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Cool Silicon

In the long term, Cool Silicon aims to make communications more climate-friendly and to become one of the world's leading locations for energy efficiency in electronics.

Climate-friendly communications

Energy-efficient information technologies through micro and nano technology

The use of information and communications technology (ICT) already accounts for some eight percent of globally generated electrical power, thereby causing around two percent of worldwide CO2 emissions. ICT energy requirements are expected to triple by the year 2020.

However, electronic systems can be made more efficient by using energy-saving micro and nano technology - while increasing performance at the same time. The Cool Silicon cluster in the region around Dresden develops components and complex system solutions which significantly reduce the energy consumption of ICT systems. In order to achieve this goal, energy-efficient semiconductors for computer systems and broadband wireless systems as well as wireless and energy self-sufficient sensor networks are developed at Europe's leading semiconductor location. The technological innovations created here act as pioneers for other application areas such as medical technology and the automotive sector.

The Leading-Edge Cluster comprises more than 60 companies and research facilities, including the Technical Universities of Dresden and Chemnitz, as well as the companies Globalfoundries, Infineon and X-FAB. In the long term, the cluster aims to make communications more climate-friendly and to become one of the world's leading locations for energy efficiency in electronics.