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, announced on October 13, 2026, positions SUSS as the semiconductor equipment and process technology partner within the Ignite Next ecosystem, providing the company with early exposure to next-generation technologies and strategic growth opportunities beyond its Ambition 2030 horizon.
Ignite Next, headquartered in Dresden, Germany, is Europe’s scale-up program for deep tech innovation, founded by the former Intel Ignite leadership team and now independently operated. The program focuses on turning early-stage deep-tech ventures into globally competitive scale-ups, with an emphasis on IP-intensive innovations in fields such as semiconductors, physical AI and advanced computing. Ignite Next works with leading technology companies – including Infineon, Intel, and Synopsys – to connect startups with world-class technical and business expertise.
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.
“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.”
“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.”
The partnership matters because it gives SUSS a structured connection to the global deep-tech ecosystem, broadening its perspective on future market developments and strengthening its ability to identify opportunities that may become relevant beyond 2030. By engaging with startups and innovators early, SUSS can better anticipate evolving customer needs and new application areas, while also contributing to the industrialization of promising solutions. For Ignite Next, SUSS adds critical manufacturing and process expertise that helps deep-tech startups scale from lab to fab.
SUSS is a leading global provider of equipment and process solutions for the semiconductor industry, headquartered in Garching, Germany, with approximately 1,500 employees worldwide and recent sales of approximately €500 million. SUSS MicroTec SE is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and is part of the TecDAX and MDAX indices. For more information, visit www.suss.com. The original release can be viewed on www.newmediawire.com.
