- Beat Tinner, member of the St.Gallen government, sees the new building as a clear
commitment to East Switzerland as an industrial location - State-of-the-art test and application laboratories, attractive offices and an employee
restaurant will be built on 12,000 m2 of floor space. - A budget of CHF 40 million is available for the major project
On September 13, 2023, VAT broke ground for the new Innovation Center at the center of its corporate campus in Haag, with a budget of CHF 40 million. The research, development and application activities of VAT will be united under one roof on approximately 12,000 m2 over four floors. The building, which is to be operated on a 100 percent CO2-neutral basis, is aiming for LEED Gold (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) sustainability certification. The Innovation Center is scheduled to open in spring 2025.
Mike Allison, CEO of the VAT Group, and Urs Gantner, Executive Vice President of the in-house Semiconductor Solutions Group and designated CEO from January 1, 2024, welcomed those present to the symbolic act. Mike Allison described the new building as one of the most important milestones in the company’s success story since Siegfried Schertler moved his business from Flawil to Haag in 1965. Urs Gantner described the Innovation Center as the heart of VAT’s innovation activities.
“It is designed to accelerate our customer-centric innovation and deliver the key innovations needed for the digital age,”
Gantner said.
The St.Gallen cantonal government was represented by Beat Tinner, head of the Department of Economic Affairs, and Susanne Hartmann, head of the Department of Construction and Environment. Tinner assessed the building project as a convincing commitment to Eastern Switzerland as a place to work.
“In times of a shortage of skilled workers, the Innovation Center is an immensely positive sign,”
Tinner stated.
The latest investment at VAT’s headquarters thus indirectly secures and strengthens the outstanding position of the Canton of St.Gallen in the precision industry.
After the speeches, the responsible persons and guests visited the construction pit. To symbolize the future of the site, a time capsule was sunk into the ground containing a new VAT valve, a construction plan of the Innovation Center and current newspaper issues of the region. The contained ALD (Atomic Layer Deposition) valve is an excellent example of the bridge between VAT traditions and the departure into new business fields, as it will enable critical coating processes for the generation after next of microchips. Thus, the cornerstones of the Innovation Center will be preserved for posterity.
Source: VAT, Sep 15, 2023