Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS, Division Engineering of Adaptive SystemsHow can Europe hold its ground in the long term when it comes to technological competition in the microelectronics sector? At the inaugural FIRST by FMD conference in Berlin, this topic was discussed by over 500 leading representatives from industry, research, and politics – including top executives from international companies and research organizations, as well as political decision-makers. The event focused on technological developments, industrial roadmaps, and the question of how stakeholders can work together to develop European expertise even further.
The Research Fab Microelectronics Germany (FMD) brings together the expertise and infrastructure of its participating institutes at all stages of the microelectronics value chain – from design, technology development, manufacturing, and advanced packaging to testing and system integration. Particularly in the case of chiplet systems, it is clear why this cooperation is vital – namely, because new solutions emerge at the interfaces between different technologies and call for expertise that individual institutions cannot provide alone. Fraunhofer IIS in Dresden also provides expertise at the interface between microelectronics, system architecture, and practical applications.
The interplay between these different areas of expertise was also showcased at FIRST. On the Main Stage, Dr.-Ing. Benjamin Prautsch presented Fraunhofer IIS’s System-Technology Co-Optimization (STCO) activities as part of the pilot line known as Advanced Packaging and Heterogeneous Integration for Electronic Components and Systems (APECS). STCO takes a holistic view of system architecture, design, and production technologies with a view to evaluating different technology options at an early stage and making sound decisions on the development of high-performance chiplet systems.
In a session chaired by Prautsch, experts from research and industry discussed how chiplet technologies can be brought from the development stage to scalable production. The conversation centered around modern design methods as well as tool flows, standards, and new approaches to system design.
It was clear from discussions at FIRST that the development of future microelectronics solutions will increasingly call for coordination between different disciplines. Topics such as chiplet technologies, advanced packaging, and system integration can only be developed further by working hand in hand at all stages of the value chain. At the same time, the event illustrated the importance of shared research and development platforms for the faster transfer of new technologies into industrial applications. Against this backdrop, there is a growing need for close collaboration between industry, research, and politics.
APECS pilot line
Under the EU Chips Act, FMD will implement APECS, a comprehensive pilot line to support resilient and trusted heterogeneous systems over the coming years. The APECS pilot line will enhance the innovative capacity of European industries across various sectors and serve as a crucial foundation for Europe’s technological resilience. Through System Technology Co-Optimization (STCO), APECS introduces new functionalities and offers seamless design-to-production capabilities, facilitating the transition of research breakthroughs into scalable manufacturing solutions. As a single point of access, APECS serves stakeholders across nearly all industry sectors, including large enterprises, SMEs, and start-ups. This pilot line brings together the competences, infrastructure, and know-how of ten partners from eight European countries.
In Germany twelve institutes from the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft and two institutes from the Leibniz Association are participating in APECS. APECS is coordinated by the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft and implemented by the Research Fab Microelectronics Germany (FMD), a cooperation of the Fraunhofer Group for Microelectronics with the Leibniz institutes IHP and FBH.
