Wolfspeed, a global leader in Silicon Carbide technology, and ZF have announced a strategic partnership that includes the creation of a joint innovation lab and a significant investment by ZF in Wolfspeed’s plans for the world’s largest 200mm Silicon Carbide device fab in Ensdorf, Germany.
The announcement was made in an afternoon press conference Wednesday in Germany.
The partnership aims to drive advancements in Silicon Carbide systems and devices for mobility, industrial, and energy applications. The joint innovation lab in Germany will focus on real-world e-mobility and renewable energy system-level challenges, with the goal of developing new innovations for Silicon Carbide products and applications.
“These initiatives are a significant step towards a successful industrial transformation. They strengthen European supply resilience and, at the same time, support the European Green Deal and the strategic goals for Europe’s Digital Decade,” said Dr. Holger Klein, CEO of ZF.
In addition to the R&D center, ZF will also invest in Wolfspeed’s construction of the 200mm wafer fabrication facility, which will be located in Saarland, Germany. The facility will be fully automated and highly advanced, and ZF’s investment, which is in the hundreds of millions of dollars, will give them a minority ownership position in the fab. Wolfspeed will retain all operational and management control rights.
This partnership builds on the two companies’ previous collaboration, which aimed to create highly efficient electric drivelines with a Silicon Carbide inverter. The new initiatives represent the next step in their joint innovation journey and will help drive improvements in electrification solutions, such as increased efficiency, power density, and performance.
“We have a strong partner by our side in ZF, which brings industry-leading experience in scaling components for electric mobility as well as the aptitude to accelerate innovation in Silicon Carbide systems and power devices. I am confident this partnership will lift Silicon Carbide semiconductor technology to a new level of global impact, supporting increased sustainability and efficiency efforts across a multitude of industries,” said Gregg Lowe, president and CEO of Wolfspeed.
“Together, Wolfspeed and ZF combine expertise in power electronics and systems with a know-how in applications that is unparalleled in the industry. Wolfspeed brings its more than 35 years in Silicon Carbide technology, and at ZF we have a unique understanding of the overall systems across all sectors from passenger cars and commercial vehicles to construction machinery, wind power and industrial applications. The close cooperation between fab and R&D center will enable us to develop breakthrough innovations beyond state of the art for the benefit of our customers,” said Stephan von Schuckmann, Member of the ZF Board of Management.
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