Balancing act: continuity, securing the future and technological innovation
The election of Schönefeld marks an important step in the strategic development of Silicon Saxony. He sees his task as a balancing act between continuity and necessary change. One example of this is the recent discussions on improving public infrastructure in Germany: “A bridge collapse illustrates how important it is to work on our location factors – from stable connections to international accessibility. We also need to become more ambitious again. This applies not only to the performance of public infrastructure, but also to innovative strength and productivity increases in our key industries.
Silicon Saxony provides its own resources to ensure that the region continues to have internationally competitive framework conditions that investors from Asia or North America know and appreciate. A central theme of the High-Tech Network 2025 is therefore active cooperation to drive forward the expansion of infrastructure in the Dresden region. Companies such as Infineon, Bosch, GlobalFoundries and ESMC have established or continuously expanded new production sites here in recent years. By 2027, 30 billion euros will flow into the region to further strengthen Saxony as a location and make a decisive contribution to Europe’s ability to expand its share of global semiconductor production.
Software and hardware: inextricably linked
Schönefeld sees a further focus in terms of content in the fact that the industry will continue to work on understanding hardware and software issues holistically in the future. “We need to build bridges between these worlds,” emphasizes Schönefeld. “The CUDA framework developed by Nvidia is leading the way,” says Schönefeld. “CUDA software uses the computing power of graphics processors for general tasks and enables massive parallel processing. Thousands of GPU cores work simultaneously, which leads to significant speed advantages over CPUs. This example shows that hardware and software are two sides of the same coin,” says Schönefeld.
Dirk Röhrborn draws a positive balance and sets the course for the future
Dirk Röhrborn draws a positive balance of his time in office, which was characterized by rapid changes and the mastering of major challenges. “In the last four years, which began with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, the association’s already existing growth story has accelerated enormously,” says Röhrborn, looking back. Not only was it possible to strengthen the upward trend in membership growth, but also to establish key structures and processes within the association in order to manage growth sustainably. One focus of the work was the further development of the office, which was strategically aligned to the requirements of a rapidly changing market environment. “We have set the course to make the association strong for future challenges and to make the association’s structures fit for growth and the future,” emphasizes Röhrborn. Looking to the future, he sees the central task as managing further growth in a challenging market environment. “There are many announcements, but it is now a matter of concrete implementation – so far, growth has often only been visible in forecasts. We have to ensure that this results in real benefits for the region and keep an eye on SMEs in particular,” summarizes Röhrborn. The entrepreneur will continue to be a member of the Silicon Saxony Executive Committee together with Raik Brettschneider, Managing Director of Infineon Technologies Dresden. Their joint colleague Yvonne Keil, GlobalFoundries Dresden, did not stand for re-election. However, Keil will continue to support the work of Silicon Saxony. Since July 2024, Yvonne Keil has been Senior Director GFES Operations at GLOBALFOUNDRIES in Malaysia and India.
A breath of fresh air on the Executive Board: Heike Wilson focuses on education and diversity
Heike Wilson and René Reichardt were newly elected to the Silicon Saxony Executive Board, meaning that the new board now consists of five people. With Heike Wilson, Managing Director of DUALIS, the high-tech network has gained an experienced and committed voice. “It is a great honor and at the same time a challenge to work in such a renowned industry association as Silicon Saxony. I have great respect for the task, but also immense motivation to continue the work consistently,” says Wilson. Her focus is on supporting the regional economy and strengthening networking in political and social areas. In terms of content, Wilson focuses on attracting skilled workers and promoting STEM education. She is particularly keen to promote and raise the profile of women in technical professions. “Digital education and the promotion of talented women are particularly important to me. There is still great potential in our region and at our member companies,” she emphasizes. With projects such as “MINT to Be”, Silicon Saxony wants to get young women interested in MINT professions. Just as important to her, however, is the expansion of digital education opportunities in Saxony, including the introduction of an extracurricular programming program with the Calliope mini-computer at Saxon elementary school. “If we want to continue to develop successfully as the software state of Saxony, it is important for the software companies based here to be able to recruit well-trained IT specialists locally,” she says, explaining her commitment to education, with which she wants to inspire the next generation and especially young women for technology and science and act as a role model. “Empowerment and visibility are crucial to inspiring the next generation and attracting them to technical professions.” With Heike Wilson, Silicon Saxony is relying on a leader who focuses on education, diversity and the empowerment of women in the technology industry. These impulses are intended to further advance the innovative strength and competitiveness of the region.
Sustainability and regional strength: René Reichardt drives Silicon Saxony forward
René Reichardt is also already involved in Silicon Saxony. The Managing Director and owner of DAS Environmental Expert GmbH is an experienced and committed representative of the internationally successful medium-sized supplier sector for the semiconductor industry. Reichardt not only brings his deep regional ties with him, but also has a clear focus on sustainability and the further development of the location. “As Managing Director of a medium-sized company with strong regional roots, I see this as a unique opportunity to actively promote the development of Saxony as a business location. This has long-term positive effects for the entire industry and also strengthens us,” explains Reichardt. His motivation is to further promote and sustainably strengthen Saxony as a business location. Promoting ESG and sustainability initiatives will be a key aspect of his work on the Executive Board. “I would like to use our expertise in environmental technology and our commitment to ESG requirements to position Silicon Saxony even more strongly in this important area,” he emphasizes. Reichardt also sees great potential in the strategic orientation of the high-tech network as part of the expansion of the semiconductor industry: “The establishment and expansion of semiconductor factories in Silicon Saxony offers enormous opportunities. With our many years of experience, including international experience, in working with these companies, I can contribute valuable perspectives from a medium-sized mechanical engineering company and actively represent the interests of our industry.” Reichardt is looking forward to using his expertise and network to promote the success and sustainable further development of Silicon Saxony e. V.
In addition to the content-related tasks that Silicon Saxony will be devoting itself to in the coming year, there is also a reason to celebrate. December 2025 marks the 25th anniversary of the founding of the industry association Silicon Saxony e. V. The high-tech network has been successfully promoting the industry for a quarter of a century and has developed into one of the largest technology associations in Europe. On the occasion of its anniversary, the association not only looks back proudly on its achievements, but is also planning new initiatives to further strengthen the business location and prepare it for the challenges of the future. One highlight of the anniversary year will be events that focus on innovation and cooperation – in line with the vision that has driven Silicon Saxony for 25 years.
About Silicon Saxony
With over 550 members, Silicon Saxony is Saxony’s largest high-tech network and one of the largest microelectronics and IT clusters in Germany and Europe. As a self-financed association, Silicon Saxony has been connecting manufacturers, suppliers, service providers, colleges/universities, research institutes, public institutions and industry-relevant start-ups in Saxony and beyond since its foundation in 2000. The overarching goals of the network’s work include expanding and strengthening Europe’s leading microelectronics location and driving forward the parallel development of Saxony as a software state.
Photo: Silicon Saxony
