A great success and a major opportunity for the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences (HSZG). From September 27 to October 5, 2025, a delegation from the university was part of the Saxon delegation led by Saxony’s Minister President Michael Kretschmer on a trip to Taiwan, Japan, and Singapore. The goal of the trip was to highlight Saxony’s strengths in research, business, and culture and to establish new partnerships.

In the 2010s, the headlines were very catchy. In 2012, the U.S. administration under President Barack Obama proposed a “Pivot to Asia” , while international trade journals such as “The Economist” and “Foreign Affairs” published articles on Asia’s rise (“The 21st Century Will Be an Asian One”) and the decline of the West (“The West in Decline”).

What will the situation in Asia look like in 2025? Which markets are booming, and what are the key technologies of the future? What opportunities are available for the Free State of Saxony—its science, economy, and culture—in cooperation with Asian partners?! An economic and scientific conference in Taipei, Taiwan, a visit to the German Pavilion at Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, a visit to the German Economic Office and the National University of Singapore—one of Asia’s and the world’s leading universities—as well as a meeting with business representatives in Singapore provided answers—for the HSZG and the Free State of Saxony.

First stop on the trip: Taiwan – “Sustainability Perspectives in the Semiconductor Industry” scientific conference

With a market share of about 70% of the global semiconductor market, Taiwan is a key player in the high-tech industry. Customers such as Apple, Microsoft, AMD, and NVIDIA rely on products from TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company), the world’s leading semiconductor manufacturer headquartered in Hsinchu, Taiwan. Semiconductors are used in computer and communications technologies, solar and automotive engineering, and industrial applications, and are indispensable for digitalization, mobility, and innovation. The high-tech companies based in Dresden—including, for example, Infineon Technologies AG, Global Foundries (GF), and TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd.)—also rely on good-trained specialists to ensure their long-term innovative strength and competitiveness.

Against this backdrop, the Saxon delegation’s trip began with the science conference “Sustainability Perspectives in the Semiconductor Industry” on September 30 in Taipei, Taiwan. There, international experts discussed market trends, technological developments, and sustainable collaborations between the business and academic communities of Saxony and Taiwan.

Prof. Dr. Sophia Keil, Vice President for Research, Transfer, and International Affairs at HSZG, served as a speaker on the panel “Sustainable Talent Development” . She provided important insights into the sustainable development of talent and emphasized the central role of universities of applied sciences in training qualified professionals. The conference thus offered not only insights into the future of the semiconductor industry but also concrete approaches for close international cooperation—both in the field of research and in the development of high-tech talent for Saxony.

However, in recent years, the HSZG has established itself as an active partner to the semiconductor industry in research and the training of skilled professionals. For example, in collaboration with the Görlitz district, it has launched international exchange programs such as Taiwan Day 2024 and the International Economic Conference 2025. As part of its high-tech strategy, the university is currently developing two new, practice-oriented bachelor’s degree programs: “Semiconductor Processes and Materials Chemistry” and “Mechatronics for Manufacturing.” The programs will begin in the fall of 2026.

Station 2: Japan - visit to the German Pavilion at Expo 2025 and networking evening to exchange ideas with Japanese companies

"Designing Future Society for Our Lives" is the motto of the Expo 2025 world exhibition in Osaka, Japan, from April 13 to October 13, 2025. 158 countries are taking part in the Expo, including Germany with its own pavilion. After being welcomed by the German Ambassador to Japan, Petra Sigmund, the participants of the Saxon delegation visited the German Pavilion on the Expo 2025 exhibition grounds and met with companies and institutions from Saxony and Japan.

"The visit to Japan provided an excellent opportunity to get to know various companies and institutions and to establish new international contacts with scientific institutions," says Inna Hauf, Coordinator for International Affairs at the HSZG. "Many discussions will be continued in Germany in the coming weeks in order to ensure sustainable cooperation and the development of talent in the long term," says Inna Hauf. Concrete steps are already planned with Tekscend Photomask, the world's leading supplier of photomasks for semiconductors and silicon stencil masks.

Station 3: Singapore - A visit to the Office of German Industry, the National University of Singapore and the Fraunhofer Institute for Electronic Nano Systems ENAS

With an area of 728.6 square kilometers, Singapore is the smallest national territory in Southeast Asia, but the city-state has developed into a center of the Asian and international business and financial world in recent decades. The Singaporean-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce is one of the largest German chambers of commerce abroad worldwide and acts as a central point of contact for German companies and institutions in Singapore. The Business Promotion Agency of the Federal Republic of Germany is also present in Singapore. Together with the German-Singaporean Chamber of Industry and Commerce, it operates the "GTAI Hub" to support German companies in their expansion into the Asian market - which is also of benefit to the HSZG.

Away from the economic talks, representatives of the HSZG met with the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) in Singapore. On the agenda: discussion of future cooperation opportunities in the areas of student exchange, joint-degree programs, faculty mobility and summer schools - an important step towards more academic exchange between Germany, the Free State of Saxony and Southeast Asia.

“Discussions with the DAAD Singapore regarding student exchanges and with the National University of Singapore (NUS) regarding joint research projects demonstrate how international collaborations enrich education and research. Such partnerships promote the exchange of students and researchers and enable practice-oriented research and innovation in close collaboration with international partners,” says HSZG Vice President Prof. Dr. Sophia Keil.

Free State of Saxony: Building Bridges Between Europe and Asia

In September/October 2025, the University of Zittau/Görlitz sent a delegation of three representatives to Asia: Prof. Dr. Sophia Keil, Vice President for Research, Transfer, and International Affairs; Prof. Dr.-Ing. Klaus ten Hagen, Dean of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; and Inna Hauf, Coordinator for International Affairs. In Taiwan and Japan, Saxony’s Minister President Michael Kretschmer was accompanied by a delegation of over 50 people, including representatives from politics, business, academia, and culture.

The delegation’s trip to Taiwan, Japan, and Singapore was a great success for Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences and a significant step in its international positioning. Through the newly established and strengthened contacts with leading companies in the semiconductor industry—including Infineon Technologies AG, Tekscend Photomask, GlobalFoundries (GF), and TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd.) —valuable opportunities are opening up for future collaborations in research, teaching, and workforce development. Discussions with the Fraunhofer network—specifically the Fraunhofer Institute for Electronic Nanosystems (ENAS), led by Prof. Dr. Harald Kuhn—regarding joint research projects and scientific collaboration also underscore the growing potential of HSZG as a partner for innovative and practice-oriented research. In the fall of 2025, the discussions that have begun will continue—with the goal of further expanding international partnerships and establishing the university as an active contributor to the global scientific and technological dialogue.

Like the HSZG, Minister President Michael Kretschmer draws a positive conclusion: “The trip underscores Saxony’s aspiration to be a bridge-builder between Europe and Asia,” said Saxony’s Minister President.

Text: Prof. Sophia Keil, Frank Leberecht, Inna Hauf