Saxony's high-tech industry association celebrates a milestone anniversary: 20 years of Silicon Saxony

Image credit: Silicon Saxony e. V. / Sven Claus

– Celebration of the 20th anniversary of Silicon Saxony e. V. on August 26, 2021, in Dresden – Minister President Kretschmer and Mayor Hilbert Congratulate
– Association undergoes generational change: Board restructuring completed
– Network continues to grow: Vodafone becomes the 375th member of Silicon Saxony e. V.

Saxony's industry association for high technology, Silicon Saxony, celebrated its 20th anniversary today. During a ceremony at the Bilderberg Bellevue Hotel in Dresden, actors from politics, business, science, and society gathered to mark the milestone. Among the congratulators were Saxony's Minister President Michael Kretschmer and Dresden's Mayor Dirk Hilbert. The anniversary coincides with a period of growth for the high-tech location Saxony. At the same time, the industry faces the challenge of the global chip shortage. As part of the board restructuring, a new generation now bears responsibility within Silicon Saxony e. V. to represent the interests of the location nationally and internationally, building on the successes of the past decades.

Industry association for Europe's Microelectronics Powerhouse

Founded on December 19, 2000, by 20 Saxon high-tech actors, Silicon Saxony e. V. is today a high-tech cluster with 375 members. "Silicon Saxony" has become a globally recognized brand, and the region has become the powerhouse of European microelectronics and high technology. Around 70,500 specialists work in 2,500 high-tech companies in Saxony. The state's growing software industry alone employs about 31,000 people across approximately 1,700 companies. Two decades after its founding, Silicon Saxony is Europe's largest semiconductor location and one of the leading technology regions worldwide.

20-year success story "Made in Saxony"

Looking back on 20 years of success, Silicon Saxony celebrates its anniversary. A highlight in the association's history was winning the BMBF top cluster "Cool Silicon." Sixty partners contributed to the successful completion of the cluster project, ensuring that the energy efficiency of electronic components remains associated with the label "Made in Saxony." In the 2010s, the "Internet of Things" triggered a global demand for chips, microsensors, software, and connectivity solutions. Saxony's high-tech valley grew through relocations, new establishments, and large investments. Chip companies Infineon, GlobalFoundries, X-FAB, and Bosch significantly expanded their production in Saxony. Currently, two other global players, Intel and TSMC, are interested in establishing a presence. The rise of the Technical University Dresden to the top tier of German universities in 2012 is another major achievement. As an excellence university, it forms a powerful nucleus for innovation in research and development together with outstanding research institutions from Fraunhofer, Max Planck, Leibniz, and Helmholtz.

An era ends: Heinz Martin Esser retires from the board

With the 20th anniversary of Silicon Saxony, a new chapter begins in the leadership of the high-tech cluster. After twelve years in office, Heinz Martin Esser delivered his final speech as chairman of the board. At the anniversary celebration, he was then officially and emotionally bid farewell to retirement. His responsibilities now lie with the next generation. "Today marks the end of an era," says the new chairman of the board, Dirk Röhrborn. "We look back on a long and extraordinarily successful period in office. Heinz Martin Esser and his board colleagues Gitta Haupold and Helmut Warnecke have made Silicon Saxony a significant industry-political actor through ingenuity, persistence, and personal passion. We will continue and further develop this work on the board – and we are already in the midst of it. Given the ongoing shortage of skilled workers in the ICT industry, we are currently working on developing our skills strategy."

Next Generation: Board restructuring completed

Dirk Röhrborn, Managing Director of the software company Communardo GmbH and a member of the Silicon Saxony board since December 2020, assumes the chairmanship. New member of the Silicon Saxony e. V. board is Yvonne Keil, Director of Global Procurement at chip manufacturer GlobalFoundries and previously a deputy board member. The graduate engineer studied electrical engineering at TU Dresden and KTH Stockholm, focusing on automation technology, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. She has worked in development at AMD since 2005 and has been with GlobalFoundries since 2012. "With Yvonne Keil, we welcome a recognized expert in future topics of the chip industry, who is well networked at the location. I look forward to working with her," explains Dirk Röhrborn. The board also continues to include Raik Brettschneider (Managing Director of Infineon Technologies Dresden GmbH & Co. KG) and Prof. Dr. Frank Schönefeld (Member of the Management Board of T-Systems Multimedia Solutions GmbH).

Industry association welcomes Vodafone as 375th member

The network reflects the full breadth and capability of Saxony's economic and technological landscape and brings various industries together under one roof. "Our activities now extend far beyond Saxony's borders. The Silicon Saxony e. V. network has long become a globally established brand," explains the managing director, Frank Bösenberg. "As the first European cluster, Silicon Saxony e. V. has received the GOLD label 'Excel in Cluster Excellence' from the European Cluster Excellence Initiative (ECEI) for the fourth time."

The signs for continued growth are still present: With the telecommunications company Vodafone, Silicon Saxony e. V. welcomes its 375th member during the anniversary celebration. Hannes Ametsreiter, CEO of Vodafone Germany, states: "The 20th anniversary and the high vitality of the association show that Saxony is thinking long-term. I am very excited about working with the association and all its members. Dresden secured the bid for the research and development center against international high-tech capitals like Dublin and Lisbon. A key factor was the strong networking within the corporate landscape through Silicon Saxony e. V. The number and quality of company relocations in recent years demonstrate that the right conditions have been created in the Free State for the decades to come. We want to contribute by further practically researching new mobile communication technologies."