Federal government invests millions in chip design for the future of digitalization!
Leibniz University Hannover is part of the funded “Chipdesign Germany” network, which strengthens technology sovereignty.

Federal government invests millions in chip design for the future of digitalization!
The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is strengthening Germany's technological sovereignty in the area of chip design with the new “Chipdesign Germany” network, which is being funded with four million euros over three years. Loud uni-hannover.de This network is intended to promote exchange between different players in chip design and to bring its importance for the economy and society to the fore.
Chip design is a crucial factor in the development of microelectronics, which are essential in everyday products such as cars, cell phones and washing machines. In order to build comprehensive competencies, the network is primarily supported by four cooperation partners: edacentrum GmbH, Forschungsfabrik Microelectronics Germany, Rhineland-Palatinate Technical University of Kaiserslautern-Landau and Leibniz University of Hannover.
Important initiatives and partners
edacentrum GmbH offers support for research and development projects in the area of Electronic Design Automation (EDA). The Microelectronics Research Factory Germany is an R&D association that has been driving the modernization of the research infrastructure since 2017. The Rhineland-Palatinate Technical University of Kaiserslautern-Landau acts as an innovation and transfer partner, while the Leibniz University of Hannover, as the leading technical university in Germany, offers a wide range of subjects.
The “Chipdesign Germany” network will also develop measures for the training and further education of young talent. It also deals with technology monitoring, supports start-ups as well as small and medium-sized companies and carries out scientific communication. In addition, the BMBF will advise on chip design issues and develop recommendations for accompanying program research.
Microelectronics and Technological Sovereignty
The BMBF is also more comprehensively dedicated to research and innovation in microelectronics. 400 million euros are available for this. Microelectronics is a global industry, with the production chain often spanning multiple countries. The trustworthiness of these electronic components is crucial for a variety of applications, from autonomous driving to modern medicine. To promote this, the BMBF has launched the Trustworthy Electronics flagship initiative, which focuses on new technologies, standards and norms, such as bmbf.de reported.
As part of this initiative, the BMBF also wants to strengthen skills in chip design and has launched several projects to improve the national training structure in the field of microelectronics. This includes the “Microtec Academy”, which aims to attract more young talent to the industry.
A recent conference on Trustworthy Electronics highlighted the relevance of microelectronics for digital transformation and creating resilience in Germany's value chain. Judith Pirscher, State Secretary at the BMBF, opened the event, which also discussed the economic and social relevance of trustworthy electronics and provided information about current research projects, such as elektronikforschung.de explained in detail.