{"id":5502,"date":"2026-09-11T14:02:01","date_gmt":"2026-09-11T12:02:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/elektrotechnik\/?p=5502"},"modified":"2026-09-11T14:16:29","modified_gmt":"2026-09-11T12:16:29","slug":"wie-ein-deutsches-start-up-das-naechste-tech-epizentrum-formt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/elektrotechnik\/en\/wie-ein-deutsches-start-up-das-naechste-tech-epizentrum-formt\/","title":{"rendered":"How a German Startup Is Shaping the Next Tech Hub"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"twoclick_social_bookmarks_post_5502 social_share_privacy clearfix 1.6.4 locale-en_US sprite-en_US\"><\/div><div class=\"twoclick-js\"><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\/* <![CDATA[ *\/\njQuery(document).ready(function($){if($('.twoclick_social_bookmarks_post_5502')){$('.twoclick_social_bookmarks_post_5502').socialSharePrivacy({\"services\":{\"facebook\":{\"status\":\"on\",\"txt_info\":\"2 Klicks f\\u00fcr mehr Datenschutz: Erst wenn Sie hier klicken, wird der Button aktiv und Sie k\\u00f6nnen Ihre Empfehlung an Facebook senden. Schon beim Aktivieren werden Daten an Dritte \\u00fcbertragen - siehe <em>i<\\\/em>.\",\"perma_option\":\"off\",\"action\":\"recommend\",\"language\":\"en_US\"}},\"txt_help\":\"Wenn Sie diese Felder durch einen Klick aktivieren, werden Informationen an Facebook, Twitter, Flattr, Xing, t3n, LinkedIn, Pinterest oder Google eventuell ins Ausland \\u00fcbertragen und unter Umst\\u00e4nden auch dort gespeichert. N\\u00e4heres erfahren Sie durch einen Klick auf das <em>i<\\\/em>.\",\"settings_perma\":\"Dauerhaft aktivieren und Daten\\u00fcber-tragung zustimmen:\",\"info_link\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.heise.de\\\/ct\\\/artikel\\\/2-Klicks-fuer-mehr-Datenschutz-1333879.html\",\"uri\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\\\/elektrotechnik\\\/en\\\/wie-ein-deutsches-start-up-das-naechste-tech-epizentrum-formt\\\/\",\"post_id\":5502,\"post_title_referrer_track\":\"How+a+German+Startup+Is+Shaping+the+Next+Tech+Hub\",\"display_infobox\":\"on\"});}});\n\/* ]]> *\/<\/script><\/div><p><div id=\"attachment_5505\" style=\"width: 1782px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5505\" class=\"wp-image-5505 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/elektrotechnik\/files\/2026\/09\/Ingenieurpreis_2026-\u00a9-Andreas-Herrmann.jpg\" alt=\"In the group photo taken on stage, the relevant people can be seen to the right and left of the two award winners as they applaud together.\" width=\"1772\" height=\"1181\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/elektrotechnik\/files\/2026\/09\/Ingenieurpreis_2026-\u00a9-Andreas-Herrmann.jpg 1772w, https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/elektrotechnik\/files\/2026\/09\/Ingenieurpreis_2026-\u00a9-Andreas-Herrmann-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/elektrotechnik\/files\/2026\/09\/Ingenieurpreis_2026-\u00a9-Andreas-Herrmann-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/elektrotechnik\/files\/2026\/09\/Ingenieurpreis_2026-\u00a9-Andreas-Herrmann-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/elektrotechnik\/files\/2026\/09\/Ingenieurpreis_2026-\u00a9-Andreas-Herrmann-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1772px) 100vw, 1772px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-5505\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Applause for the award recipients: RWTH President Professor Ulrich R\u00fcdiger, Minister Ina Brandes, Mayor Dr. Michael Ziemons, Sebastian Schall, Dr. Daniel Schall, Professor Max Lemme, and vdi President Professor Lutz Eckstein (from left) \u00a9 Andreas Herrmann<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #00549f;\"><strong>Daniel and Sebastian Schall were awarded this year\u2019s Aachen Engineering Award for their research on integrated graphene photonics and the founding of their startup, Black Semiconductor. The story of the two brothers illustrates how closely science and entrepreneurship are intertwined in Aachen.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>On September 5, 2026, Aachen City Hall&#8217;s historic Coronation Hall was transformed into a stage for the future of global microelectronics. The prestigious Aachen Engineering Award was presented for the twelfth time\u2014but with a twist: for the first time ever, the award went to two people. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rwth-aachen.de\/cms\/root\/wir\/aktuell\/pressemitteilungen\/juni-2026\/~bsjodb\/ingenieurskunst-trifft-abenteuerlust\/?lidx=1\">Daniel and Sebastian Schall<\/a>, the founders of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.blacksemi.com\/\">Black Semiconductor<\/a>, accepted the award together. In doing so, they demonstrated that technological leaps always require two sides of the same coin. While Daniel embodies technological ingenuity as a scientific visionary, Sebastian contributes the drive necessary to transform a complex laboratory idea into a scalable company.<\/p>\n<p>What the award-winning team does not reveal about their areas of responsibility is summed up by the laudatory speaker, Professor Max Lemme, head of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eld.rwth-aachen.de\/cms\/~psfz\/eld\/?lidx=1\">Chair of Electronic Devices<\/a> at RWTH Aachen University and managing director of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amo.de\/en\/\">AMO GmbH<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u201cThey are fundamentally grounded; they haven&#8217;t lost their sense of what truly makes us human.