(August 25, 2008) DRESDEN, Germany After a two year stint in Stuttgart, SEMICON Europa will be on the move once again, this time to Dresden, reportedly the largest semiconductor center in Europe; so-called Silicon Saxony. The announcement was made by was Heinz Kundert, President of SEMI Europe at a joint press conference with SILICON SAXONY e.V., the State of Saxony and the City of Dresden. SEMICON Europa 2008, held in Stuttgart, takes place Oct 7-9, 2008.
SEMICON Europa will welcome its members at the Messe Dresden (Dresden Exhibition Center) from October 6-8, 2009. “We are moving to the home of one of the leading clusters of the semiconductor industry. By means of long-term prospective development planning, Silicon Saxony has emerged as one of the most important microelectronics centers in Europe,” stated Kundert, “By now, every second European chip is manufactured in Saxony. This is what makes Silicon Saxony the most important research, development and manufacturing location in Europe. We could not be any closer to our customers.”
Reportedly, about 70% of all employees involved in the German semiconductor industry are located in the Saxony region, with about 44.000 employees in more than 1,200 businesses. “SEMI’s decision underlines the cluster’s role as one of the most dynamic economic centers in Germany. That SEMICON Europa has now responded to Dresden’s call only underscores this fact,” noted Thomas Jurk, Saxony’s minister for economic affairs and labor. “Federal government policies have a responsibility to assure that Europe will continue to advance its importance as a location and innovation pool for the semiconductor industry in a global marketplace.”
According to Dirk Hilbert, deputy mayor, department of economic development, SEMI’s decision will strengthen Europe’s role in the semiconductor industry globally by safeguarding and further developing the microelectronics industry in Dresden. “The regional establishment of companies and research institutes will be strengthened by the show, the cluster will grow and advance in its quality,” explained Hilbert, adding that plans to increase capacity at Messe Dresden have been positively influenced the negotiations with SEMI. As soon as the investment planning has been finalized by the city council, the development of a new conference center will start. This extension will bring 600 additional seats, ideal for small conferences, expert forums, and workshops in addition to the annual show dates.
Locally established companies, such as AMD, Infineon, and Qimonda especially welcome this tradeshow to their home base. “SEMI’s decision is an answer to future challenges, which we can only solve together,” says Helmut Warnecke, Managing Director of Infineon Technologies Dresden. “SEMI Europe represents the interest of the European semiconductor industry. The decision to move closer to the user is an important success factor for close partnerships with our suppliers.”