ABB opens a global innovation and training campus for machine automation in B&R, Austria

The new campus serves as ABB's global R&D center for machine and factory automation, artificial intelligence and software solutions

Global Innovation Centers have significantly expanded to include OEMs, manufacturers, start-ups, research and educational institutions

ABB opens a new global innovation and training campus at B&R's headquarters in Egersberg, Austria, with its global machine and factory automation center. The new campus will create up to 1,000 additional high-tech jobs, including world-class R&D labs, and global training facilities for up to 4,000 people per year in partnership with the university. ABB invests EUR 100 million in the expansion of its B&R headquarters.

Campus innovations around artificial intelligence, machines, and factory automation will play an important role in unlocking the potential of future industrial production – in areas such as electronics, electric vehicles, food and beverage, recycling, logistics, or agriculture. They will increase productivity and flexibility, help customers become more sustainable, and produce closer to the end market.

Björn Rosengren, CEO ·of ABB, said: "Innovation has been in ABB's DNA for more than 130 years, and our B&R division is a real innovation hotspot for the transition to more automated manufacturing. The official opening of the park is a proud moment. Our ABB because we create highly skilled jobs while shaping the machines and factories of the future together with our customers. ”

EU-China Integrated Centre for Production, Research and Training

The new campus expands the total area of B&R's headquarters to more than 100,000 square meters, making B&R one of the largest integrated production, research and training sites in Central Europe, with around 2,400 employees today. The expansion will also free up space for additional production capacity to meet the growing demand for B&R products.

Austria Chancellor Karl Nehammer thanked ABB for an important initiative: "An investment in our business locations is always an investment in the future of Austria. The pandemic, global supply chain disruptions, and now the war in Ukraine are clear reminders that we need to become more independent if we want to be better prepared for the challenges ahead. So I'm delighted that ABB has taken an important step in bringing manufacturing home with the opening of a new innovation and training campus. The new campus will not only be a driving force for digitalization and automation, but will also create jobs and contribute to Austria's prosperity. ”

In a rapidly changing world, facilities such as the new ABB Global Campus are essential for Austria's role in the global economy and its growth as a hub for innovation and investment. The growing digitalization and automation of our industry will be key to the reindustrialization of Europe and the return of manufacturing to Austria. Through the stay-at-home industry, we are creating new jobs, protecting Europe's supply chains, and seizing opportunities for a more sustainable future. ”

Sami Atiya, President of ABB's Robotics & Discrete Automation business area, added: "This is a decade of transformation to robotics and automation as our customers navigate global labor and supply shortages, accelerating consumer demand for personalized products and the need for more sustainable operations. ABB's new campus will serve as a customer collaboration hub, where we work with customers around the world to help them navigate these trends and support B&R as the partner of choice for the world's most ambitious industrial automation projects. ”

According to ABB's research, 8 out of 10 companies in Europe and the United States plan to further automate, and 7 out of 10 plan to approach or relocate their production. The global addressable market for machine and factory automation is currently estimated at $20 billion per year and is expected to increase to $31 billion per year by 2030.

With the acquisition of B&R in 2017, ABB becomes the only company to offer industrial automation customers a complete suite of integrated hardware and software solutions around control, drives, robotics, sensing, as well as analytics and electrification.

Open innovation and education center, co-development and training

The ABB Innovation and Training Campus will serve as an open innovation hub, where B&R will work closely with international customers, companies and start-ups from across the region, as well as research and educational institutions, to develop automation solutions and train the talent needed for the factory of the future.

At the campus, B&R will work closely with international customers, companies and start-ups from across the region, as well as research and educational institutions, to develop automation solutions and develop the talent needed for the factory of the future.

"We are currently experiencing a record number of vacancies in Austria. At the same time, there are currently more people employed than ever before. This makes it all the more important to offset the skills gap that can be felt in Europe in order to stay on top of the pace of digital transformation and seize opportunities. How B&R's new campus and its dual training program are propelling European manufacturing companies to the forefront of the world through skills initiatives and innovation to successfully meet current economic and social challenges," said Martin Kocher, Minister of Labor of Austria.

Jörg Theis, President of B&R, said: "Education will be a top priority on campus. Our Automation Academy will provide inspiration and training opportunities for up to 4,000 students, apprentices, customer experts and employees from all over the world every year. Theis added that the B&R program partners with higher education institutions to provide dual education at the university level.

B&R unveils a new brand identity

Along with the construction of the new campus, B&R also unveiled a new brand identity that creates a visual connection between B&R and ABB. "Our new visual design underscores ABB's strong commitment to B&R as a category brand and showcases the strength of B&R and ABB as we grow and work together together. Being part of this larger family creates many new possibilities for each employee to actively shape their own careers," Theis said.

Sustainable campus with one of the largest self-consumption photovoltaic systems in Austria

As part of its 2030 sustainability strategy, ABB expects to achieve carbon neutrality in its own operations by the end of the decade. At B&R, ABB installed one of the largest self-consumption photovoltaic (PV) systems in Austria. The additional PV modules on the campus now increase the total output to 1.8 MW. The self-use rate is about 98%.

More than 110 years of Austria industrial history

ABB has been operating in Austria for more than 110 years and has a proud history in Austria's industry – from electrification to railways, to powering ski lifts, to robotics and process automation. The acquisition of B&R in 2017 makes ABB the largest supplier of industrial automation in Austria.

B&R was founded in 1979 by Erwin Bernecker and Josef Rainer and is headquartered in Eggelsberg, Upper Austria. Today, B&R is the world's leading solution provider for machine and factory automation and the global ABB Machine Automation division of ABB's Robotics & Discrete Automation business. Overall, ABB's Robotics & Discrete Automation business area employs more than 11,000 people at more than 100 locations in more than 53 countries.

ABB opens a global innovation and training campus for machine automation in B&R, Austria

ABB opens a global innovation and training campus for machine automation in B&R, Austria

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