Leaders in semiconductors from Saxony and Japan
Event languages: Japanese and English No interpretation is provided.
On behalf of the Free State of Saxony
1The Invitation
On the eve of SEMICON Japan, Saxony Trade & Invest invites a small circle of senior leaders from the semiconductor and microelectronics industry, research and public policy to an evening in Tokyo.
Saxony and Japan are adding chip-making capacity at the same time and with the same partner. In Kumamoto, JASM — majority-owned by TSMC, with Sony, Denso and Toyota — opened its first fab in February 2024. In Dresden, ESMC — TSMC together with Bosch, Infineon and NXP — broke ground in August 2024. Japanese makers of equipment and materials are among the main suppliers to fabs of this kind.
The dinner continues a format that began in Tokyo in December 2025. It is deliberately small and held under the Chatham House Rule, so that the conversation can be candid: on supply chains, talent, research partnerships and where Japanese companies can find their base in Europe.
Where do Saxony’s and Japan’s semiconductor ambitions meet?
2Why Saxony
Chips have been made in Saxony for decades. Today the region combines volume manufacturing, a dense base of suppliers and applied research — and it is preparing for the next generation of fabs.
The cluster
Silicon Saxony is Europe’s largest microelectronics cluster. Some 3,650 companies and 82,500 people work in Saxony’s microelectronics and ICT sector, with more than 100,000 employees expected by the end of the decade. Every third chip made in Europe comes from Saxony.
The value chain
Chip design, wafer manufacturing, equipment, materials, software and research institutes work side by side in the region. ESMC’s new 300 mm fab in Dresden is designed for 40,000 wafers a month on 28/22 nm and 16/12 nm processes, with production planned from 2027.
The partner
Saxony Trade & Invest, the economic development agency of the Free State of Saxony, supports companies that are considering Saxony — with location information, site search and introductions to the regional network — and has a representative in Tokyo. A recent example: in September 2026, Murata Machinery and its Dresden partner Insecotec opened a €13 million campus less than two kilometres from the city’s chip fabs.
3Programme
Indicative schedule · Times in JST (UTC+9)
InterContinental Tokyo Bay
Arrival, welcome drink and first conversations.
Words of welcome from the hosts, followed by the toast.
A short presentation by Saxony Trade & Invest.
Dinner with assigned seating to bring Saxon and Japanese guests together.
Speaker to be announced.
Time for conversation after dinner.
Conditions of participation
The running order is indicative and may change. Times after 18:00 will be confirmed with the personal invitation.
InterContinental Tokyo Bay
1-16-2 Kaigan, Minato-kuTokyo 105-8576, JapanOpen in Google Maps (opens Google Maps)4Saxony–Japan Partnership
Saxony and Japan are expanding chip production at the same moment and for similar reasons: resilient supply chains, industrial customers close by, and research that leads to manufacturing.
New fab capacity in Dresden creates demand for equipment, materials and services close to the customer — a field in which Japanese companies are strong.
Universities and institutes in both regions work on materials, processes and packaging. Joint projects shorten the path from the laboratory to the fab.
For Japanese companies, Saxony offers a base inside the European Union, with support from the first enquiry to the opening of a site.
Universities, applied research and vocational training supply the skilled people that chip production depends on.
5Registration
If you have received a personal invitation, please register below. Seats are limited.
Register
Complete the form with your professional details.
Review
Saxony Trade & Invest reviews each registration against the invitation list and the seats available.
Personal confirmation
You will receive a personal confirmation of your place.
