New Delhi, August 1: The 7th edition of the Fraunhofer Innovation and Technology Platform (FIT) 2025 reinforced the strategic partnership between India and Germany in the critical sectors of microelectronics and semiconductors.
A key milestone of the day-long event was the launch of a knowledge paper co-authored by Fraunhofer and the EPIC Foundation, outlining a collaborative roadmap for innovation, skilling, and technology development.
Organised by the Fraunhofer Society, Europe’s largest applied research organisation, and supported by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, the conference brought together senior government officials, researchers, top academia, and industry leaders from both countries.
With a focus on themes such as CMOS chip design, sensor systems, MEMS, advanced packaging, system reliability, and human capital development, the event showcased Fraunhofer’s latest applied R&D and its relevance to India’s evolving tech landscape.
Fraunhofer’s high-powered German delegation of over 12 experts across multiple institutes presented scalable innovations and technology partnerships for India. The German keynote was delivered by Prof. Dr. Albert Heuberger, Spokesman of the Fraunhofer Microelectronics Group; Executive Director, Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits (IIS) and Chairman of the Research Fab Microelectronics Germany (FMD) Prof. Heuberger highlighted in his address, "At Fraunhofer FMD, we bridge the gap between academic research and industry application, elevating microelectronics technologies to drive innovation. Our collaboration with India aims to inspire, exchange ideas, and support your ambitious semiconductor mission with our world-class expertise and infrastructure."
He added that “Microelectronics is not optional. It is foundational.”
The knowledge paper released at the event outlines actionable strategies for India and Germany to co-develop semiconductor capabilities, drawing on Fraunhofer’s lab-to-market model and EPIC Foundation’s policy and ecosystem insights. It focuses on key areas including sensors, packaging, MEMS, chip design, power electronics, and skilling.
In her welcome address, Anandi Iyer, Director, Fraunhofer Office India, emphasised, "India stands as a beacon of hope and progress, breaking glass ceilings with audacious missionmode programs. At Fraunhofer, we believed in India's growth story 18 years ago and have since generated over 70 million euros in contract research, with 60% of this coming from medium-sized industries that have adopted innovation.Together with the Indian government and industry, we are building transformative partnerships to drive economic prosperity and inclusivity."
The valedictory session featured addresses by Dr. Philipp Ackermann, Ambassador of Germany to India, and Suman Bery, Vice Chairperson, NITI Aayog, followed by a panel discussion with industry leaders and Fraunhofer experts.
The Fraunhofer Innovation and Technology (FIT) Platform is Fraunhofer’s flagship IndoGerman knowledge exchange forum, launched in 2012. Held biennially, it brings together science, industry, and policy to spotlight applied research and foster meaningful partnerships in technology areas of strategic relevance to both countries.
The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft based in Germany is the world’s leading applied research organization. Prioritizing key future-relevant technologies and commercializing its findings in Business and industry, it plays a major role in the innovation process. A trailblazer and trendsetter in innovative developments and research excellence, it is helping shape our society and our future. Founded in 1949, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft currently operates 76 institutes and research units throughout Germany.
Over 30,800 employees, predominantly scientists and engineers, work with an annual research budget of €3 billion. Fraunhofer generates €2.6 billion of this from contract research. Our global footprint is very strong, with offices and research centres in the USA, Europe, and Asia. Some of our renowned innovations are the MP3 software, white LED's and the smallest of cameras.
The Fraunhofer has been a long-time trusted innovation partner in India, collaborating with some of the major players in the fields of Material Science, Energy, Environment, Automotive,Electro-mobility, Production Technology, Microsystems, and Smart Cities, working with Industry, Government, and Public Sector.
