SUSS, a leading manufacturer of equipment and process solutions for the semiconductor industry, has announced a strategic partnership with Ignite Next, a European deep-tech platform that connects industry leaders, startups, investors, and research institutions to accelerate the development and commercialization of breakthrough technologies. The partnership positions SUSS as the semiconductor equipment and process technology partner within the Ignite Next ecosystem, which focuses on turning early-stage deep-tech ventures into globally competitive scale-ups.
Ignite Next, the scale-up program of the boOst Startup Factory, works with leading technology companies including Infineon, Intel, and Synopsys to connect startups with world-class technical and business expertise. Its independent structure enables close collaboration between technology companies and founders, with a focus on IP-intensive innovations in fields such as semiconductors, physical AI, and advanced computing. By joining this ecosystem, SUSS gains early visibility into developments that may shape future semiconductor manufacturing and advanced packaging requirements.
"Our customers, research partners and R&D teams remain at the core of our innovation strategy," said Burkhardt Frick, CEO of SUSS. "Ignite Next complements this foundation by connecting us with leading startups, technology companies and investors. As the ecosystem's semiconductor equipment partner, we gain exposure to emerging developments beyond our traditional networks, enabling us to anticipate future market requirements, evaluate new application fields and strengthen our long-term strategic positioning."
As part of the collaboration, SUSS will participate in technology scouting, startup evaluations, expert exchanges, and innovation programs across the Ignite Next ecosystem. These activities create opportunities to assess future collaborations, explore new areas of application, and evaluate emerging business opportunities aligned with SUSS' long-term objectives. At the same time, SUSS will contribute its expertise in semiconductor manufacturing and process engineering, supporting the industrialization and commercialization of promising new solutions.
"Every breakthrough innovation starts as an idea in a founder's lab," said Markus Bohl, Co-Founder and CEO of Ignite Next, "but it only changes the world once it can be built at scale. Ignite Next - as the scale-up program of the boOst Startup Factory - brings founders, technology leaders and investors together in one network, from chip design to manufacturing. SUSS helps our founders make the leap from lab to fab, and in return gains a front-row seat to the technologies that will shape the industry's next decade. Together, we turn Europe's boldest ideas into the silicon the world will run on."
For the Long Beach and broader California technology community, this partnership signals a continued emphasis on semiconductor innovation and cross-border collaboration. As SUSS deepens its ties to the global deep-tech ecosystem, it may open doors for local startups and researchers to engage with a major equipment supplier. The company, headquartered in Garching, Germany, with approximately 1,500 employees worldwide and recent sales of approximately €500 million, operates production sites in Germany and Taiwan and development centers in Europe, Asia, and the US. Its participation in Ignite Next could lead to new opportunities for collaboration with California-based innovators in advanced computing and physical AI.
The partnership also extends SUSS's strategic optionality beyond its current growth roadmap, broadening its perspective on future market developments and strengthening its ability to identify opportunities that may become relevant beyond 2030. For more information, visit www.suss.com. The original release is available on www.newmediawire.com.
