Germany and Bavaria to invest €300 million in opto-semiconductor innovations at ams Osram

21 Sep 2023

Company predicts 400 new high-tech jobs, developments in UV-C LEDs, NIR emitters for lidar, and microLEDs for novel displays.

ams Osram, a developer of intelligent sensors and emitters, has announced it is to be granted “substantial public funding” by the German federal government and the Free State of Bavaria. The company stated it expects to receive more than €300 million over the next five years.

The funding is intended to drive next-generation optoelectronic semiconductor technologies at ams Osram’s site in Regensburg, Germany. The envisaged IPCEI funding (“Important Project of Common European Interest”) will support the company in making its own investments in the research and development of innovative optoelectronic components there.

In this week’s announcement, ams Osram stated it “is striving to strengthen its development and manufacturing location in Regensburg for future investments”. At an associated event at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, on September 18th, the company presented its project launched within the scope of the IPCEI Microelectronics and Communication Technologies.

With the planned public funding, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action emphasized that this project is of “European significance” – and supports the related investments in cooperation with the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy.

Target developments

The statement detailed, “The €300 million will be mainly invested in activities for the research and development of innovative optoelectronic semiconductors and their manufacturing processes, thus creating 400 new high-tech jobs.”

In addition, ams Osram will invest in new clean room and laboratory facilities for research, development and pilot production – equipped for working on applications such as UV-C LEDs for disinfection, near-infrared emitters for lidar for autonomous driving, as well as on fields of application in the context of Industry 4.0.

Another special focus will be microLEDs for use in an all-new type of display. ams Osram noted that, “Automation and Artificial Intelligence generally play a major role in Regensburg, enabling us to break new ground at our production facilities.” The construction of the first pilot assembly line for 8-inch wafer production is currently underway in order to launch the cost-efficient large-scale production of highly innovative microLEDs in the very near future.

Aldo Kamper, CEO of ams Osram, commented, “By expanding our development activities in the field of optoelectronic semiconductors, we can create room for innovation and accelerate the time to market for our products. At the same time, our investment is a clear commitment to Regensburg as an industrial hub, Bavaria as a high-tech location, and Europe as a hotbed of innovation.”

He added, “High tech light from Regensburg belongs to the city like St. Peter´s Cathedral and the Old Stone Bridge. Here we create new, energy-efficient products and production processes to drive digitalization and thus support the European Green Deal and the autonomy of Europe in the field of semiconductors. In line with our future-oriented ‘Re-Establish the Base’ program, we will continue to build on our market-leading core competency and shape the future of the semiconductor market from this Bavarian city.”

Hubert Aiwanger, Bavarian Minister of Economic Affairs, said, “ams Osram stands for high tech made in Regensburg. As the Bavarian state government, we deliberately participate in the financing of this IPCEI project. This is fully in line with our intention to further expand Bavaria as a top international location for the semiconductor industry. Every euro is well invested and will create new jobs in a highly innovative environment.”