Austria-based AT&S receives €250M loan from EIB to secure Europe’s microchip supply

The European Investment Bank (EIB) announced on Tuesday, May 9, that it is granting a €250M loan to Austria Technologie & Systemtechnik AG (AT&S), a Europe-based leading manufacturer of high-end printed circuit boards and integrated circuit substrates.

AT&S says it will use the money to fund its research and development efforts and to construct a new research centre at its headquarters in Leoben, Austria.

Thomas Östros, VP of EIB who oversees financing in Austria, says, “We are proud to support AT&S, a highly innovative company that is key to achieving digital autonomy in Europe. The Leoben research centre, in collaboration with universities and research institutions, will serve to develop knowledge within the industry.”

EIB’s top goals are climate and the environment, development, innovation and skills, small and medium-sized enterprises, infrastructure, and cohesion. It collaborates with EU institutions to further grow the European Union and support EU policies in over 140 nations globally.

Everything you need to know about AT&S

Founded in 1987, AT&S claims to be a leading maker of high-end printed circuit boards and integrated circuit substrates (also known as IC substrates).

The company industrialises “cutting-edge” technology for its primary business segments (Mobile Devices & Substrates, and Automotive, Industrial and Medical).

According to AT&S, modern microchips such as processors in smartphones and laptops and graphics card cores include billions of transistors crammed into the smallest feasible space. IC substrates connect the small inputs and outputs of powerful microchips to the bigger structures on printed circuit boards.

They create a bridge between the nanoworld of semiconductors and the microworld of printed circuit boards.

Currently, IC substrates are present in practically all high-performance microchip housings, which are required for smartphones, PCs, 5G networks, supercomputers, 3D scanners, servers, AI applications, and other devices. They are essential for all types of data transport, processing, and storage.

AT&S has a footprint all over the world with industrial facilities in Austria (Leoben and Fehring), India (Nanjangud), China (Shanghai and Chongqing), and South Korea (Ansan, close to Seoul). In Kulim, Malaysia, a brand-new, high-end IC substrate manufacturing plant is also being constructed.

Currently, the firm has about 15,000 employees.

What’s next for AT&S?

AT&S’ new centre in Leoben will assist the EU in achieving digital independence, which is a priority under the European Chips Act, at the EU level. 

The company’s aim is to build a chip ecosystem that will guarantee Europe’s supply security for microchips and enhance its ability to produce digital technologies.

Andreas Gerstenmayer, CEO of AT&S, says, “This centre of expertise for IC substrates and microelectronics packaging being built in Austria is the only one of its kind in Europe.”

“This investment will serve AT&S customers in the high-end semiconductor sector as well as international research institutions. It will be a major regional development project and also create many appealing jobs,” adds Gerstenmayer.