\u201d \u00a0<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Building on this solid foundation, they are looking ahead and developing solutions to problems that conventional systems cannot solve: While the demands placed on systems by data-intensive software architectures and AI models are constantly increasing, the scalability of conventional semiconductor hardware is approaching its physical limits. Guided by the motto \u201cMore than Moore,\u201d the Schall brothers are banking on a paradigm shift in the semiconductor industry that seeks to overcome this technological bottleneck: moving away from mere geometric miniaturization toward functional diversification. Instead of forcing performance gains solely through circuit density, new technologies and complementary materials are being integrated directly into the chip.<\/p>\n<p>As a key technology, integrated photonics is already a reality today. The processor performs calculations electrically, as usual. Data transmission, however, takes place via laser through integrated optical waveguides, at the speed of light. This architecture completely eliminates electrical resistance along the communication paths. While, in the current \u201cisland solution,\u201d data must travel a few fractions of a millimeter as an electrical current from the main electrical processor to the neighboring photonic chip\u2014where it is converted into light signals\u2014this \u201cbridge\u201d is traversed vertically in a 3D chip architecture: Here, state-of-the-art packaging techniques are used to utilize space in three dimensions, thereby minimizing the path between electrical computing chips and photonic components as much as possible.<\/p>\n<p>Black Semiconductor has now succeeded in achieving direct optical signal conversion at the chip level. Graphene, a two-dimensional carbon lattice, plays a key role in this process. Due to its extreme physical properties, the material is considered a key component for future semiconductor architectures. Because of its single-layer, hexagonal atomic structure, electrons move through it with virtually no resistance, giving graphene extremely high charge carrier mobility. It also offers excellent thermal conductivity and broadband optical absorption. However, in practice, its large-scale application has so far been hindered by a major obstacle: the atomically thin material could not be integrated into industrial manufacturing processes in a defect-free and reproducible manner.<\/p>\n<p>The start-up from Aachen is now bridging this very technological gap, thereby enabling true, monolithic integration of photonics. The graphene structures are deposited directly onto the existing wafer as part of the standard CMOS manufacturing process. By acting as an interface, they enable logical computations and signal conversion on a single physical chip. The startup\u2019s stated goal is to couple thousands of semiconductors so that they function as a single component.<\/p>\n<p>In previous approaches to integrated photonics, data signals must leave the electronic logic layer and travel to the photonic chiplet via physical, metallic interfaces or vertical microcolumns. Although these paths are short, significant losses occur at the metallic interfaces. These error-prone connections, as well as the need for subsequent mechanical assembly steps during manufacturing, will no longer be necessary in the future.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u201cTheir solution is nothing short of a revolution,\u201d said Professor Max Lemme at the Aachen Engineering Award ceremony. \u201cSemiconductors are the brain of AI\u2014a strategic technology, not just a nice-to-have.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The fact that this development originated in Aachen rather than in Silicon Valley underscores the close link between scientific excellence and application-oriented entrepreneurship within the RWTH Aachen University community. The technological foundation for the spin-off was developed in the laboratories of the research institute AMO GmbH, which is closely integrated with our Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology and is headed by Professor Max Lemme. While working on his doctoral dissertation, Dr. Daniel Schall found here the specialized cleanroom infrastructure and the scientific freedom he needed to experimentally validate the fundamentals of integrated graphene photonics. The Aachen ecosystem serves as a fertile ground in which excellent basic research and its translation into marketable business structures go hand in hand:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u201cWe always had plans to start the company. Once we knew enough about both physics and technology and could assume that the outstanding challenges in mass production with state-of-the-art equipment could be solved, we simply took the decisive step from the lab to production.\u201d \u00a0<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<div id=\"attachment_5396\" style=\"width: 2570px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5396\" class=\"wp-image-5396 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/elektrotechnik\/files\/2026\/06\/119_PM_Ingenieurpreis2026_2-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"In a factory hall, you can see installations that depict spaces within a space.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1705\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/elektrotechnik\/files\/2026\/06\/119_PM_Ingenieurpreis2026_2-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/elektrotechnik\/files\/2026\/06\/119_PM_Ingenieurpreis2026_2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/elektrotechnik\/files\/2026\/06\/119_PM_Ingenieurpreis2026_2-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/elektrotechnik\/files\/2026\/06\/119_PM_Ingenieurpreis2026_2-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/elektrotechnik\/files\/2026\/06\/119_PM_Ingenieurpreis2026_2-1536x1023.