Gerhard Fettweis Discusses the Future of Microelectronics in Germany | Barkhausen Institut

Microelectronics is one of the six key technologies highlighted in Germany's Hightech Agenda. In the latest episode of the Think & Do podcast by the Stifterverband, Prof. Dr. Gerhard Fettweis, Scientific Director and CEO of the Barkhausen Institut, discusses the role of microelectronics in shaping Germany's technological future.

In the podcast, he argues that Germany's industrial policy has historically focused too heavily on traditional mechanical engineering. Today, however, key innovations are increasingly emerging in electronics and software. In his view, this also means that the hardware underlying artificial intelligence deserves far more attention. Otherwise, Germany risks creating new technological dependencies.

For Fettweis, platform chips are a crucial component of technological sovereignty. These chips form the core and central intelligence of modern electronics. "In the future, we need to build these chips ourselves and take our technological future into our own hands," Fettweis says in the podcast.

In this context, he also refers to the chip design infrastructure developed at the Barkhausen Institut, which is now intended to be made available throughout Germany. The institute has applied to become part of the new national Chip Design Competence Center under Germany's Hightech Agenda.

The podcast episode Hightech Agenda & Aufbruch was published on July 28, 2026, and can be accessed on the Stifterverband website (only German).