To support so-called semiconductor cities and communities on both sides of the Atlantic, the American Council on Germany, with support from the City of Magdeburg, launched a new initiative in 2024 called the German-American Semiconductor Cities Network. The three-year project will help key stakeholders from German and American cities where semiconductor companies have made or will make significant investments connect with each other to share ideas and experiences and, most importantly, to identify specific strategies, measures, and best practices that can be implemented in their respective communities.
From May 4 to May 10, 25 participants from the German cities of Magdeburg and Dresden and the U.S. cities Chandler (Arizona) and New Albany/Columbus (Ohio) followed up on their U.S. trip to Arizona and Ohio in October 2024 with a visit to Dresden and Magdeburg. The delegation focused on the ecosystem of organizations, government agencies, educational programs and institutions, and companies that contribute to helping a community become a successful hub for the semiconductor industry while balancing the other needs of the city.
On the group’s first day in Dresden, they visited the Dresden Chip Academy, a vocational institute that for 25 years has provided programs in electronics, electrical engineering, mechatronics, IT, microtechnology, automation technology, and robotics as part of Germany’s dual apprenticeship system. At the Nanoelektronik Zentrum Dresden the delegation learned about the technology center funded by the city to support young start-ups and founders in the fields of microelectronics and nanotechnology, as well as the many services and programs of Silicon Saxony, a 600+ member network organization that connects manufacturers, suppliers, service providers, colleges/universities, research institutes, public institutions and industry-relevant start-ups related to microelectronic. One of the network’s many projects includes the Fabmobil, a mobile digital workshop in a double-decker bus that brings bring creative technologies such as 3D printing, virtual reality, robotics, and programming to schools and communities throughout the state of Saxony. Meetings at X-FAB and the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems (IPMS) highlighted the close research and development collaboration on electronic and photonic microsystems between research institutes and industry in Dresden. The day concluded with a tour of Infineon Technologies’ new fab in Dresden, one of Europe’s largest and most advanced semiconductor production and development facilities, employing nearly 3,900 people.
The second day began with a visit to Dresden’s Municipal Sewer Authority where officials from the agency and SachsenEnergie, the energy and water supplier utility, discussed the strategies and projects in the Dresden region to ensure the water infrastructure necessary for the growth of the semiconductor industry. Projects include a new sewer network system that will be dedicated solely to industrial wastewater, as well as a new river water plant that will decouple the industrial water supply from the drinking water supply and conserve the valuable resource of water. In the afternoon the delegation visited Technical University Dresden Institute of Semiconductors and Microsystems where they learned about the institute’s multidisciplinary activities including research, technology transfer, and spin-offs using the example of NamLab and a presentation of ExciteLab – a high-tech accelerator in the semiconductor industry. The visit to Dresden ended with a tour and meetings at the Stadtforum Dresden, the city’s new digital city hall. The group learned about the city’s planning model and sustainable and urban mobility plan, critical to accommodating Dresden’s population density as industry grows in the area.
In the middle of the week the delegation transferred to Magdeburg and stopped on the way at the Bitterfeld-Wolfen Chemical Park, a major industrial development park in eastern Germany to gain an overview of how the region redeveloped after the reunification of Germany in 1990, and how environmental concerns were addressed, specifically related to water management. Upon arrival in Magdeburg, the group toured the “Eulenberg,” an industrial area of over 1,000 acres, which has been designated as the future site of Intel’s new chip fabrication factory in Germany (with Intel’s July 2025 decision to cancel construction, future plans are now in question). Magdeburg’s mayor and other city representatives met with the group for a reception and dinner for informal conversations about the potential impact of Intel’s investment in the city.
The second day in Magdeburg focused on urban transformation, mobility, and sustainable infrastructure – all of which has taken on higher priority with Intel’s investment announcement in the region. Taking a bike tour along the Elbe River, the delegation visited the Ramsburg development district – a former train repair depot – to learn how the industrial heritage of the city can be preserved while rejuvenating the area for urban use through adaptive reuse of existing structures and expanding the community’s housing supply. Throughout the afternoon, the group had meetings with city departments, including the Magdeburg Transport Authority on key projects in the field of mobility and public transport, WOBAU Magdeburg, the city’s housing corporation, on current developments in the urban housing market, and Städtische Werke Magdeburg, the city’s water and energy utility, on its efforts to provide sustainable energy supplies, such as through Europe’s largest waste to energy power plant.
The group’s final day in Magdeburg focused on education and research. At the Stiftungsgymnasium Magdeburg, participants interacted with students who are taught with a focus on foreign languages, science and technology, collaboration, critical thinking, media literacy and self-reflection. The Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg is undertaking numerous projects to advance educational opportunities in microtechnology including ranging from an apprenticeship program with a “training clean room” to a Master’s program Advanced Semiconductor Nanotechnology and Computational Methods, use of a Virtual Technology Lab – a clean room simulator, and participation in Germany’s Skills4Chips initiative. At the Fraunhofer for Factory Operation and Automation (IFF), the group visited the Elbfabrik, which helps companies adapt their operations and automation for Industry 4.0, and they also had the opportunity to experience the Elbedom which employs state-of-the-art VR technologies to visualize large objects, such as machines, complex systems, factories or entire cities.
Following the reciprocal study tours in the U.S. and Germany, the participants will meet in two final virtual roundtable meetings to identify and document the lessons learned over the last year that can be shared with other communities. Additionally, participants will identify concrete projects based on their experiences that they can implement in their communities or as continued transatlantic sharing of information.
The German-American Semiconductors Cities Network is organized and administered by the American Council on Germany and supported by the Transatlantic Program of the Federal Republic of Germany, funded by the European Recovery Program (ERP) of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE).