Innovative Sensor Technology IST AG dedicates new building
Swiss sensor manufacturer moves into modern production and office facilities
Der neue Hauptsitz der Innovative Sensor Technology IST AG liegt in der Region Toggenburg im Kanton St. Gallen. Hier beschäftigt das erfolgreiche High-Tech-Unternehmen rund 100 Mitarbeitende. / The new Innovative Sensor Technology IST AG headquarters are located in eastern Switzerland. The building offers nearly 100 employees of the high-tech company a modern work envi-ronment.
Dr. Mirko Lehmann, Geschäftsführer der Innovative Sensor Technology IST AG. / Dr Mirko Lehmann, Managing Director of Innovative Sensor Technology IST AG.
Jedes der modernen Sitzungszimmer trägt den Namen eines Berggipfels. / Each meeting room is named after a local mountain of the Swiss Alps one can see through the window.
In den neuen Reinräumen der Innovative Sensor Technology IST AG wird in der Beschichtung Platin von höchster Reinheit auf ein Keramiksubstrat „gesputtert“ (geschossen). / During deposition, a ceramic substrate is sputtered with high purity platinum inside IST AGs new clean rooms.
Während des Nassätzens wird jedes einzelne Substrat in verschiedene Chemikalien eingetaucht. / During wet processes each substrate is submerged into various chemicals.
Vor dem Versand wird jeder Sensor daraufhin überprüft, ob er die Kundenanforderungen erfüllt. Mehr als zehn Millionen Sensoren produziert die Innovative Sensor Technology IST AG jedes Jahr. / Each sensor is measured to ensure it meets the customer’s requirements. Annually, more than ten million sensors are produced and distributed world-wide.
Die Innovative Sensor Technology IST AG hat 4.000 Produkte im Angebot und entwickelt jährlich mehr als 200 neue Sensoren für Temperatur, Feuchte, Strömung und Leitfähigkeit. / Innovative Sensor Technology IST AG offers more than 4.000 different sensors and develops more than 200 new products every year covering temperature, humidity, flow and conductivity.
Innovative Sensor Technology IST AG has invested more than 14 million Swiss francs in its new headquarters in Ebnat-Kappel, Switzerland. The new building offers nearly 100 employees of the high-tech company a modern work environment, ensuring the production, development, sales and administration departments can work efficiently.
The company develops, manufactures and markets world-class sensors for measuring temperature, humidity, flow and conductivity. These high-quality products are used in a broad range of applications such as HVAC, medical technology, process automation and aerospace. The company, with more than 160 employees in Ebnat-Kappel, (Switzerland), Roznov, (Czech Republic), and Las Vegas, (USA), manufactures more than ten million sensors annually and sells them on all five continents. “We are a global company to the core,” emphasizes Managing Director Dr Mirko Lehmann.
Added flexibility in development and manufacturing
The company specializes in sensors based on thin-film deposition. “The production processes place high demands on the work flow and the infrastructure,” explains Dr Jörn Lützen, member of the management board and head of the new building construction project. “This new, dedicated facility provides the ideal conditions for meeting these challenges.” Roughly half of the 5,000-square-meter floor space is reserved for production and development with 800 square meters set aside for the clean room. “Because the presence of even the tiniest impurities makes it impossible for us to manufacture sensors with micrometer precision, an absolutely pure environment is essential,” adds Jörn Lützen.
Given that IST boasts around 4,000 different products and adds more than 200 new ones each year, the Managing Director emphasizes that “the new production facilities increase our flexibility.” Last but not least, the expansion allows the company to drive the development of new products such as biosensors or sensors for gas analysis. “We have a reputation for quickly understanding what the customer wants and tackling and rapidly implementing new developments. This calls for effective communication between all of the departments, which the new building facilitates thanks to a creative interior design,” says Mirko Lehmann.
A visible commitment to the region
IST shared rented premises with other companies in the adjacent community of Wattwill until 2012. The operation was spread over several floors. Managing Director Mirko Lehmann felt it was important for the company to remain in eastern Switzerland. “Apart from the fact that most of our employees live here in the region of Toggenburg, the new building is in a very beautiful, quiet and natural setting that motivates us to be even more productive while attracting job seekers. Our business partners also enjoy visiting us.”
The company celebrated the dedication of the new facility on 6 September 2013 in the presence of numerous guests. The three-story building was erected in less than 18 months. More than half of the investment for the construction of the building went to regional companies. The third-floor cafeteria features a glass façade with a magnificent view of the Churfirsten mountain range, part of the eastern Swiss Alps and landmark of the Toggenburg area. Mirko Lehmann: “This region still has tremendous potential for continued growth.”
