ERFURT_ Innovative manufacturing technology from Europe, based on extreme ultraviolet light (EUV) and enabling even more powerful microchips, plays a decisive role for worldwide digitalisation and megatrends such as Artificial Intelligence and Autonomous Driving. This technology also involves Thuringia. This was a statement at InnoCON 2023, the innovation‑policy flagship event of Thuringia, which took place on Thursday, 29 June 2023, in the Arena Erfurt. Dr. Michael Bolle, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Carl‑Zeiss‑Foundation, explained in his keynote at the conference how Carl Zeiss AG, together with partners, is driving the revolutionary EUV technology forward. Zeiss provides, within the cooperation with its strategic partner ASML, the high‑precision optics that are the “heart“ for the most modern microchip production plants worldwide. “The EUV technology enables microchip manufacturers worldwide to map ever smaller structures and thus produce more efficient microchips. The following comparison illustrates the technological claim: With the optical system, a laser beam redirected from Earth could hit a golf ball on the lunar surface“, Dr. Michael Bolle clarified the innovation leap also thanks to Thuringian inventive spirit. “Such key technologies make a significant contribution to achieving the technological sovereignty of the European economy.“
"Technological Sovereignty“ – this was the guiding theme of this year's InnoCON. This refers to the aim of helping to shape key technologies internationally on an equal footing and, in times of multiple challenges, ensuring security of supply, for example in semiconductors, medicines or special machinery. Almost 200 visitors took part in the "InnoCON 2023“, and the question of how Thuringia's players can achieve more innovation, technological competitiveness and technological sovereignty was intensively discussed – not least against the backdrop of the new EU funding period 2021-2027.
Minister of Economic Affairs Wolfgang Tiefensee also emphasized the importance of technological sovereignty at InnoCON: “The global crises show how important it is to be able to act independently in some vital areas. That is why we are stepping up our efforts in research and technology development. To this end, the Ministry of Economic Affairs has bundled the state's entire innovation funding in the program „Thüringen MOTIVation – move to innovation“ bundled. By 2027, around 850 million euros from EU, state, and federal funds will be available here to support businesses, universities, and research institutions in the development of new products, processes, and services“, said Tiefensee.
The organizer of InnoCON was TMWWDG, with the event organized by LEG Thüringen. “We are on a good path in Thuringia to bring the cause of technological sovereignty to life“, said LEG Managing Director Andreas Krey, who opened InnoCON together with Minister Tiefensee. “With its broad range of tasks, LEG supports our companies and research institutions in this endeavor – ranging from technology and cluster management to full service for complex settlement and expansion projects in the Free State.“ InnoCON is generally an important forum for the further implementation of the Thuringian Innovation Strategy, whose office is located at the Thuringian Cluster Management, a work area of LEG. In addition to the keynote speech by Dr. Michael Bolle, the day was enriched by diverse impulses from the keynote by Christoph Glingener, board member of the Meiningen-based company Adva Opticals/Adtran, who spoke about de-globalization in telecommunications.
In addition to the presentations, the focus of the conference was on the exchange among the innovation drivers present from business, science, politics, and networks. Guests took the opportunity to learn about the latest developments and innovations in the Free State and to advance networking among themselves. The InnoMARKT exhibition provided insights, where 30 actors presented competencies and potentials; traditionally, InnoCON also includes the InnoPITCH, which, with its dynamic format of short presentations on forward-looking projects and initiatives, provides input and ideas.
Background:
In the summer of 2010, the European Council decided to promote smart, sustainable and inclusive growth across Europe with the growth strategy “Europe 2020“. All 271 European regions were asked to develop regional innovation strategies in order to use the increasingly scarce funds from the Structural Funds more efficiently and to develop a distinctive specialisation profile. The respective strategies are a central prerequisite for the individual regions to use EU funds in the areas of research, development and innovation in the current funding period. The Thuringian Innovation Strategy was adopted by the Thuringian Cabinet on 10 June 2014 and subsequently confirmed by the EU Commission. The strategy has been in implementation since the beginning of 2015. The Thuringian ClusterManagement (ThCM), based at LEG, operates on behalf of the Free State of Thuringia, is co-financed with funds from the European Union (ERDF) and is responsible for implementing the innovation strategy. On behalf of the Thuringian Ministry of Economics, Science and Digital Society, it organises InnoCON Thuringia as a high-level event.
Further information at: www.innocon-thueringen.de
