Semiconductor manufacturer

NXP expands Gratkorn site by 250 employees

Employees from over 50 nations work at NXP in Gratkorn.(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

Good news from the Styrian economy: the internationally important Gratkorn site of the semiconductor company NXP is growing by 250 employees. The new six-storey building full of high-tech laboratories was officially opened on Thursday afternoon.

It has been a year and a half in the making and now the time has come: Dutch semiconductor manufacturer NXP is expanding its site in Gratkorn by 400 square meters of laboratory space and up to 250 jobs. In future, even more work will be put into research and development here.

"The opening is an important milestone for our community," says Mayor Michael Feldgrill (SPÖ). With around 1,250 employees at the Sappi paper mill and 800 employees at NXP, Gratkorn plays an important role in the Styrian economy. Worldwide, NXP provides jobs for as many as 34,000 people in over 30 countries.

Markus Stäblein (CEO NXP Austria), Barbara Eibinger-Miedl (ÖVP), Mayor of Gratkorn Michael Feldgrill (SPÖ) and Wolfgang Steinbauer (CTO NXP Austria) press the button that opens the expanded company building.(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

A guided tour of the new laboratories gives an insight into the work of the experts in microelectronics. Measuring devices, screens and circuit boards as far as the eye can see. "The focus of the activities taking place in the extension is, among other things, in the area of innovative security concepts in conjunction with energy-efficient microprocessor and communication platforms," explains Wolfgang Steinbauer, one of the two Managing Directors of NXP Austria.

This inconspicuous component from NXP drives the modern operation of cars.(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

These technologies are needed for a green digital transformation and the sovereignty of critical infrastructures. One example of the 0.2 to 120 square millimeter chips from NXP is the further development of a car key: our cell phones will soon be equipped with a chip that replaces the familiar key and automatically unlocks the car when a certain proximity is reached.

The brains behind these high-tech developments are employees from over 50 nations. At the opening ceremony, Managing Director Markus Stäblein highlighted them as the driving force behind the location. And Barbara Eibinger-Miedl (ÖVP), State Councillor for Economic Affairs, also praised NXP's investment in terms of Styria's pioneering role in research and development.