(Frankfurt am Main/Schönefeld, July 7, 2026) The medicine of the future needs microchips. Smart implants, AI-assisted diagnoses, or connected medical devices: high-performance semiconductors form the basis of many medical innovations. It is precisely this key technology of microelectronics that has been at the heart of the INVENT a CHIP (IaC) student competition for 25 years, organized by the technology organization VDE with support from the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space. In this anniversary year, the Dahme-Spreewald Upper Secondary School (OSZ D-S), with 126 participating students, secured second place in the nationwide INVENT a CHIP School Award, which is presented to the schools with the most submissions to the IaC quiz. Only the Alexander von Humboldt Gymnasium in Schweinfurt had more, with 140 participants. A total of 1,154 students from 149 schools answered the 20 tricky quiz questions.
Hands-on instruction builds STEM competencies
In addition to the vocational school for various technical fields, the OSZ D-S also includes the vocational high school and the technical college preparatory school. Hands-on instruction combines theoretical foundations with practical applications and cutting-edge technologies. Julius Steckner is a specialist teacher in electrical engineering and, together with his colleagues at the Schönefeld and Lübben campuses, specifically incorporates the IaC quiz into his electronics classes. In this way, it supplements the curriculum with content that is becoming increasingly important in everyday professional life.
Steckner: “INVENT a CHIP perfectly combines classroom instruction with cutting-edge technologies. The challenges keep our students engaged and show them just how exciting microelectronics can be.”
The focus of the lessons is not on memorization, but on understanding technical concepts. “I want to prepare young people so that they can solve technical problems on their own. When knowledge turns into understanding, it builds the confidence to master new challenges as well. That’s exactly what INVENT a CHIP promotes,” says Steckner.
Microelectronics Opens Up New Opportunities
Ralf Berger, head of the VDE’s East-Central and Hanse regions, praised the school’s achievement during a personal certificate presentation at the Schönefeld campus: “25 years of INVENT a CHIP stand for the successful promotion of young talent in microelectronics. The Dahme-Spreewald Upper Secondary School impressively demonstrates the difference dedicated teachers make. They inspire young people to take an interest in technology and open up opportunities for them in an important field of the future. Our thanks go to the teachers and the participating students.”
With its commitment to hands-on STEM education, the Dahme-Spreewald Upper Secondary School serves as a prime example of how classroom instruction and competitions like INVENT a CHIP complement each other and prepare young people for technologies that are shaping medicine and many other areas of our lives, both today and in the future.
Numerous sponsors support INVENT a CHIP to inspire young people about microchips and their applications, including: Bosch, Cologne Chip, Globalfoundries, Infineon, and Siemens.
