50 YEARS OF INFINEON AUSTRIA - FROM THE WORKBENCH TO A PIONEER OF DIGITALIZATION
For its 50th anniversary in 2020, Villach-based Infineon Technologies Austria AG was able to look back on a pioneering and eventful company history. In the last five decades the company has developed from its beginnings as a production workshop (at that time: Siemens) to one of Europe’s most important locations for power semiconductor research, development, and production. Today, Infineon Austria has successfully established itself as a global player in the semiconductor market and is now considered the most research-oriented industrial company in Austria.
HALF A CENTURY OF COMPANY HISTORY
The groundwork for this success story was laid on October 1, 1970, with the start of Siemens diode production in Villach. Initially this company produced electrical components for consumer electronics and color televisions, employing 24 people and working out of a rented building. After the construction of a new manufacturing facility they moved into their current location on Siemensstraße in the spring of 1973. In 1999 the company was demerged and the Siemens semiconductor division spun-off to become Infineon Technologies AG.
With the help of employees from 70 different countries, the Austrian subsidiary of Infineon Technologies AG has in the meantime positioned itself as an absolute industry leader and is today a worldwide market leader for semiconductor solutions that make life simpler, safer, and more environmentally friendly. In addition to the company headquarters in Villach - which combines research and development, production, and global business responsibility - other Austrian branch offices are located in Vienna, Linz, Graz, and Klagenfurt.
TINY CHIPS WITH A BIG IMPACT
There are many everyday applications of Infineon’s technical know-how - for example, smartphones, refrigerators, or ATM cards, but also computer centers, robots, and industrial facilities. Power semiconductors here serve an essential function: they convert the voltage of a household power outlet to the particular needs of a device or machine in order to reduce energy loss (for example, through the generation of heat).
With its many years of experience and expertise, this award-winning company in Villach produces ever smaller and more energy efficient microchips for industrial applications and the automobile and consumer electronics industries. The chips connect the physical world and the digital world: they allow intelligent mobility, efficient energy management, as well as safe data collection and transfer. Work on next generation microchips made from silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) is currently progressing. These can convert electricity more efficiently and in this way allow for even smaller and lighter sizes.
THE PURSUIT OF INNOVATION AS AN EVERYDAY PRACTICE
As a forward-looking company, Infineon Austria is constantly in search of creative solutions and development opportunities. In order to continue with a rapid pace of innovation, the emphasis is increasingly on collaborations with domestic and foreign research networks, international and national research projects, partnerships with universities, annual innovation competitions, or a strong focus on training and continuing education for employees. Even in their anniversary year, despite difficult economic conditions, Infineon was able to achieve a stable profit, raise its investments by 25 %, and successfully complete the expansion of research and development facilities in Villach, Graz, and Linz. In this way it was possible to create 750 additional jobs in Villach, where a new fully-automated chip factory is being built. And the company has ambitious goals for the future: it wants to be carbon neutral by 2030.
FACTS & FIGURES (2019/20)
- Revenue - € 3.1 billion (earning before taxes - € 192.2 million)
- 16 % of the revenue (€ 498 million) was spent on research and development
- Total investments - € 386.1 million
- 4,517 employees
- 191 initial patent applications
- 8.45 billion chips produced