Infineon hands over a new cleanroom experiment to the DLR_School_Lab at the HSZG. This enables the university to provide practical insights into microchip production.
On May 11, 2026, a new cleanroom experiment from Infineon Technologies AG was ceremoniously handed over at the DLR_School_Lab at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences (HSZG). Representatives from politics, science, schools and industry thus sent out a joint signal: young people should be inspired at an early age for high-tech professions and won over for the key technologies of tomorrow.
The DLR_School_Lab of the HSZG is part of the strategic educational initiative "Zukunftslernort Oberlausitz" (ZukLOS). As an extracurricular place of learning, it enables pupils not only to understand scientific and technical content in theory, but also to explore it themselves and actively participate in shaping it.
"The university sees itself as a link between school, science and industry," emphasized Rector Prof. Dr.-Ing. "Practical courses and hands-on experimentation make technical topics tangible. Our task is to get young people excited about the technologies of tomorrow."
Minister of State Conrad Clemens emphasized Saxony's focus on STEM education.
Saxony places more emphasis on STEM education than almost any other federal state - both in the classroom and at extracurricular learning venues such as the DLR_School_Lab at the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences. I am delighted that pupils and trainees now have the opportunity to carry out cleanroom experiments with semiconductors and microtechnology themselves. In this way, we are attracting the specialists of tomorrow to Dresden and Upper Lusatia as a high-tech location.
”Dr. Silke Gottschlich, Head of Human Resources at Infineon Technologies AG in Dresden, also underlined the strategic importance of the cooperation: "STEM professions are crucial for Germany's innovative strength, employment and international competitiveness. That's why it's important for us to reach young people as early as possible and get them interested in STEM. The cooperation between Infineon and the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences is strategically valuable, as both sides are pursuing a common goal: to attract young people to technical professions and degree courses."
The practical part of the event began with the symbolic unveiling of the experiment. After an introduction to microchip production and the film "A chip is made - from sand to microchip", the pupils slipped into cleanroom clothing and carried out key production steps themselves.
Andrea Bannert from Infineon supervised the experiment and described it to the interested guests at the event.
The aim is for the pupils to experience the extreme precision of semiconductor production for themselves. They feel how sensitive modern chip technology is and why every move counts. Genuine understanding and enthusiasm are generated above all by trying things out for themselves.
”The event showed how beneficial cooperation between different educational and practical partners can be. Teachers experience how lesson content becomes tangible.
Michael Wagner, Head of Natural Sciences at Geschwister-Scholl-Gymnasium Löbau, explained: "Extracurricular learning locations such as the DLR_School_Lab are very important for schools because they serve as a motivation driver for pupils. The practical and application-oriented learning creates 'aha' experiences that stay with them for a long time and encourage their interest in STEM professions."
The pupils were also enthusiastic. "I found the experiment very interesting. What I particularly like about science is that you can see the theory in practice," said Frieda Schliebitz, a pupil at Geschwister-Scholl-Gymnasium. Pupil Charlotte Selbis was particularly pleased about the practical relevance: "I really enjoyed the experiment, especially because I gained an insight into new areas that you usually only see on television. It was exciting to experience this modern technology in practice and I could imagine working with such technologies in my future career."
Bjarne Stäbler, an apprentice at Infineon, added: "The semiconductor industry is unique because it works in dimensions that are sometimes so tiny that you can hardly imagine the technological possibilities that can arise from them. Here, the unimaginable actually becomes possible."
Prof. Dr. rer. pol. Sophia Keil from the HSZG, Vice President for Research, Transfer and International Affairs, emphasized the long-term perspective.
Our wish is to develop the DLR_School_Lab at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences into a central innovation hub for STEM education in Upper Lusatia in the long term. The cleanroom experiment with Infineon is an excellent start.
”The new cleanroom experiment impressively demonstrates how modern promotion of young talent can succeed: through direct experience, close practical relevance and strong partnerships between university, industry, schools and politics. This not only generates enthusiasm for future technologies, but also makes a concrete contribution to securing the next generation of skilled workers in the region.
The Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences would like to thank Infineon Technologies AG for providing the cleanroom experiment and for the close cooperation. Special thanks go to Dr. Silke Gottschlich, Prof. Dr. Germar Schneider, Andrea Bannert and the participating trainees.
We would also like to thank Minister of State Conrad Clemens, District Administrator Dr. Stephan Meyer, Lord Mayor Thomas Zenker and the Chairman of the Saxony State Parents' Council, Roland Lindecke, for their participation. We would also like to thank the Geschwister-Scholl-Gymnasium Löbau with Michael Wagner and all the pupils involved.
Text: Christian Tiller
Photos: Carla Schmidt
Video production and editing: Philipp Herfort
