June 18, 2025. Fraunhofer ENAS celebrates the opening of the “European Test and Reliability Center” (ETRC). With the support of the European Union (EU), the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) and the Free State of Saxony, the Fraunhofer Institute for Electronic Nano Systems ENAS is turning Chemnitz into the new European center for testing and reliability evaluation of complex semiconductor devices.
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The Fraunhofer Institute for Electronic Nano Systems ENAS in Chemnitz has reached an important milestone with the ceremonial opening of its “European Test and Reliability Center” (ETRC). The new competence center located in Chemnitz bundles strategic competencies for tests and reliability assessments of semiconductor devices and thus strengthens Saxony’s role as a high-tech location in the European semiconductor ecosystem.
The aim of the new center is to establish an industry- and application-oriented infrastructure for new test strategies and reliability routines of semiconductor technologies that meet the increasing requirements of modern microelectronics. To this end, the ETRC is receiving several million euros in EU funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Just Transition Fund (JTF) as well as from the Free State of Saxony. The further expansion of research and development capacities is taking place as part of the pilot line for “Advanced Packaging and Heterogeneous Integration for Electronic Components and Systems” (APECS), for which additional funding is being provided by the EU, BMFTR and the state of Saxony. APECS is a central component of the European Chips Act, coordinated by the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft and implemented by the Research Fab Microelectronics Germany (FMD).
The ETRC sees itself as a strategic platform for the development, testing and validation of innovative test and reliability processes along the entire semiconductor value chain, from chip design to front-end and packaging.
The focus is on new key technologies such as wide-bandgap semiconductors (e.g. silicon carbide and gallium nitride), modular chip architectures (chiplets), microsystems (MEMS) and photonic-electronic co-designs, whose quality, functionality, robustness and durability will be assured in Europe in the future. The ETRC develops customized test strategies and offers an application-oriented environment in which chips, modules and complete systems are tested under realistic conditions.
With AI-supported error analysis, thermal-electrical load simulation and a modern test data infrastructure, the ETRC can support companies and research institutions in achieving the series production capability of new semiconductor products faster, more reliably and more sustainably. Especially in safety-critical applications, such as in the automotive industry, medical technology or the Industrial Internet of Things, the ability to test components for fault tolerance and system behavior at an early stage is a strategic competitive advantage.
The ETRC also acts as a transfer and collaboration platform. It offers OEMs, suppliers, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and research institutions a common space to develop new test standards and bring technologies to market maturity together. For SMEs in particular, low-threshold access to high-end test infrastructure via shared facilities is an important lever for democratizing innovation and thus strengthening European SMEs in the long term.
By specifically building up independent test and reliability expertise at the Chemnitz site, the ETRC is helping to close an important gap in the European semiconductor ecosystem. While the production and design of semiconductors has been increasingly supported by political funding programs in recent years, there has been a lack of neutral, industry-compatible test and verification platforms to accompany developments from the idea to series production. In addition, the majority of semiconductor tests have so far taken place outside Europe, which is associated with long delivery routes and geopolitical uncertainties. The establishment of the ETRC as Europe’s new competence center for testing and reliability creates a modern testing environment in the middle of Saxony that makes semiconductor products more reliable right from the development stage, accelerates innovations and ensures their quality from the outset.
Prof. Dr. Harald Kuhn, Institute Director of Fraunhofer ENAS, sums up the strategic importance of the new center: “With the ETRC, we are sending a strong signal for Europe’s claim to combine technological excellence with tested quality and reliability. It stands for a change in the innovation process towards networked, accelerated thinking in cycles. This is a decisive step towards ensuring quality, sustainability and economic independence in the semiconductor market in the long term. I am convinced that the ETRC will provide decisive impetus for Europe’s technological sovereignty and competitiveness.”
With strong links to Chemnitz University of Technology, the Research Fab Microelectronics Germany (FMD) and the European pilot line for “Advanced Packaging and Heterogeneous Integration for Electronic Components and Systems” (APECS), the ETRC not only stands for technological excellence, but also for a new model of European, location-integrated innovation promotion. It is a place where industrial relevance, scientific expertise and strategic autonomy come together. This strengthens Saxony’s role as a key location for the resilient and innovation-driven semiconductor production of tomorrow.
The particular strength of the Fraunhofer Institute for Electronic Nano Systems ENAS lies in the holistic development of “intelligent systems” for various applications. The institute’s research activities range from the development of novel wafer and packaging technologies to the production of electronic components, micro and nano sensors and actuators, as well as the development of system concepts and system integration technologies, including communication interfaces. Using state-of-the-art and AI-supported test and reliability methods, Fraunhofer ENAS transfers the developed solutions into practical use. The institute accompanies customer projects from the idea through design, technology development or implementation based on existing technologies to the tested prototype.
The European Test and Reliability Center (ETRC) at Fraunhofer ENAS is a unique European competence center for testing and reliability evaluation of future semiconductor innovations. With its state-of-the-art testing infrastructure and in-depth expertise as well as a strong network of industry and academia, the ETRC offers comprehensive solutions for evaluating the quality, functionality and longevity of pioneering microtechnologies. The ETRC’s service portfolio includes the research and development of new test and evaluation methods as well as their optimization for specific applications. In addition, the ETRC offers comprehensive services for the verification of small series as well as practical advice for companies. A specialized training and further education program also enables the targeted qualification of specialists in test procedures and reliability assessments.
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Photo: Fraunhofer ENAS/André Wirsig
