New AT & S Competence Center: Leoben becomes Europe's microelectronics heart!

New AT & S Competence Center: Leoben becomes Europe's microelectronics heart!

Leoben, Österreich - in Leoben-Hinterberg, a new milestone in microelectronics was set on June 3, 2025: The manufacturer AT & S has opened an innovative competence center for research and development (F&E) and the production of IC substrates. Over three years, the company invested more than 500 million euros in the construction of the new center, which offers space on an area of ​​11,000 m². This ambitious project underlines the strategic importance of microelectronics for the competitiveness of Europe and is also intended to strengthen the basis for the headquarters of AT&S.

The opening was accompanied by Michael Mertin, the CEO of AT&S, that emphasized the urgency of a courageous microelectronics strategy for Europe. As part of this strategy, the EU must further develop its technologies in order not to fall behind in global competition. Mertin also demands an increase in state funds, since the contributions from the "European Chips Act" are perceived as inadequate. "Hello, we still have room for improvement!" He said during the celebrations and demanded more commitment from politics.

innovative center for microelectronics

The new center not only offers space for research, but also serves to manufacture small series, while mass production in the existing works in Malaysia and China takes place. AT&S already has well-known buyers for his IC substrate, including a long-term contract with ampere. This innovative technology is used in numerous areas: from artificial intelligence and smartphones to power plants and cars.

"Microelectronics is crucial for industrial progress, especially in the digital age," said Minister of Economics Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer. He announced that 400 million euros in funding for the domestic chip industry will be made available and emphasized the importance of this industry for the entire European economy. Hattmannsdorfer described microelectronics as the central key technology and pointed out the previous investments in the context of the IPCEI program that aim to support European research in this area.

creation of jobs and international competition

The location in Leoben is declared as a "lighthouse project" and has already created 420 new jobs, with the view of an increase in the number of employees to over 500 in the coming years. At the main location in Leoben, AT&S currently employs 1,700 people from 63 nations and around 350 in Fehring. In total, the group has around 13,000 employees at its locations worldwide. This creation of high-tech workstations is an important step to strengthen innovative strength in the region.

The commitment of companies such as AT&S is particularly important for European industry. The EU currently has only one market share of around 8-9% of global semiconductor production, a decline of over 20% around the turn of the millennium. Forecasts show that Europe's share could decrease to below 6% by 2045. Therefore, it is all the more important that such projects are initiated in the EU in order to protect technological sovereignty and to secure competitiveness in an international framework

summarized can be said that the opening of the competence center in Leoben is a strong signal for the entire industry and is an important step into the future of microelectronics. The challenges are great, but with a healthy portion of courage from industry and politics, Europe can again become an important location in global chip production.

Further information on the opening is available on Kurier and at & s as well as in the context of the European semiconductor strategy GTAI .