Electrical Engineering & Electronics Industry in Thuringia

Nanolithography, LTCC multilayer technology, silicon technology, quantum sensors and ultrashort pulse laser technologies – these innovations represent a mere cross-sectionof the kind of advanced electrical engineering produced in Thuringia. Global players such as Bosch, Jenoptik and Melexis research tomorrow’s solutions here.

Overview

Thuringia offers excellent opportunities for growth to companies who want to take off with new electrical applications or the most modern electronics. Renowned market and technology leaders have been relying on the Free State for years. Attractive customers, suppliers and research institutes are all in close proximity, especially in the areas of optics, medical tech-nology or the automotive industry. Thanks to its central location, Thuringia is also an ideal base for offering comprehensive on site services.

Facts & Figures

230 companies
Approximate 25,500 employees
EUR 5 billion billion in revenue
Around 14,500 students in engineering sciences programs
Highest rate of graduates in engineering sciences in Germany

Key areas of production and technology

Actuators, drive and nano-positioning Systems
Production technologies
Firmware and software technologies
Information and communications technology
Microelectronics
Optoelectronics
Polytronics
Switching technology and power electronics
Sensors and Instrumentation

Semiconductor industry in Germany

Workforce
Thuringia owes its status as an electrical engineering powerhouse not only to the wide range of degree programs at local universities, but also to its highly trained workforce from mecha-tronic technicians to precision opticians.
University education
Thuringian technical universities carry on the region’s long engineering tradition with considerable success. They are among Germany‘s best educational institutions. All the universities offer world-class training in fields such as:
Electrical engineering, information technology, automation:
- University of Applied Sciences Jena
- University of Applied Sciences Nordhausen
- University of Applied Sciences Schmalkalden
- Ilmenau University of Technology
- Eisenach/Gera University of Cooperative Education
Laser and opto technologies, photonics, optronics:
- Ernst Abbe University of Applied
- Sciences Jena
- Friedrich Schiller University of Jena
- Ilmenau University of Technology
Micro and nanotechnologies, mechatronics:
- Ernst Abbe University of Applied
- Sciences Jena
- Ilmenau University of Technology
Building and energy technology, renewable energy, electrical power and control engineering:
- University of Applied Sciences Erfurt
- University of Applied Sciences Nordhausen
- Ilmenau University of Technology
Space electronics:
- Ernst Abbe University of Applied Sciences Jena
Vocational training and continuing education
In Thuringia, tomorrow’s specialists complete a rigorous course of theoretical and practical training. These and many other programs cover the entire electrical and electronic value chain:
- Electronics technician
  Specializations: Energy and building systems, automation systems, machines and drives, etc.
- IT electronics technician
- Mechatronics technician
- Microtechnologist
- Physics laboratory assistant
- Precision optician/engineer
Training associations raise the quality of education even more. The Jena Training Center, for example – a joint venture of Schott, Carl Zeiss and Jenoptik – produces highly trained specialists for many industry players.
TU Ilmenau offers special continuing education programs such as a major in light application.
Research and Development
Thuringia’s research institutes are world leaders in developing intelligent electrical engineering applications. As new research findings emerge, they are quickly shared with companies through close ties between the local scientific and business communities.
Selected research institutes:
The Ilmenau University of Technology is more than a popular institution of higher learning; it is also a world leader in top-flight electrical and IT research. TU Ilmenau received a TopUni2020 award in the university ranking conducted by Study- Check, a rating portal. The university actively supports transfers of knowledge, technology and personnel to companies. Scientific research is consistently tailored to clients’ needs. A dedicated technology scout and transfer center enables effective project management from initial ideas to marketable products. At InQuoSens, research into quantum optics, quantum computing and industrial sensors is conducted by the Institute of Micro and Nanotechnologies (IMN MacroNano ®) at TU Ilmenau and the Abbe Center of Photonics (ACP) at FSU Jena. This partnership makes it possible to cover the entire scientific process chain.
Growth through cooperation
Thuringia Electronic Measurement and Instrument Engineering (ELMUG) is an industrial cluster that pools the technological capabilities of developers, manufacturers, suppliers and service providers at around 60 companies and 10 research institutions in the measurement and control industry in Thuringia. The cluster is an especially ideal platform for small and medium-sized industry players. It puts them directly in touch with attractive business partners for joint research, procurement or distribution projects. At the same time, members can share experiences in order to effectively map out the risks and opportunities of future ventures, such as entering foreign markets.
ELMUG expert groups:
- Micro-Nano Integration
- EMC and Device Security
- Digitalization
Selected companies
X-FAB Semiconductor Foundries AG
The X-FAB Group is an Erfurt-based multinational semiconductor foundry that produces cus-tomer-specific silicon wafers. Since 1992, the chip-manufacturer has invested a nine-digit sum in new equipment and state-of-the-art infrastructure at its Erfurt location, where it now employs around 800 people. It plans to make more investments in the coming years to build a production facility for micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS).
Jena-Optronic GmbH
The Jena-based sensor manufacturer’s slogan is “From Jena to Mars”. Customers trust the Thuringian aerospace company’s rugged, high-precision position control sensors, rendezvous and docking sensors and optic subsystems for spacebased
applications.
SIOS Meßtechnik GmbH
Established in 1991, SIOS Messtechnik is an innovative developer and manufacturer of high-precision, high-quality laser interferometry instruments. The products it makes at its Ilmenau headquarters include the NMM-1 – the world’s most accurate and powerful nano-positioning and nano-measurement machine.
GÖPEL electronic GmbH
Jena-based GÖPEL electronic is a leading provider of electrical and optical testing and in-spection systems. Founded in 1991, the company currently has over 200 employees in addi-tion to the approx. 300 more specialists in its worldwide distribution and service network. GÖPEL was named one of Germany’s 100 best medium-sized enterprises as part of the TOP JOB Program. Its products have won several coveted awards in recent years.
Other selected companies

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Downloads and information

Downloads

Factsheet Electrical engineering and Electronics
Thuringia has produced a host of sophisticated electrical innovations - from laser large-screen projection and MP3 compression of audio signals to groundbreaking research on improving the efficiency of high-performance LEDs. (Not barrier-free file)
Download[pdf, 445 KB]