Styrian-based printed circuit board manufacturer AT&S will be able to double its turnover by 2026 with the investments in Leoben and Malaysia. Customers such as Apple or Intel have to supply large series. Read here why an Austrian company can be successful on the global market.
The Styrian AT&S plays an important role in the big world of small chips. It is in the top three worldwide for so-called ‘substrates’. These are connection solutions between microchips and printed circuit boards.
This market is growing enormously. The technology is used in data centers, in artificial intelligence, in 5G applications, in the automotive industry or in high-tech computers. That is why AT&S boss Andreas Gerstenmayer has invested in three new factories. “This means that we can double our turnover to 3.5 billion euros in the 2025/26 financial year.”
An additional factory is currently being built in Leoben for 500 million euros: a new research and production center for substrate technologies, which will open its doors in mid-2024. When completed it will have 700 employees, of which 240 already exist. Gerstenmayer: “To find skilled workers, we have to be international. We already employ employees from 65 countries at the group.”
The second strike takes place in Kulim (Malaysia). AT&S (major shareholders are the Hannes Androsch and Günther Dörflinger foundations) is investing 1.7 billion euros in this ‘microelectronics hotspot’ in order to be able to produce large series in the future. Its largest customers include technology giants such as Apple and Intel. The first factory will open at the beginning of this year. The start of the second factory depends on market developments; construction has now been completed.
The company is currently still suffering from cyclical market weakness, which is also related to the economic downturn. As a result, manufacturers’ stock prices have recently fallen. Gerstenmayer: “This is a very volatile market. However, the long-term trend is clearly upward.”
The expansion will allow us to acquire many new (large) customers. Some contracts have already been signed, but details cannot yet be given. Gerstenmayer sees the government’s commitment to continue to financially support high-tech investments at home, so that locations in the EU remain competitive, as the “right step”.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