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/elektrotechnik\/files\/2026\/06\/119_PM_Ingenieurpreis2026_2-2048x1364.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-5396\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Modular cleanroom facility inside the new FabONE production hall in Aachen-Rothe Erde \u00a9 Heike Lachmann<\/p><\/div>\n<p>This strategic choice of location paves the way for the company\u2019s ambitious growth: With grants and investments totaling over 254 million euros, the startup is driving its expansion forward at a rapid pace. The 15,000-square-meter \u201cFabONE\u201d production facility in Aachen\u2019s Rothe Erde district now employs around 167 international specialists. Their clear goal is to transition innovative graphene chip manufacturing from the laboratory to industrial mass production. Beyond its regional success, this project holds significant geopolitical relevance. At a time when global semiconductor supply chains are subject to technological and political interdependencies, establishing such a key technology in Germany\u2014and thus in the European Union\u2014secures a measure of technological sovereignty.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u201cBlack Semiconductor is sustainably strengthening Europe\u2019s position as a hub for the semiconductor industry, through its close collaboration with research institutions and its industrial focus. The company thus embodies, in a unique way, innovation-driven engineering excellence that is of strategic importance for future technologies,\u201d explains RWTH Rector Professor Ulrich R\u00fcdiger.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>It is precisely this combination of pioneering engineering work and strategic significance that forms the basis for the award. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ingenieurpreis-ac.de\/en\/\">Aachen Engineering Award<\/a>, which has been presented jointly by RWTH Aachen University and the City of Aachen since 2014, honors individuals who have had a lasting impact on the field of engineering. The award sculpture, \u201cIntersecting Ellipses,\u201d is donated by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdi.de\/\">Association of German Engineers (VDI)<\/a> as a key partner of the award. With this win, the Schall brothers join the ranks of renowned award recipients, such as Nobel laureate <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rwth-aachen.de\/cms\/root\/wir\/aktuell\/pressemitteilungen\/juni-2018\/mikrobiologin-emmanuelle-charpentier-erh\/~quoc\/kreativ-wie-eine-kuenstlerin-disziplini\/\">Emmanuelle Charpentier<\/a> and technology pioneer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rwth-aachen.de\/cms\/root\/wir\/aktuell\/pressemitteilungen\/juli\/~indic\/portrait-sebastian-thrun\/?lidx=1\">Sebastian Thrun<\/a>, while also sending a clear signal about the innovative strength of Aachen\u2019s electrical engineering community.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>The breakthrough in graphene photonics in Aachen is just the beginning of a much larger development: To achieve strategic technological autonomy, the European Union is also investing in <a href=\"https:\/\/graphene-flagship.eu\/\">graphene and other two-dimensional materials<\/a> in many other key industries.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Daniel and Sebastian Schall were awarded this year\u2019s Aachen Engineering Award for their research on integrated graphene photonics and the founding of their startup, Black Semiconductor. The story of the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4543,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"c2c_always_allow_admin_comments":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,4,11],"tags":[623,626,625,624],"class_list":["post-5502","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-allgemein","category-auszeichnungen","category-mikro-und-nanoeletronik","tag-black-semiconductor","tag-daniel-schall","tag-sebastian-schall","tag-silicon-valley"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/elektrotechnik\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5502","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/elektrotechnik\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/elektrotechnik\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/elektrotechnik\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4543"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/elektrotechnik\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5502"}],"version-history":[{"count":22,"href":"https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/elektrotechnik\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5502\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5527,"href":"https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/elektrotechnik\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5502\/revisions\/5527"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/elektrotechnik\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5502"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/elektrotechnik\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5502"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/elektrotechnik\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5502"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}