May. 5, 2023 /SemiMedia/ -- Wolfspeed and ZF recently jointly announced that they will establish a European joint research and development center for silicon carbide power electronics in the metropolitan area of Nuremberg, Germany.

The joint research and development center will address all mobility segments including passenger cars, commercial vehicles, agricultural vehicles and industrial vehicles, as well as specific requirements of the industrial and renewable energy markets. The goal of this collaboration is to develop breakthrough innovations for SiC systems, products and applications, covering the entire value chain from modules to complete systems, thereby reducing time-to-market.

Like the Wolfspeed silicon carbide chip factory in Ensdorf, Saarland, Germany, the R&D center is part of the Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI), and its implementation will be subject to approval by the European Commission and antitrust authorities. The construction of these two projects will start after the IPCEI funding approval is in place, which is expected to be later this year.