FIT 2025

India and Germany took a decisive step toward shaping the future of microelectronics and semiconductor technology at the 7th Fraunhofer Innovation and Technology Platform (FIT), held in New Delhi. Organised by Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft with support from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), the forum brought together leaders from research, industry, and government to strengthen collaboration in semiconductor R&D, advanced packaging, sensor systems, and workforce development.

Opening the forum, Ms. Anandi Iyer, Director of Fraunhofer India, emphasized FIT’s evolution. “FIT is not just a conference—it is a live channel for co-creating solutions, scaling applied research, and forging industrial transformation,” she said.

More than a ceremonial event, FIT 2025 served as a high-content knowledge exchange. Experts addressed challenges in heterogeneous integration, MEMS, CMOS, and power electronics. Prof. Dr. Albert Heuberger, Executive Director of Fraunhofer IIS, remarked, “Microelectronics is not optional. It is foundational,” emphasizing Fraunhofer FMD’s goal to co-develop systems with India for real-world impact.

Translating Research into Roadmaps

A key highlight was the release of a joint knowledge paper by Fraunhofer and EPIC Foundation, outlining a framework for bilateral cooperation in chip design, advanced packaging, power electronics, and skills. Shri Amitesh Kumar Sinha, Additional Secretary at MeitY and CEO, India Semiconductor Mission, stated, “The race for semiconductor leadership will not be won with just incentives—it needs collaborative IP, proven process technologies, and skilled engineers. This forum helps crystallize those pathways.”

Precision and Application-Focused Innovation

Eight focused sessions demonstrated technology applications across sectors. Dr. Andreas Middendorf (Fraunhofer IZM) introduced simulation-driven “virtual homologation” for reliability. Prof. Heuberger showcased multispectral sensors for agriculture and healthcare. Dr. Michael Scholles (Fraunhofer IPMS) presented MEMS innovations. Power electronics insights from Dr. Elke Meissner (Fraunhofer IISB) and skilling strategies from Dr. Patrick Bressler (FMD) underscored next-gen materials and interdisciplinary learning.

Industry perspectives were anchored by Vinay Shenoy, Managing Director, Infineon Technologies India: “You can’t scale intelligence without scaling the silicon that supports it.”

Indo-German Synergy in Action

German Ambassador Dr. Philipp Ackermann highlighted rising interest in India’s electronics value chain: “This is not just about market access. It’s about collaborative excellence.” Suman Bery, Vice Chairperson, NITI Aayog, added, “What unites our two countries is the shared objective of building high-trust, high-performance semiconductor value chains.”

A Platform with Momentum

In the valedictory panel moderated by Ms. Iyer, industry leaders Dr. V Veerappan (Tessolve) and Sanjeev Keskar (IESA) joined Fraunhofer to discuss joint IP development, prototyping, and production. Ms. Iyer concluded, “Fraunhofer believed in India’s tech journey 18 years ago… FIT is the crucible where ideas meet execution.”

Sustaining Collaboration, Scaling Capability

The India–Germany semiconductor partnership reflects mutual strengths—India’s engineering scale and Germany’s R&D depth. FIT 2025 reaffirmed that technological self-reliance comes through trusted, layered partnerships.

As semiconductor ecosystems become more modular, alignment in technology, skills, and standards becomes vital. Platforms like FIT help convert shared ambition into shared capability—accelerating India’s move into fabrication and advanced packaging while leveraging Germany’s proven systems and innovation depth.