News

Dresden/Graz/Brussels, 25.05.2018

In the framework of the bi-annual Silicon Europe Cluster Forum which took place in Graz on May 24th/25th, the 12 clusters of the Alliance updated the current action plan by which the strategy of the Alliance is successfully implemented since its foundation in 2015.

In the light of extremely good news by core members such as the announced opening of a new semiconductor fab by Bosch in Dresden/Silicon Saxony or the major investment of Infineon in Villach/Silicon Alps, the Alliance mainly discussed on how to further support the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) of the respective clusters.

The expansion of activities to the international level, whether in R&D collaboration or in exploration of also non-European markets, was and is a huge success factor for the sustainable growth of the SMEs in our clusters, Frank Bösenberg, the current chairman of the Alliance, points out. That’s why this is one of our key fields with regard to respective services, such as a Silicon Europe booth at SEMICON Taiwan or the continuation of connecting companies in the framework of European R&D projects, Bösenberg explains.

Günther Lackner, CEO of Silicon Alps and vice-chairman, adds: The recent investments by global players clearly show the value of clusters with regard to regional economic development, offering the perfect framework conditions not only for growth, but also for major challenges such as digital transformation. By connecting our members, e.g. during dedicated business missions to our cluster partners, we will continue to strengthen also Europe’s position in the global challenge.

George Falessi, CEO of Pole SCS and also vice-chairman, reinforces this aspect by pointing out the importance of an increased inner-European collaboration with regard to innovation and leveraging the potential of SME including start-ups, referring to the extremely successful case of the Thales Open Innovation Day which was held last October in Lyon. Also the recently started IoT4Industry project is a great example for precise added values by such collaborations.
The partners of the Alliance will meet for the next Silicon Europe Alliance Cluster Forum this November in Bilbao hosted by the Spanish cluster GAIA.

About the Silicon Europe Alliance

Silicon Europe is the brand under which the leading clusters for advanced electronics and software technologies in Europe collaborate to represent, support and promote companies and organisations belonging to their ecosystem both on European and global level. Launched in October 2015, the Silicon Europe Alliance today unites 12 European clusters with about 2,500 cluster partners from science and industry, among them global players like ARM, ASML, Atos, Bosch, Cisco, Epcos, Gemalto, Globalfoundries, HPE, Infineon, Intel, Nexperia, NXP Semiconductors, Orange, Philips, SAP, Schneider Electric, STMicroelectronics, T-Systems and Thales.

Silicon Europe Alliance partners:

BCS NL, Distretto Green and High Tech Monza Brianza, DSP Valley, GAIA, High Tech NL, MIDAS, Minalogic, Mesap, NMI, Pole SCS, Silicon Alps & Silicon Saxony. Associated members: Grenoble Alps Metropole, Oost NL

Twitter : @Silicon_Europe