“The microelectronics and ICT location Saxony is growing at a rapid pace. Our figures impressively show that for every position created in the semiconductor factories, five to six new jobs are created in the supplier industry. We therefore anticipate overall growth to more than 100,000 jobs in our industry by 2030 (currently 76,100). It is undisputed that the region needs immigration and, above all, training and further education to achieve this. The Fabmobil is an excellent addition to the school curriculum, because its practical relevance gives children and young people an understanding of the exciting and promising world of microelectronics,” says Frank Bösenberg, Managing Director of Silicon Saxony.
The Fabmobile: A rolling laboratory of the future
The Fabmobile is a mobile art, culture and future laboratory in the form of a double-decker bus equipped with digital technologies and creative spaces. It has been on the road in Saxony’s rural regions since 2017 and aims to introduce young people in these regions to creative technologies such as 3D printing, virtual reality and robotics. This takes place in workshops in which children and young people from the age of 10 learn about these digital technologies in a participatory way. Fabmobil e.V. focuses on teaching media skills and digital education through the use of open source software and accessible hardware. The project supports inclusive and experience-oriented learning and promotes active participation in the digital society. From programming to 3D printing, from robotics to creative technologies, the Fabmobil offers a unique learning experience that conveys important connections to get to know and understand the world of chip manufacturing.
Interactive learning content of the Fabmobil semiconductor tour
In 2024, the Fabmobil will also offer interactive formats for teaching semiconductor knowledge. The content of the workshops has been developed by Fabmobil e. V. and a group of dedicated employees from the chip factories and Silicon Saxony and highlights important steps in the production of a computer chip in practice-oriented courses. Over the next 16 months, the bus will visit schools in Saxony for two to three days at a time, giving young people the opportunity to take part in exciting experiments. A total of three workshops have been designed so far. In the two-day workshop 1, the participants develop a device for measuring plant data. This device is built with various sensors on a circuit board to measure the humidity of the plants. The sensors will help to collect, process and analyze data to make decisions about irrigation, solar radiation and ventilation. The three-day workshop 2 deals with building your own “TV-B-Gone”. This is a small remote control with which the children can switch off all electronic devices. The third offer, also a two-day workshop, deals with the inner workings of smartphones. Here, the children use software to create their own reality, which they can then transfer to their smartphone via an app. They also build a small box, similar to VR goggles, into which they insert their smartphone. With this box, they can view the world they have created and even take it home to show their parents. There will also be keynote speeches by experts from semiconductor companies. This pioneering project brings a new dimension of education directly to the pupils and aims to lay the foundations for a new generation of mechatronics and microelectronics specialists.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Statements from the partners
Focus: Strong STEM career orientation and funding
“I am delighted about the strong project for clear STEM career orientation in Saxony. The Fabmobil demonstrates exciting applications and arouses enthusiasm for AI and robotics. In cooperation with Silicon Saxony, innovative technology can be experienced in our schools, with a focus on rural regions.” Minister of Education Christian Piwarz. The Ministry of Education is funding the use of the rolling classroom in the current 2023/2024 school year with 988,000 euros.
Focus: Bringing end products that require explanation to life
“As a father of four children, I experience first-hand that new formats are needed to bring certain industries and professions closer to children and young people. However, as our products are often at the beginning of supply chains and do not come into direct contact with people as end applications, we are faced with the challenge of communicating this incredible number of development opportunities more effectively. The Fabmobil semiconductor tour is a fantastic opportunity to gain an insight into the world of semiconductors.” Michael Woittennek, CEO, X-FAB Dresden GmbH & Co.KG
Focus: Increasing demand for skilled workers
“A modern society without the chip industry (semiconductors) is no longer conceivable today. In order to meet the increasing demand for skilled workers in our industry, offers such as the Fabmobile are essential. This allows us to give young people an exciting first-hand insight into the diverse technical job profiles in the industry.” Steffi Schneider, Senior Director HR Management, GlobalFoundries
Focus: Securing Dresden as a semiconductor location
“The Fabmobil semiconductor tour is the first project in Europe supported by the four major semiconductor companies in Dresden to focus on the attractiveness of STEM subjects for children and young people at an early stage. In cooperation with the other companies, we at X-FAB are actively taking responsibility for securing the future of Dresden as a semiconductor location.” Henryk Schoder, Vice President Human Resources, X-FAB Group
Focus: practical experience and career orientation
“In the coming years, Infineon will continue to grow at the Dresden site and create around 1,000 new jobs. In order to meet future personnel requirements, we are expanding our training program to around 600 apprentices by 2027. It is therefore important for us to get young people interested in the fascinating world of STEM professions and microelectronics in particular at an early stage. The Fabmobil semiconductor tour is designed to give schoolchildren their first practical impressions and provide inspiration for career orientation. The Saxon semiconductor industry offers excellent development opportunities.” Dr. Silke Gottschlich, Senior Director Human Resources, Infineon Dresden
Focus: Cooperation between the semiconductor fabs
“Our joint project, the Fabmobil semiconductor tour, sparks a fascination for STEM professions right in the school playground. We playfully arouse interest and enthusiasm for microtechnology and make many exciting training and career paths tangible for pupils. For the future of the Silicon Saxony region and the right career choice right from the start, we are all in the same ‘mobile’ together.” Rebecca Anders, Director Human Resources, Bosch Dresden
Focus: Innovative educational formats
“With the Fabmobil, we are bringing innovative educational formats on the topics of digitality, coding and creativity to rural areas in Saxony. In this way, we can create equal living conditions in urban and rural areas and impart basic knowledge that is important in the fields of work of the future.” Prof. Christian Zöllner, CEO Fabmobil e. V.
This project is funded by the Saxon State Ministry of Culture and the Drosos Foundation. It is supported by Silicon Saxony and the semiconductor companies Bosch, GlobalFoundries, Infineon and X-FAB.
About SILICON SAXONY
With 500 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.
– – – – – –
Further links
👉 www.silicon-saxony.de
Photo: Silicon Saxony
