Concept Laser 3D Campus Groundbreaking
Left to right: Andreas Hügerich (Mayor of city of Lichtenfels), Dr. Wolfgang Dierker (National Executive GE Germany & Austria / Government Affairs & Policy Leader), Emmi Zeulner (Member of the Bundestag), Frank Herzog (Founder and Chairman & Chief Executive Officer Concept Laser GmbH), Ilse Aigner (Bavarian Minister of Economic Affairs and Media, Energy, and Technology), Siegfried Schmelze (Schmelzle + Partner MBB Architekten BD), Christian Meißner (District Cief Executive of Lichtenfels), Peter Gärtner (Schmelzle + Partner MBB Architekten BD) (v.l.n.r.).
GE and Concept Laser have broken ground on a new facility which will be the setting for research and development, as well as production, service and logistics.
Located in Lichtenfels, Germany the 40,000-square-metre 3D Campus facility will be up and running in early 2019, and host around 500 staff. It will enable machine production capacity to reach a rate of four times higher than it is today, becoming a global GE centre for the manufacturing of metal 3D printing machines, and supporting the multinational conglomerate’s goal of producing 10,000 3D printers by 2026.
With an investment of around €105 million, GE expects the 3D Campus to strengthen the company’s presence in the 3D printing market, and facilitate the growth of the Concept Laser business.
“I am pleased to take the next step in our growth strategy with [this] ground-breaking,” said Frank Herzog, founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Concept Laser GmbH. “We are not only laying the foundation for a new facility, but also creating skilled in jobs in the region. Lichtenfels will become a global beacon for industrial 3D printing as the new GE centre.”
Herzog wished to thank all involved in the launching of the facility, marking another advancement in the company’s growth since GE sought to acquire it this time last year. It follows the recent introduction of a new Beta metal 3D printing machine at formnext powered by TCT, developed within the A.T.L.A.S project. While Concept Laser is making strides under the GE Additive umbrella, it is also ensuring the Lichtenfels are is benefitting. As a result of the 3D Campus, hundreds of new, skilled jobs will be created, marking Lictenfels as a focal point of GE’s metal 3D printing operations.
“The investment made by GE and Concept Laser is a clear statement of confidence in the location,” said Ilse Aigner, Bavarian Minister of Economic Affairs and Media, Energy, and Technology. “It secures jobs and provides a vital boost to growth in the region. The 3D Campus will create a centre for 3D metal printing that offers real added value for the whole of Bavaria. 3D printing is becoming more prevalent in almost all sectors because it allows lighter, more variable and more stable components to be produced using fewer resources. Additive manufacturing therefore has an important role to play for Bavaria as a forward-looking industrial location.”
