Strengthening the Innovation Ecosystem in the Rhineland

Last week, we had the pleasure of hosting the second Forschungsdialog Rheinland at AMO GmbH. We welcomed Ina Brandes, North Rhine‑Westphalia’s Minister for Culture and Science, representatives of several Chambers of Industry and Commerce, including IHK Aachen, as well as delegations from universities across the state, among them RWTH Aachen University.

The event brought together key stakeholders from politics, industry and science to discuss how strong regional networks can accelerate innovation and technology transfer.

Representing AMO and the Chair of Electronic Devices (ELD) at RWTH Aachen University, Prof. Max Lemme, Thorsten Wahlbrink and Julia Floehr participated in the discussions. They presented current work at the intersection of semiconductor technology, advanced materials and neuromorphic hardware, including contributions to the NeuroSys Cluster of Excellence.

We were particularly pleased to see Daniel Schall, co‑founder of Black Semiconductor and part of an AMO spin‑off, recognized as a regional success story. The company’s development demonstrates how deep‑tech innovation emerging from collaborative ecosystems can gain international visibility and impact.

Our sincere thanks go to Minister Brandes, the IHK teams and all participants for the open exchange and the shared commitment to strengthening the Rhineland as a hub for cutting‑edge research and innovation.

We look forward to continuing this dialogue and working together to shape Europe’s technological future.