Karlsruhe Institute of Technology’s Chipdesign House to Boost European Semiconductor Production
From smartphones to computers to cars: almost all modern technologies are based on high-performance microchips. Demand far exceeds production in Germany. Leading semiconductor manufacturers come primarily from Asia and North America and supply producers worldwide with the microchips. In order to drive production in Europe and further strengthen Germany as an innovation location for chip design, the Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts Baden-Württemberg (MWK) has now approved the establishment of the virtual Karlsruhe Chip Design House (KCH) at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). This is to be built on the KIT’s South Campus by 2027. A new master’s degree program is also planned.
“The demand for powerful and efficient chips for digital transformation continues to grow,” explains Professor Mehdi B. Tahoori from the Institute of Computer Engineering at KIT. “Most of the sales are made by chip giants outside Europe. The energy crisis in particular, when we had to shut down our production due to electricity costs, showed the great dependence on imports, for example for silicon chips produced in Asia.”
“It is urgently necessary to promote production and its development opportunities in Europe in order to reduce critical global dependencies and secure the digital sovereignty of Germany and Europe,” says Professor Oliver Kraft, representing the President. “The KCH brings together cutting-edge research in the field of chip design. With its expertise, the KIT is the right location for this.”
New course of study for future professionals
With the planned KIT Chip Design House (KCH), KIT wants to take a leading role in the coordination of chip design in Baden-Württemberg and beyond. The focus is on comprehensive training for specialists in chip design. “At the KCH, we want to develop an interdisciplinary master’s degree program in chip design together with partners,” says Professor Jürgen Becker from the KIT Institute of Information Processing Technology. “In addition to practice-oriented lectures, this should also offer workshops and events with experts from industry that will provide comprehensive training for future specialists and managers.”
Strengthening the chip design ecosystem in Germany
To strengthen the semiconductor ecosystem in the EU, the regulation on the European Chips Act 2023 was adopted as a package of measures. “The European Chips Act aims to promote semiconductor production and development opportunities in Europe,” explains Becker. “Within this Chips Act, we want to pool and expand competencies and networks in a targeted manner. The close integration with industry is an important building block, among other things through the targeted expansion of interdisciplinary training and further education in chip design at KIT.”
The MWK is funding the KIT Chipdesign House in the funding initiative BEGIN (stands for: Participation in major European projects and initiatives) with around one million euros until 2027.
As “The Research University in the Helmholtz Association”, KIT creates and imparts knowledge for society and the environment. The aim is to make significant contributions to global challenges in the fields of energy, mobility, and information. To this end, around 10,000 employees work together on a broad disciplinary basis in natural sciences, engineering, economics, and humanities and social sciences. KIT prepares its 22,800 students for responsible tasks in society, business, and science through research-oriented university studies. KIT’s innovation activities build a bridge between knowledge and application for social benefit, economic prosperity, and the preservation of our natural resources. KIT is one of Germany’s universities of excellence.