In the picturesque town of Leoben, nestled in Austria's Styria region, tradition meets cutting-edge technology. While the town is known for its pastel-coloured buildings and historic charm, it has quietly become a significant player in the global AI industry. AT&S, an electronics company headquartered in Leoben, is at the forefront of this transformation, producing integrated circuit (IC) substrates crucial for advanced AI systems.
The Rise of AT&S
AT&S has seen its shares surge by over 450 percent this year, making it one of Europe's most striking beneficiaries of the AI boom. The company specializes in making IC substrates, the boards that connect chips to computer memory and power supplies. These components are essential for high-speed data processing and reducing power consumption in AI systems.
Chief executive Michael Mertin believes that AT&S's success demonstrates that Europe can still find important niches in the AI race, even if it cannot compete with the US in chip innovation or Asia in production scale. 'We will not be the leading nation or the leading region... but there are some outstanding technologies where we are world leaders in Europe,' Mertin said.
Impact on Leoben
The growth of AT&S has brought significant changes to Leoben. The company employs around 2,200 people from over 70 countries, with approximately 60 percent of the staff being Austrian. This influx of workers has increased demand for housing, education, childcare, and other local services.
Kerstin Neukamp, a spokeswoman for the mayor's office, highlighted the positive impact of AT&S on the town. 'The growth of AT&S has brought highly qualified jobs and additional international visibility for the town and the region,' she said. Local residents, like Sigrid Halm, a 52-year-old social worker, also recognize the company's importance. 'AT&S is very important for the town, because there are a lot of jobs over there,' she noted.
The Technical University of Leoben, traditionally known for mining, metallurgy, and materials science, has been a steady supplier of engineers and technical specialists to AT&S. This symbiotic relationship between the university and the company underscores the town's growing importance in the tech industry.
