Hamburg, April 20, 2026. With today’s launch of the Northern Chip Network e.V. (NCN) at DESY in Hamburg, a new voice for microelectronics in northern Germany is taking shape. Companies, universities, research institutions, and innovation partners from Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein are pooling their expertise to strengthen collaboration, initiate partnerships, and further enhance the region’s competitiveness, innovative strength, and visibility.  

Northern Germany boasts outstanding expertise across the entire microelectronics value chain—from university education and basic research, through process, product, and technology development, to industrial semiconductor manufacturing. It is precisely this diversity of expertise that is reflected in the membership of the new network. At launch, the NCN includes global industrial companies such as Nexperia, NXP Semiconductors, Semikron Danfoss, Vishay Siliconix Itzehoe GmbH, and X-FAB MEMS Foundry Itzehoe. In addition, there are renowned research partners such as the German Electron Synchrotron (DESY) and the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicon Technology (ISIT), universities such as Kiel University (CAU), the Kiel University of Applied Sciences (HAW), and the Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH); as well as key regional innovation and sustainability partners such as the Itzehoe Innovation Center (IZET), the Hamburg Renewable Energy Cluster (EEHH), and the Schleswig-Holstein Society for Energy & Climate Protection (EKSH).

The network aims to bring together existing strengths in research, education, and industry more closely. The goal is to facilitate structured collaboration among regional stakeholders, promote knowledge transfer, develop shared visions for the further development of the microelectronics hub, and more clearly communicate the hub’s strengths and shared priorities to the outside world. 

Microelectronics is a key technology for addressing numerous industrial and societal challenges. Whether in energy supply, automation, mobility, or digitalization, progress in many areas depends on high-performance, reliable, and efficient semiconductor solutions. At the same time, demands are growing in terms of the pace of innovation, securing a skilled workforce, technological resilience, and the close integration of research and application. The Northern Chip Network aims to contribute to this by raising the profile of expertise, bringing stakeholders together, and positioning Northern Germany more strongly as a cohesive ecosystem. 

“With the Northern Chip Network, we are creating a framework that allows the region’s diverse expertise to be better integrated,” says Dr. Stephan Marauska, a member of the Northern Chip Network’s board of directors and managing director at Vishay Siliconix Itzehoe. “Our goal is to promote collaboration, advance common initiatives, and thereby provide new impetus for microelectronics in northern Germany.”

The official kickoff for Network takes place today at the NCN launch event at DESY in Hamburg. Also in attendance is Julia Carstens, State Secretary at the Ministry of Economics, Transport, Labor, Technology, and Tourism of the State of Schleswig-Holstein, who said in her opening remarks: “I am delighted that the official launch of the NCN will now also raise the profile of the outstanding microelectronics expertise and activities in Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein. This collaboration between industry, research, and politics is fundamental to sustainable innovation and economic strength in our region. Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg benefit equally from strong networks and bold ideas. And events like this demonstrate the potential that lies in exchange and joint projects.”

Prof. Dr. Beate Heinemann, Chair of the DESY Board of Directors, emphasizes: “Northern Germany has enormous potential in the field of microelectronics—from high-performance research institutions to innovative companies. With its unique analytical capabilities for power electronics, DESY offers a wide range of approaches to research and development questions, from understanding materials science to chip design. “With the Northern Chip Network, we are creating a platform where the expertise of the various members can be networked and mutually reinforced.” 

Aylin Behrendt-Bicakci, Professor of Mechatronics Assembly and Interconnection Technologies at Kiel University of Applied Sciences (HAW Kiel) and a member of the NCN Executive Board, explains: “For the microelectronics of the future, we need close ties between research, education, and industry. Only by combining knowledge with practical experience can we create innovations that stand the test of time in real-world applications. The Northern Chip Network provides the ideal foundation for this—it brings the right partners together to quickly turn ideas into marketable solutions and actively involve the next generation.”

The launch event will bring together representatives from industry, academia, universities, and politics with the aim of strengthening connections, highlighting the expertise of individual partners within the network, and thereby providing initial opportunities for collaboration and projects.

As an open network, the Northern Chip Network invites other interested companies, universities, research institutions, and regional stakeholders to contribute to its future work.

For more information, please visit northernchipnetwork.de.  

From Northern Germany to the whole world: Chips and technologies from the region are found in products used by billions of people every day. That’s because this region is home to strong partners across the entire microelectronics value chain, from basic research to mass production. The Northern Chip Network (NCN) serves as the unified voice of the microelectronics sector in Northern Germany. It connects companies, universities, and research institutions to strengthen knowledge transfer, promote collaboration, and enhance the region’s profile as a leading microelectronics ecosystem. As an open network, the NCN is open to all stakeholders who wish to jointly advance the region’s innovative strength and competitiveness.

For press inquiries regarding the Northern Chip Network, please contact: media@northernchipnetwork.de