On November 3–4, the international conference “MICROELECTRONICS 2025: From Technology to Application” took place at Kaunas University of Technology (KTU), bringing together academics, engineers, and industry professionals.
At KTU’s interdisciplinary prototyping laboratory center “M-Lab”, participants discussed the latest achievements in semiconductor materials, design, and integration technologies.
The conference was opened by Prof. Dr Mindaugas Žilys, Dean of the KTU Faculty of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (EEF), who emphasized the importance of collaboration between academia and industry. The discussions were moderated by Dr Agata Romanova, expert of the KTU Center of Excellence for Technological and Physical Sciences (TiFEC).
The two-day program included not only presentations but also hands-on workshops led by international experts in microelectronics design and open-source semiconductor development, including representatives from IHP – Leibniz Institute for Innovative Microelectronics and Finetech, a German precision equipment manufacturer.
The keynote speaker, Dr Wladek Grabinski, OpenPDK consultant at IHP, discussed open-source design processes and the use of the IHP 130 nm BiCMOS technology. Leo Moser and Matthias Koeferlein introduced LibreLane and KLayout tools for chip design and layout, while Holger Voigt, Stefan Frederik Schippers, and Dr Philip Ostrovskyy (IHP) presented the use of NGSPICE and Xschem technologies for analog and mixed-signal simulation.
Prof. Dangirutis Navikas, from the Department of Electronics Engineering, shared TiFEC’s recent research outcomes in his presentation “Challenges of Using Nonlinear Ceramic Capacitors in Medium-Voltage Capacitive Dividers.”
The second day of the conference was devoted to practical training sessions. Leonie Dobis, Application Engineer at Finetech, together with her team, introduced 2.0, 2.5, and 3D hybrid chip system technologies and led workshops focused on hands-on learning of chip packaging processes and technologies.
At the same time, participants at the KTU Chip Design Academy gained practical experience with open-source chip design and simulation tools using IHP OpenPDK modules.
Both industry and academic representatives expressed satisfaction that this EEF-organized conference had become a national platform for strengthening partnerships, enhancing professional competencies, and sharing expertise.
Importantly, the event significantly contributed to the growth of Lithuania’s semiconductor competence ecosystem, which is being developed through the ChipsC2-LT Competence Centre — a key national initiative fostering collaboration, innovation, and skills in semiconductor technologies. KTU plays an integral role within ChipsC2-LT, actively supporting Lithuania’s strategic advancement in the European microelectronics landscape.