Schaeffler opens new €90m technology centre in Herzogenaurach

Schaeffler AG has invested around €90 million in the construction of a new technology centre at its headquarters in Herzogenaurach, Germany.

Now open, the new technology centre is said to have a footprint of more than 18,000 square metres and brings together core areas of expertise in materials science and materials engineering, which Schaeffler says are vitally important for the development of technological innovations in the fields of electric mobility, battery technology and hydrogen.

Uwe Wagner, chief technology officer of Schaeffler AG, said: “Innovative materials are extremely important for sustainable solutions in the field of motion technologies, for example in electric mobility, robotics or wind power.

“The technology centre in Herzogenaurach will set benchmarks and strengthen our global R&D network in the long term.”

According to Schaeffler, its new technology centre can accommodate a workforce of around 340 and consists of 15 laboratories covering measuring, testing and calibrating systems and material, chemical, coating and nano technologies. The focus is primarily on solutions that facilitate the energy and mobility transition.

In the new laboratories, research activities will concentrate on materials science and materials engineering, for example innovative coatings for solid state batteries or Schaeffler hydrogen bipolar plates.

Moreover, an EMC laboratory allows the electromagnetic compatibility of electronic components like Schaeffler’s innovative power electronics to be tested. Schaeffler says these tests are crucial for electric mobility, as they help to make products safer and more resistant to electromagnetic interference.

The building meets the most stringent requirements for sustainability and has been certified to the DGNB (German Sustainable Building Council) gold standard. For example, it uses waste heat from production processes for heating.

The new technology centre’s ‘Motion Hub’ is a separate area where the company will present its realigned range of products and services – which resulted from the acquisition of Vitesco Technologies and now features eight product families – to customers, suppliers and employees.