This year's Brandenburg Future Day brought a group of 13 to 17-year-olds to the IHP – Leibniz Institute for High Performance Microelectronics, where the institute opened its doors for a day of exploration and career discovery. Beyond showcasing cutting-edge microelectronics research, the event was designed to give young people a concrete picture of the education and professional paths available to them. More than ten IHP staff members took part, sharing their experiences and showing what it means to build a career in technology right here in Frankfurt (Oder).
The Future Day highlighted how diverse the path into microelectronics can be. The young participants learned about training and career opportunities at IHP and spoke with people working across very different areas of the institute: scientists, specialists in mechatronics and microtechnology, and doctoral researchers. It became clear that modern research requires not only academic careers, but also technical training, practical skills and teamwork.
The program combined career orientation with direct insights into the institute's work. Participants visited the MBE laboratory, the SEM laboratory and the cleanroom, where they learned how high-performance microelectronics are manufactured and what tasks arise in day-to-day research. During the career speed-dating session, they were able to ask questions: What does a typical working day in the lab look like? What skills matter most? What role do apprenticeships or university degrees play in getting started?
The day also had a practical dimension. In a hands-on workshop, participants built and soldered crystal lamps, translating technical curiosity into something tangible In this way, the Future Day became more than a behind-the-scenes look: it showed the possibilities open to young people who have an interest in technology, natural sciences and practical problem-solving.
Anna Herfurth, Head of Human Resources at IHP, summed it up well:
“When young people walk through our cleanroom, work hands-on in our labs and have conversations with our colleagues, abstract technology suddenly becomes lived reality – and that is precisely the moment when enthusiasm is sparked.”
The Future Day is a well-established fixture in IHP's outreach calendar and reflects the institute's long-term commitment to inspiring the next generation. IHP plans to keep building on this tradition, giving young people a clear picture of the opportunities that microelectronics can offer in training, studies, and career, and making the case that many of those opportunities start right on their doorstep.
