From retrofit to cybersecurity: Kontron AIS at SEMICON Europa 2024

SEMICON Europa was once again the central meeting place in 2024 for the European semiconductor industry, and from November 12 to 15, Munich was transformed into the vibrant heart of the industry with two packed exhibition halls full of innovative solutions and inspiring presentations. The event was also a special highlight of the year for our team. Our products and presentations not only attracted visitors' attention, but we also had the chance to actively discuss the challenges and opportunities of semiconductor manufacturing. And the best part: Our colleague Steve Kalkbrenner received the 20under30 Award for his outstanding achievements!

An event with vision: Highlights of SEMICON Europa

As always, SEMICON Europa, which was held in parallel to Electronica, focused on the exchange of ideas and experience. At the TechArena, in the Executive Forum, and in the Fab Management Forum, this year there were three topics that stood out in particular: shortage of skilled workers, cybersecurity and sustainability.

The focus was on current challenges such as the increasing shortage of skilled workers, which, according to forecasts, will result in a gap of 350,000 qualified workers in Europe by 2030. Solutions to promote talent and the importance of diversity and education were the subject of intense discussions. 

Another important issue was cybersecurity. With ever more complex supply chains and the increasing importance of sensitive data, the industry is under enormous pressure to develop effective security mechanisms. This is where the new SEMI standard E191 came in, which enables standardized communication of security-relevant status information and, as a result, represents a decisive step towards greater security in manufacturing environments. Sustainability also played an important part, with talks and presentations at SEMICON Europa also focusing on more environmentally friendly manufacturing methods and initiatives that promote a sustainable corporate culture.

Our input at SEMICON Europa 2024: Fab Management Forum, Products and Innovation

Our product manager Natalie Schulze delighted the audience at the Fab Management Forum with her presentation “Making the Fab Fit for the Future: Retrofit for Modern Technology, Security, and Maintenance Capability.” It showed how our retrofit solutions modernize production equipment and make them future-proof. Even machines that have been used for many years can be upgraded using application-specific adaptations so that modern technologies such as SECS/GEM, GEM300 or EDA can easily be integrated. The advantages are noticeable: lower costs, higher process reliability and significantly increased efficiency. For manufacturers in semiconductor and electronics manufacturing in particular, these solutions open up new opportunities to make existing systems efficient again by implementing hardware upgrades and modern control systems. 

At our trade fair stand, we presented our software solutions for smart factory automation. The main features were:

• ToolCommander^®: The flexible software framework for controlling and visualizing production systems. Thanks to its modular design, it easily adapts to industry-specific requirements.
• FabLink^®: The ideal solution for quick machine integration in compliance with the SEMI standard.
• FabEagle^®LC: A scalable line controller that connects production lines in the backend and enables a GEM300 link.
• FabEagle^®Monitoring: Perfect for back-end shop floor management and electronics manufacturing, with custom dashboards for greater transparency and efficiency.

A highlight: The award for Steve Kalkbrenner

A special moment for us was our colleague Steve Kalkbrenner winning the 20under30 Award. This prize is awarded by SEMI to the best young talents in the semiconductor industry who stand out with their innovative spirit and commitment. 

Steve received the award for his groundbreaking work on our data framework. His development work makes it possible to translate data from Interface-A devices into the SEMI standard E142, which significantly improves process monitoring. The result is early detection of production errors and optimized decision-making for our customers.

“For me, this is a great honor and confirmation that all the work was worthwhile. Thanks to everyone who supported me!”

The atmosphere at the trade fair was one of cautious optimism

The talks at SEMICON Europa 2024 revealed a mixed picture of the current situation. Although the long-term outlook for the semiconductor industry remains positive, geopolitical uncertainties and subdued demand are causing restraint. Frank Geissler, our Director Sales, summed up the mood aptly:
“The atmosphere wasn't euphoric, but it wasn't negative either. The industry continues to grow, even though we are currently seeing a small dent in demand in Europe in particular. We expect the market to recover in one to two years.”

Despite the subdued market situation, the response to our solutions was certainly positive. The topics of connectivity and factory automation in particular attracted a lot of attention. More and more companies are using our technologies to digitalize their production processes and make them more efficient.

Dive into a 2-minute industry meeting at SEMICON Europa 2024.

Our takeaway: It was a resounding success

SEMICON Europa 2024 was a great success for us at Kontron AIS GmbH. With our products, presentations and talks, we were able to demonstrate that we offer the right answers to the challenges of the semiconductor industry. At the same time, the trade fair has inspired us to move forward with our developments and to engage with customers and partners even more intensively.

We are already looking forward to SEMICON Europa 2025 and are excited to see what topics and innovations are in store for us there. The future of the semiconductor industry remains exciting, and we are proud to be actively shaping it.