German chip manufacturer Infineon is entering into a partnership with the Technical University – Sofia, to train doctoral students through its Austrian subsidiary. This initiative is part of the European IPCEI project in microelectronics, which brings together companies and research organizations from different countries with the ultimate goal of strengthening the technological capacity of the industry in the EU.
The next stage in this collaboration is to expand the training opportunities to include master’s students as well. For Bulgarian students, this represents an opportunity to work on scientific projects in one of the world’s largest chip companies. The aim of IPCEI is to develop the capacity of the entire region, as stated by Sabine Herlitschka, CEO of Infineon Austria, during the program presentation at the Technical University.
The IPCEI project offers various opportunities for master’s and doctoral students. They can stay at the university in Bulgaria but also receive a monthly stipend for a period of 3 to 4 years, explained Veneta Ivanova from Infineon Austria. There are also internship programs available for students, with the duration ranging from summer-only to 6 to 12 months, depending on the research topic.
According to Sabine Herlitschka, CEO of Infineon Austria, Bulgaria has strong traditions and know-how in technologies, making it an ideal environment for such investments. She mentioned that Sofia is just an hour and a half away by plane from Vienna, which has also been a significant advantage in choosing the Technical University as a partner in this endeavor. She added that the best innovation ecosystem consists of research organizations, universities, and companies. The closer they collaborate, the faster they can deliver the best possible technologies and products to customers and consumers. Therefore, she emphasized the need to strengthen cooperation not only in Austria but throughout Europe.
Infineon Austria is part of the German company Infineon Technologies, which ranks among the top 20 global chip manufacturers. The group has produced 9.4 billion chips in the past year. The Austrian division had a turnover of 5.2 billion euros and nearly 5,500 employees for the previous year, accounting for approximately 10% of the group’s results.
