The bad news from the chip industry doesn’t stop there. The industry is still not able to deliver as much as customers order for a long time. This has increasingly dramatic consequences. Opel, for example, will close its plant in Eisenach by the end of the year because the electronic components are missing. The production lines at Ford in Cologne and Saarlouis are also currently at a standstill.
Politicians are rightly alarmed. Governments around the world have therefore announced that they will support the chip companies with billions in subsidies. US President Joe Biden is raising more than $ 50 billion to help America become more self-sufficient. Japan and South Korea are following suit. China has invested enormous sums in industry for years.
Even in Brussels, semiconductors are right at the top of the agenda, although it is still unclear how much money will actually flow. One of the ambitious goals: By 2030, the EU wants to double Europe’s share of global chip production to 20 percent.
The new plants are needed, because in view of the digitization surge triggered by the pandemic, demand will tend to increase. However, it is not enough just to build up new capacities. It is no less important to ensure that sufficient employees are available in good time. Because attracting young people is already one of the biggest problems for many chip companies. The global battle for chips is not only decided in the clean rooms, but also in schools and universities.
Top jobs of the day
Find the best jobs now and
be notified by email.
Time is running out. Building a plant is done in two to three years. In view of the acute delivery difficulties, that may seem like a long time. Training semiconductor specialists, however, takes at least twice as long.
Infineon is setting up a new course
The example of Infineon shows how critical the situation is. Europe’s largest semiconductor manufacturer has just opened its most modern plant in the world in Villach, Austria. The Dax group is taking 1.6 billion euros in hand for this. The factory is highly automated. Nevertheless, the company is desperately looking for 200 employees.
This is the case with many chip companies in Europe. The order books are full, but there is a lack of qualified staff. One solution could be even closer cooperation between industry and universities.
Infineon is currently following this path in Villach. The Munich-based company is providing personnel and financial support for a new course that focuses on power semiconductors. Infineon is the world market leader in this field, but it is also one of the great strengths of the European chip industry as a whole. Graduates should have the best opportunities for advancement at Infineon, but also in many other places in Europe.
Of course, the high-tech companies are already working with many universities. But the number of graduates is still insufficient. This is also due to the fact that too few young people decide to study technology after graduating from school. Women in particular avoid these courses.
Even in high schools, teachers should be clear about one thing: Europe can only keep up with the rest of the world in one of the most important high-tech sectors if young people are enthusiastic about science and technology.
The greatest added value lies in the chip design
The shortage of chip experts is also so serious because the greatest added value does not take place in the clean rooms, where many employees do not need a university degree. The most important work happens in front of the computer: in semiconductor development and in the applications for the components.
It is therefore even more important than building new plants in Europe to train the right personnel for chip design. US companies such as Nvidia and Qualcomm recognized this early on and did without their own factories from the start. With this so-called “fabless” concept, they are among the fastest growing and most valuable IT companies in the world.
But new and larger courses are not enough. Europe needs to expand existing research institutions and build new ones. The Fraunhofer Society, IMEC in Belgium and the French CEA-Leti enjoy an excellent reputation worldwide. It cannot stay that way. Every EU country should have the right to be at the forefront of chip research.
Only those who understand the complex technology can avoid dependencies. The example of China shows how important this is: Despite enormous financial resources, the huge country still lacks the know-how to develop most types of chips itself – and also for the necessary machines. The US sanctions therefore hit Chinese corporations like Huawei in the marrow. Europe should be a lesson: it doesn’t work without its own chip know-how.
More: $ 210 billion less in sales: a shortage of chips is slowing down the auto industry