High-Tech-Tour to Styria

Visits of AT&S Advanced Technologies and Solutions and Pankl Racing Systems-Aerospace Factory Europe

At the start of a full day excursion to the Steiermark on 24 September 2025, a delegation of 20 members and guests of the CdH were welcomed by Dr Peter Schneider, Deputy CEO and EVP BU ES, and Matthias Pirs, Director of Corporate Affairs, of AT&S in their new headquarters and R&D and production facility in Leoben. Following the welcoming formalities, Mr Pirs gave a presentation about the company explaining its history, products and services.

 

The origins of AT&S date back to 1987 in Austria.  Since then the company has established subsidiary activities in India, China, South Korea and Malaysia as well as sales offices around the world. The headquarters and research and development facilities are based in Leoben, Austria.  The majority of its manufacturing activities for top players in the US market are currently carried out in China.  The new plant in Malaysia, which began operations in 2024, is now fully operational. This cutting-edge facility in Malaysia represents an important hub in the company’s global manufacturing network and the biggest investment in next-generation technologies by AT&S and its partners in the semiconductor industry.  AT&S’s operations in China concentrate on HDI PCB’s (High Density Interconnect Printed Circuit Boards) for high-end mobile devices as well as established IC (Integrated Circuit) substrate technologies for the likes of notebooks, servers and cloud computing.

 AT&S entered the IC substrate manufacturing sector in 2013 – the substrate being the interface between the IC (or “chip”) and the PCB.  In 2017 the company advanced into highly sophisticated production with the introduction of mSAP (modified Semi-Additive Process) technology resulting in ultra-compact PCB’s with closely spaced conducting paths. Then came the establishment of the new production plant in Kulim, Malaysia, and a third – the first European - production facility for IC substrates in Leoben (Hinterberg), Austria, where a state-of-the-art direct imaging lithography machine has been installed to take AT&S’s research and development capabilities to the next level.

 AT&S’s business and development strategy is aimed at being a leading provider of more powerful and miniaturised microelectronic components and technologies to meet the future demands of high volume data processing and emerging technologies such as AI, autonomous driving, and 6G communication networks. The company is already among the top 5 substrate manufacturers in the world, standing out as the only significant player in the western hemisphere.

After the presentation, the CdH delegation was provided with clean room clothing and taken on a tour of the production facilities.  The participants were able to see the advanced production equipment, and the inspection and testing equipment that ensures the quality of the company’s products.

After having visited AT&S we continued the excursion visiting the company Pankl Racing Systems - Aerospace Factory Europe.

Pankl Racing Systems AG based in Kapfenberg, Austria, specializes in developing and manufacturing engine- and drivetrain components for racing cars, high performance vehicles and the aerospace industry. Pankl scores with lightweight components made from high-grade innovative materials designed to withstand extreme mechanical stress. Pankl is a global niche player with worldwide subsidiaries in Austria, Germany, UK, USA, Slovakia, China, and Japan. Pankl employs more than 2.400 people.

Pankl Aerospace with operations in the US and Europe is serving the global aerospace market as a Tier One Supplier for transmission components, engine shafts, refueling tubes and landing gear parts for fixed and rotary wing aircraft. They are also involved in specific aircraft design projects, co-operating with prime manufacturers for design, test and qualification.