INDIE SEMICONDUCTOR FFO GMBH

Their core work

Indie Semiconductor FFO (formerly Silicon Radar) is a German SME specializing in CMOS radar sensor chips and millimeter-wave semiconductor solutions. They design radio-frequency integrated circuits for transportation, automotive (V2X), and IoT applications, with deep expertise in silicon-on-insulator (SOI) process technologies. Their work spans from chip design through advanced packaging techniques (System-in-Package, Fan-Out Wafer-Level Packaging), making them a vertically capable RF semiconductor house serving the European supply chain for 5G and radar.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their earliest H2020 involvement (ELIRAD, 2016) centered on CMOS radar sensors for everyday transportation — a natural fit for a company literally named Silicon Radar. From 2017 onward, they broadened into advanced packaging methods (EuroPAT-MASIP) and then shifted decisively toward the European 5G/RFSOI supply chain (BEYOND5, 2020). The trajectory shows a clear move from standalone radar chip design toward integrated RF semiconductor solutions serving 5G, automotive V2X, and IoT markets.

They are positioning as a European supplier of RF/mmWave silicon for the converging 5G-automotive-IoT space, moving from niche radar into broader connectivity semiconductors.

How they like to work

They coordinated their first and largest project (ELIRAD, EUR 1.69M) but participated as a specialist contributor in larger consortia afterward. With 66 unique partners across 15 countries from just 3 projects, they operate in large, multi-national consortia typical of semiconductor supply chain initiatives. This suggests they are comfortable working within complex European industrial partnerships and bring a focused chip-level contribution rather than leading system-level integration.

Despite only 3 projects, they have built a remarkably broad network of 66 partners across 15 countries, reflecting the large consortium sizes typical of European semiconductor and 5G initiatives. Their geographic reach spans most of the EU, with no narrow regional concentration.

What sets them apart

They are one of very few European SMEs with proven capability in both CMOS radar chip design and RFSOI millimeter-wave technology — a combination that sits at the intersection of automotive sensing and 5G communication. Their progression from a radar startup (Silicon Radar) into the Indie Semiconductor group gives them both agility and access to a larger semiconductor ecosystem. For consortium builders, they offer a rare SME-level entry point into European RF semiconductor design and packaging expertise.

Highlights from their portfolio

• ELIRAD
  Their flagship as coordinator with EUR 1.69M — directly tied to their core identity in everyday radar sensors for transportation.
• BEYOND5
  Positions them in the strategic European RFSOI supply chain for 5G, V2X, and IoT — signals their future direction.
• EuroPAT-MASIP
  Demonstrates packaging expertise (SiP, FOWLP) that complements their chip design capabilities, showing vertical integration potential.