SEMICON Europa 2026: International Semiconductor Industry Suppliers Strengthen Saxony as a Business Location

Investments by global players in Saxony’s semiconductor industry are having an increasingly significant impact beyond chip manufacturing. International manufacturers of materials, equipment, and technologies, as well as specialized service providers, are establishing and expanding their presence in the German Federal State of Saxony. This is not only increasing manufacturing capacity at the site but also strengthening the industrial ecosystem along the entire semiconductor value chain. 

“We are pleased that the projected growth of the ‘Silicon Saxony’ semiconductor cluster is increasingly translating into actual business locations and investment decisions. Companies are particularly impressed by the location’s unique ecosystem, its proximity to European customers, and the potential of the European market. The establishment of a branch by the U.S.-based specialty materials supplier Shin-Etsu MicroSi—which was announced at the trade show—as well as that of the internationally active automation specialist MFSG, headquartered in Singapore, exemplify this momentum. Both new locations specifically strengthen the cluster’s technological depth and also reflect the increasing international integration of the semiconductor value chain. Particularly in light of the growing manufacturing capacities in Saxony, the presence of high-performance material suppliers is increasingly becoming a key location factor. Short distances to semiconductor manufacturers and technology partners facilitate technical coordination, on-site customer support, and joint development efforts. It is also encouraging that the agreed-upon collaboration with Arizona can already be substantiated with a concrete project,” said Thomas Horn, Managing Director of Wirtschaftsförderung Sachsen GmbH (WFS).

Fruitful Collaboration Between Saxony and Arizona

At SEMICON West, the leading U.S. industry trade show held in San Francisco in mid-October, WFS and the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) agreed to establish closer ties between companies and institutions from both semiconductor regions and to further expand their collaboration. WFS has supported Shin-Etsu MicroSi from Phoenix, Arizona, from the very beginning, assisting with the search for a location and serving as a point of contact for practical start-up matters.

Saxony offers attractive prospects for specialists

“The new German subsidiary represents an important milestone in Shin-Etsu MicroSi’s international growth strategy. With our presence in Germany, we are bringing our technological expertise and global capabilities closer to our European customers and creating a local platform for on-site support. At the same time, we are laying the foundation for further business development in the European market and plan, in the long term, to expand our activities beyond Germany and strengthen our presence in key semiconductor markets throughout Europe. With its strong industrial base, a highly developed semiconductor ecosystem, and its central location in Europe, the German semiconductor cluster ‘Silicon Saxony’ offers an ideal platform for the company’s continued growth. “With the wide range of investments in modern local semiconductor manufacturing, there are attractive prospects for suppliers of specialized materials, such as Shin-Etsu MicroSi,” explained Randy Isaacson, President of Shin-Etsu MicroSi, Inc.