Mayor Sven Schulze is travelling to Asia from 29 September to 5 October. He is representing Saxony's municipalities in a high-ranking delegation from the worlds of politics, science and business that is accompanying Saxony's Minister President Michael Kretschmer on his trip to Taiwan, Japan and Singapore. The aim is to intensify contacts with partners in Asia, expand networks and, in particular, open up new opportunities for cooperation in the fields of business and research.
The first stop on the trip is Taiwan in order to introduce the interests of the City of Chemnitz to the growing network between Saxony and Taiwan and to explore opportunities for joint projects.
The city of Chemnitz can capitalise on its specific strengths: With the European Test and Reliability Centre (ETRC) of the Fraunhofer ENAS, Chemnitz has a facility for the qualification and reliability of semiconductor technologies that is unique in Europe. Research facilities such as these pave the way for future industrial value creation, as they create the foundation on which companies can develop new products and markets.
Lord Mayor Sven Schulze: "It is crucial for Chemnitz to get involved at an early stage and actively shape international partnerships. As a strong industrial and research location with expertise in mechanical engineering, automation and semiconductor peripherals, Chemnitz wants to be part of the growing cooperation between Saxony and Taiwan right from the start. The dynamic development opens up great opportunities - from the recruitment of skilled labour and technology transfer to investments that can strengthen Chemnitz as a business location in the long term and make it more visible internationally."
In Taiwan, Lord Mayor Sven Schulze will meet with Dr Eva Langerbeck, Chief Representative & Executive Director of the Taiwan Chamber of Commerce Abroad (AHK).
In Japan, a meeting is planned with Jiro Kogi, Deputy Secretary General of EU-Japan Fest, at the Saxon Evening Reception in the German Pavilion at Expo 2025. There, Lord Mayor Sven Schulze will hand over an invitation to the opening of the "Theatres of the World" to Makoto Takashima, Chairman of the Operating Committee of EU-Japan Fest. The EU-Japan Fest sees itself as a platform that promotes artistic exchange and sustainable cooperation between Japanese institutions and European Capitals of Culture.
The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft has been active in Singapore for over 25 years and has established close partnerships with Nanyang Technological University, the National University of Singapore and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research A*STAR. Fraunhofer ENAS is now assuming the role of strategic core partner, thus emphasising its growing international profile. This makes it possible to link the expertise in Chemnitz and Saxony even more closely with world-leading institutions in Asia.
Prof. Dr Harald Kuhn, Director of Fraunhofer ENAS: "The signing of a cooperation agreement with the A*STAR Institute of Microelectronics (IME) in Singapore as part of the delegation trip marks an important milestone for research into pioneering microelectronics. Together with the IME, we want to develop new technologies that are indispensable for electromobility, innovative sensor applications and fields of application such as smart health. This strategic cooperation includes material and process innovations, the development of new AI-supported methods, the testing of prototypes and the establishment of an international talent platform."
For Chemnitz and Saxony as a semiconductor centre, this opens up access to one of the most dynamic innovation areas in Asia and promotes international competitiveness. This will benefit research, industry and the development of skilled labour in the Free State as well as the entire innovation ecosystem in Germany.
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