It remains to be seen whether Chemnitz really is “the new New York”, as the DIE ZEIT headlined on January 18, 2025. But it is now, without a doubt, a city worth living in. According to the Prognos city ranking, it is even one of the ten most liveable cities in Germany.
Plenty of nursery places, affordable rents, an exciting and diverse job market with steadily rising average wages are just some of the reasons to settle here. Beautiful nature and many green spots in the city create balance and offer space to develop. With hydrogen, automotive, mechanical engineering, healthcare, ICT and the creative industries, important industrial, economic and technological fields are also located here, offering the best starting points for microelectronics and Silicon Saxony, among others.
So it’s no wonder that Chemnitz is increasingly attracting attention across Europe. With its nomination as European Capital of Culture 2025, the former Karl-Marx-Stadt is now even receiving the attention it deserves on the big continental stage. Around 80,000 people attended the opening event of the Capital of Culture year alone. Around 2 million visitors are expected during the year-round event activities.
“C you in Chemnitz” – Silicon Saxony celebrates its third annual kick-off here
So there are plenty of reasons for Europe’s largest microelectronics cluster and one of the largest ICT clusters in Germany to increasingly focus on the newly crowned Capital of Culture. And indeed, Silicon Saxony now has its own presence in Chemnitz. In the coming months and years, two employees will be integrating the local high-tech community into the network work, making new contacts, establishing collaborations and being available for any questions and concerns relating to Silicon Saxony, our industries and subject areas. Dr. Martina Vogel (formerly of Fraunhofer ENAS) and Uwe Seidel (formerly of SAP) are two experienced and well-connected Chemnitz experts.
As part of this year’s annual kick-off event on January 21, both introduced themselves to guests from Chemnitz and from all over Saxony and Germany. Around 250 network representatives were present at the Kraftverkehr event location and exchanged ideas until late in the evening. This was the third time that Silicon Saxony had opened its business year in this former production facility of VEB Kraftverkehr Karl-Marx-Stadt, which was built in 1960. “And from the third time onwards, we speak of a tradition,” as Prof. Dr. Frank Schönefeld, President of Silicon Saxony, noted with a wink in his opening speech.
From research to user industries – Chemnitz offers plenty of potential
“C the unseen”, the motto of the European Capital of Culture, is therefore also the focus of this year’s Silicon Saxony activities. An even stronger alliance with the technology fields of design and equipment, process control, MEMS and laser technology and software development based in Chemnitz is also on the to-do list, as is closer networking with the user industries based here, above all the automotive industry and the strong mechanical and plant engineering sector. The latter offer excellent points of contact not only for Saxony’s microelectronics industry, but also for the SME-dominated supplier industry and the local software sector.
In particular, the even more targeted integration of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) into the association work of Silicon Saxony, as well as even more intensive networking of this backbone of Saxony’s industry and economy, is to be driven forward in 2025. Of course, not only Chemnitz, but the whole of Saxony should benefit from this. “The exchange between small, medium-sized and large companies, research institutions and start-ups creates synergies that drive innovation and enable sustainable growth. Joint projects and regular networking events intensify cooperation and promote a dynamic ecosystem. We need to know the needs of research, industry and business,” explained Prof. Dr. Frank Schönefeld at the networking event.
Silicon Saxony looks with pride at Chemnitz expertise
The fact that the Chemnitz region has been an important innovation location in the semiconductor industry for decades is just as unknown to many as the large number and range of players based here. Companies and institutions such as Fraunhofer ENAS, Chemnitz University of Technology, the electronics specialist EDC Chemnitz, the start-up unicorn Staffbase, the special machine specialist 3D-Micromac and the semiconductor companies Siltronic and Freiberger Compound Materials, based in nearby Freiberg, play a key role in the local microelectronics value chain. The aim of Silicon Saxony is to make this even better known in the future and thus represent the whole of Saxony in the best possible way.
We would like to thank everyone who took part in our annual kick-off event in Chemnitz and wish the European Capital of Culture a brilliant year full of growth, celebrations and ever-increasing awareness. Together we are Silicon Saxony.
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Photo: pixabay
