Bitkom survey: Business calls for more semiconductor funding
86% believe politicians have a responsibility to act. Companies are demanding more capacity in production, testing & packaging, design, and R&D—for resilience, security, and digital sovereignty.
Berlin — The German economy expects significantly stronger political support for the semiconductor industry. According to a representative Bitkom survey of 503 companies (with 20 or more employees), 55% consider the promotion of domestic production to be "extremely important," while another 41% consider it "somewhat important."
Fifty percent rate R&D funding as "extremely important" (45% "somewhat important"). For AI chips/processors, 47% call for "extremely" important funding, while 43% call for "somewhat" important funding.
Overall, 86% say that politicians are not doing enough to secure supply.
"Semiconductors have become a geopolitical power factor. Germany and Europe must specifically expand their own semiconductor competencies in order to secure their technological and economic capacity to act," said Bitkom President Dr. Ralf Wintergerst.
Key findings at a glance
Production in Germany: 55% "extremely important," 41% "somewhat important."
Research & development: 50% "extremely important," 45% "somewhat important."
AI chips/processors: 47% "extremely," 43% "somewhat important."
Testing & packaging: 90% important overall (36% "extremely," 54% "somewhat").
Chip design: 87% important overall.
Production equipment: 87% important overall.
Materials & chemicals: 81% important overall.
Political activity insufficient: 86% criticize lack of engagement.
Relevance to security: 86% see a strong ecosystem as important for national security.
Context: Agenda & speed
Europe has taken the lead with the EU Chips Act; Germany is following suit with its microelectronics strategy and the launch of the High-Tech Agenda Germany. Now it is important to implement these measures quickly and achieve measurable results – in view of the recent supply problems, for example at Nexperia.
Significance for wireless IoT & edge
A broad, competitive semiconductor location ensures:
Supply for sensors/actuators, readers, gateways, connectivity chips (RFID, NFC, BLE, UWB, LPWAN, Wi-Fi/5G).
Powerful AI SoCs for edge analytics and energy-efficient devices.
Test/packaging capacities for short time-to-market and resilient supply chains.
Security features (secure elements, HW roots of trust) as the basis for trustworthy IoT infrastructures.
Survey methodology
Telephone survey conducted by Bitkom Research (calendar weeks 30–36/2025) among 503 companies in the manufacturing and ICT sectors (including 457 semiconductor users). Representative of companies with 20 or more employees. Key questions: "How important is the promotion of the following areas in Germany?" and "To what extent do the following statements apply?".