriented industry is already noticeable and will be further exacerbated by the EU Chips Act and new semiconductor factories in Europe. With the Microelectronics Academy, we make a concrete contribution to achieving the goals of the federal government’s new skills strategy."

Prof. Gerhard Kahmen, Director of the Microelectronics Academy, explains: "The value creation of electronic systems largely occurs in the design of systems and chips as well as in operating the infrastructure and cleanrooms required for manufacturing, which requires a multitude of specialized professionals. The Microelectronics Academy aims to counteract the skilled labor shortage in this field on a national level through close networking and cooperation with industry, universities, training institutions, and policymakers." He emphasizes the strategic and geopolitical relevance of key skills in the microelectronics value chain: "Microelectronic systems are the nerve centers of a modern economy and increasingly permeate all areas of society. The availability of state-of-the-art and especially trustworthy microelectronics is therefore the prerequisite and foundation for Germany's and Europe's technological sovereignty, enabling us to live and promote our liberal values worldwide."

In implementing the Microelectronics Academy, the FMD can draw on extensive and long-standing experience from its cooperating institutes and the knowledge gained from existing projects. This will ensure the best possible pathway for excellent knowledge transfer in theory and practice to counteract the challenges of the growing skilled labor shortage.

Bundling Synergies and Driving Networking

The FMD not only takes on the organizational leadership of the Microelectronics Academy but also bears responsibility for the program of the three technical pillars. The overarching goal is to improve the quality of training in the field of microelectronics. In addition to close collaboration with industry and research partners, partnerships with educational providers and existing training initiatives are also sought. This will create numerous synergies and offer the opportunity for extensive transfer of theory and practice. The collaboration among the actors involved in the academy is planned to extend across Germany and, in the long term, to Europe, creating a dense network of knowledge transfer.

The plan is for the Microelectronics Academy to make microelectronics accessible to interested individuals with varying levels of prior knowledge through certification and qualification courses. In addition, youth development through extensive and practical learning and training offerings will be a central focus. Furthermore, the academy will provide access to practical design environments as well as state-of-the-art manufacturing infrastructures and testing environments.

About the Research Factory Microelectronics Germany

The Research Factory Microelectronics Germany (FMD), a collaboration between the Fraunhofer Microelectronics Group and the Leibniz Institutes FBH and IHP, is the central contact for all questions related to micro- and nanoelectronics in Germany and Europe. As a one-stop shop, the FMD has been connecting scientifically excellent technologies and system solutions from its 13 cooperating institutes of the Fraunhofer Society and Leibniz Association into a customer-specific overall offering since 2017. Under the virtual umbrella of the FMD, the largest consortium of its kind in Europe has been formed, with more than 4,500 employees and a unique diversity of competencies and infrastructure. From 2017 to 2021, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research supported the modernization of the research infrastructure of all 13 participating institutes.

[1] Cross-location competence center for resource-efficient information and communication technology (Green ICT @ FMD), press release at: https://www.forschungsfabrik-mikroelektronik.de/de/presse--und-medien/Presse/PI_Start_GreenICT.html

[2] The "Research Factory Microelectronics Germany – Module Quantum and Neuromorphic Computing",
  Press release at: https://www.forschungsfabrik-mikroelektronik.de/de/presse--und-medien/Presse/PI_Start_FMD-QNC.html