How EFSI benefits SMEs in Europe - UniCredit Bank Austria case study: mechatronic Systemtechnik (Austria), Hi-tech; semiconductor equipment; transport of wafers

Wafers are thin slices of material that are used for the fabrication of electronic integrated circuits, used in devices for smartphones or automotive electronics. As technology has advanced, wafers have become thinner and thinner and subsequently much more fragile. They could deform when touched by a gripper and can easily break. This makes transportation a challenge. Thin wafers need to be transported on a base, such as an air cushion, rather than using traditional contact points.

This is where mechatronic Systemtechnik, an Austria-based company, comes into play: the company has become the leading company in the world able to provide non-contact handling for thin and ultra-thin wafers. This is achieved through fully automated handling systems and specialised machines that match each client’s specific needs. Sabine Kampitsch, Head of Finance and Controlling, explains that “we intervene at the end of the production chain, when the wafers are thinned and warped and need to be transported to the next step in the manufacturing process.”

The technology behind this machinery is key to mechatronic Systemtechnik’s success. The company has developed an internationally unique product portfolio and is continuously producing new inventions and developing components and machines to maintain their lead in the industry. Investment in research & development corresponds to around 6% of annual sales, and mechatronic Systemtechnik collaborates with research and academic institutions across Europe, from Germany to Switzerland and the UK.

To support the company’s growth and allow for the development of new machinery, UniCredit Bank Austria provided mechatronic Systemtechnik with a loan backed by EIF under the Investment Plan for Europe, the EU initiative aiming to generate new investments in Europe through the support of small and medium-sized enterprises. The main reason for preferring this loan under the Investment Plan for Europe was that “the conditions of the loan were very attractive”, as Sabine puts it.

Company: mechatronic Systemtechnik (Austria)

Type of business: Manufacturing; Hi-tech; semiconductor equipment; transport of wafers

EIF financing: InnovFin SMEG, EFSI

For further information about EIF intermediaries in Austria, please refer to: http://www.eif.org/what_we_do/where/at