SUSS, a leading manufacturer of equipment and process solutions for the semiconductor industry, 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, reported via NEWMEDIAWIRE, positions SUSS as the semiconductor equipment and process technology partner within the Ignite Next ecosystem.
Ignite Next, founded by the former Intel Ignite leadership team, operates as Europe's scale-up program for deep-tech innovation. It focuses on turning early-stage ventures into globally competitive scale-ups, with an emphasis on IP-intensive innovations in semiconductors, physical AI, and advanced computing. The platform collaborates with leading technology companies such as Infineon, Intel, and Synopsys to provide startups with technical and business expertise.
For SUSS, the partnership offers early visibility into emerging developments that could shape future semiconductor manufacturing and advanced packaging requirements. By participating in technology scouting, startup evaluations, expert exchanges, and innovation programs, SUSS aims to identify evolving customer needs, new application areas, and strategic growth opportunities beyond its current roadmap. The company also contributes its manufacturing and process expertise to help startups industrialize and commercialize promising solutions.
"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."
Markus Bohl, Co-Founder and CEO of Ignite Next, emphasized the mutual benefits: "Every breakthrough innovation starts as an idea in a founder's lab, but it only changes the world once it can be built at scale. Ignite Next 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."
The partnership matters because it positions SUSS at the forefront of semiconductor innovation at a time when the industry is rapidly evolving due to AI, high-performance computing, and advanced packaging demands. By engaging with startups and deep-tech ventures early, SUSS can better anticipate market shifts and secure strategic optionality beyond 2030. For the broader industry, this collaboration signals a growing trend of established equipment makers partnering with agile deep-tech ecosystems to accelerate commercialization and maintain technological leadership. SUSS, headquartered in Garching, Germany, employs approximately 1,500 people worldwide and generated sales of around €500 million. It is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and is part of the TecDAX and MDAX indices. More information is available at www.suss.com.
