New multifuncational factory for ZEISS in Wetzlar celebrates topping-out ceremony

• Technology company marks construction milestone at business location in Central Hesse
• Expansion building strengthens ZEISS and Wetzlar as "City of Optics" as drivers of global digitalization
• The investment of the ZEISS Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology segment makes Wetzlar attractive for new employees
  

The ZEISS Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology (SMT) segment has reached an important milestone in the expansion building of its new multifunctional factory in Dillfeld, Wetzlar: After groundbreaking in spring 2023, the company celebrated the topping-out ceremony on June 28, 2024. The new building expands the existing SMT plant at the Central Hesse business location and responds to the strong demand for semiconductor manufacturing equipment as well as high customer needs. In the future, around 150 employees will manufacture state-of-the-art DUV (deep ultraviolet light) lithography systems and other high-tech products on a production area of 12,000 square meters.

With the topping-out ceremony of the shell construction, an important milestone of the construction project has been reached. Chief Operating Officer (COO) Christoph Hensche emphasizes the importance of the new multifunctional factory: "The increasing digitization is rising the demand for semiconductor manufacturing equipment, thus sustainably growing the ZEISS semiconductor segment. We are pleased that we are also expanding our capacities with a modern factory at the Wetzlar location and at the same time making production more efficient." The management team of ZEISS SMT, together with the employees from Wetzlar and the construction managers, participated in the topping-out ceremony. They witnessed the lifting of the topping-out wreath and listened to the speech of the construction manager.

The multifunctional factory complements the existing SMT location in Dillfeld, Wetzlar. In order to produce lithography optics with the highest precision in the future, the new plant must meet special construction requirements: "The state-of-the-art multifunctional factory will offer us excellent conditions for the production of DUV lithography optics in the future. The improved framework conditions include new production areas for optics, coating and assembly, as well as a construction that is resistant to vibrations," explains site manager Katrin Ariki, and continues: "The investment will also strengthen the region and the Wetzlar location as the "City of Optics": With the newly gained space and capacity, the personnel requirements will also increase.

Already in October 2023, the existing ZEISS location in Gloelstraße, Wetzlar, was expanded by over 3,000 square meters of newly created production space. This expansion paved the way for further growth through additional production capacities.

More than 80 percent of all microchips worldwide are manufactured with lithography optics from ZEISS SMT. Wetzlar is one of five German production sites of the technology company in the optical and optoelectronic industry. For more than two decades, around 500 employees have been producing DUV lithography optics here. This makes ZEISS a key driver of global digitization. In addition to lithography optics, ZEISS also produces high-quality binoculars, spotting scopes, and hunting optics in Wetzlar.