Germany, high-tech hub: Semiconductors pave the way for better quality of life.

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Ladies and gentlemen,

It’s been only roughly a year since we jointly announced the decision to build a new plant for 300 mm wafers. Now here we are, following a complex planning process, laying the foundation stone for Bosch’s chip factory of the future. With it, we are laying the foundation for improving people’s quality of life, the foundation for more safety on the road – and the foundation for a technology crucial to the internet of things and the mobility of the future.

Semiconductors are a core component of all electrical systems. Semiconductors are also turning data into a coveted raw material of the future – none of the cars made today would be able to drive without them. They enable automated and efficient driving, and provide the best passenger protection – such as when they are called on to deploy airbags. With the areas of application for semiconductors becoming larger and larger, we are expanding our manufacturing capacity. As a location, we have opted for Germany. With this plant, we are entering into 300 mm wafer production for the first time, in a drive to achieve further significant economies of scale and to bolster our competitiveness.

We see Dresden, the capital of Saxony, as a driver of microelectronics in Europe – and thus as the first choice worldwide for our billion-euro investment. I firmly believe high-tech is something Germany does well. By working closely with semiconductor companies, researchers, and universities, we aim to strengthen both our innovative strength and the competitiveness of this high-tech industry – in Germany and throughout Europe.

Ladies and gentlemen, every day in our wafer fab, we will use highly automated manufacturing processes to create the future in the shape of semiconductors. But we will be doing more than that: we’ll also be creating prospects for the future in the shape of highly attractive jobs. Our high-tech factory will employ up to 700 people. We are looking for creative minds – people who can bring their expertise to bear on the construction of this state-of-the-art Bosch wafer fab. We are counting heavily on finding specialists here in the region as well as international specialists and experts.

Our new construction project is also the biggest single investment in Bosch history. We are putting roughly one billion euros into our new location, and are pleased that the German Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy plans to support its construction and commissioning. And in addition to the federal government, the state of Saxony and the city of Dresden have also pledged their support. So at this point, I wish to express my thanks to you, Minister Altmaier, and you, Minister-President Kretschmer. It is also thanks to you and your predecessors that things have moved so fast, and we find ourselves here today, ready to lay the symbolic foundation stone together – for better quality of life, for the semiconductor industry in Dresden, and for the competitiveness of Germany as a high-tech location.