Ansgar Hinz, VDE CEO
| Sarah Kastner /VDEIn 2013, the EU Commission announced its intention to increase Europe’s share of global microchip production to 20 percent by 2030. Twelve and a half years later, however, the interim assessment is sobering – the share has not risen at all; in fact, it has fallen to seven percent. A fiasco!
That’s why our new position paper “Hidden Electronics IV” is also a wake-up call; something has to change! In addition to ambitious goals, we also need a plan on how to achieve them. We need a roadmap. We need monitoring so that we can take countermeasures if we veer off course. We need criteria – KPIs – to measure ourselves against. And of course we also need the necessary investment. We are delighted to note that the German government has now announced all of this, and a kick-off for the high-tech agenda with all relevant stakeholders is planned for this fall. VDE is looking forward to this collaboration. Let’s work on this together!
That’s why the new issue of our technology magazine is coming at just the right time. In it, we not only provide an overview of the state of microelectronics in Germany, but also outline some ideas to solve the challenges. The issue of skills shortages is particularly close to my heart. After all, we all know that there can be no chips “Made in Europe” without expert minds and skilled hands.
I hope you enjoy reading our magazine and find it both stimulating and encouraging. Because there is one thing we certainly cannot afford to do, and that is bury our heads in the sand.
Yours,
Ansgar Hinz, VDE CEO
