To satisfy the growing global demand for current and voltage sensing driven by the push towards decarbonization and greater electrification, electrical measurement technology specialist LEM has opened new research and development facilities in Munich and Shanghai.
The two new sites will enable LEM to build greater intelligence into its sensors and to have development bases closer to key customers, while also promoting deeper collaboration on projects and the efficient sharing of vital product design information. While the China site will be kitted out with the very latest laboratory equipment, the site in Germany will focus on application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) design and semiconductor technology that will help accelerate LEM’s innovation in integrated current sensors (ICSs).
This latest investment in additional R&D facilities in Europe and Asia follows on from LEM’s recent inauguration of a state-of-the-art factory in Malaysia which incorporates advanced manufacturing technology. LEM’s investment in the state of Penang was an acknowledgment of the region’s expertise in ASIC technology and its specialization in semiconductor design and production. The Penang factory was the latest example of LEM’s quest to secure its operations while diversifying its global footprint so that it could serve customers better through a combination of advanced production facilities and skilled personnel.
LEM is now backing up this significant investment in production capacity and flexible delivery with R&D capabilities that are designed to complement the existing site in Lyon (France), which opened in 2017, and to build on R&D activities that were already ongoing in Sofia (Bulgaria), now in their new office in the city centre. Led by Matthias Tänzer, the development team at the new Munich semiconductor facility will work closely with LEM’s existing ICS team in Geneva, Switzerland. There are already 10 employees in place at Munich and this number will increase in line with LEM’s ambitious growth plans for the site. At the 1400m2 Shanghai facility, there are currently 30 staff with the capacity to more than double that number in the future, many of whom will be involved in R&D.
LEM CTO Verena Vescoli says: “As a leader in electrical measurement, we strongly believe that integrated current sensing is a critical part of our future growth and competitive advantage, and it is vital that we have an ICS offering that can meet our customers’ needs. The new R&D center in Munich will enable us to accelerate on IC design and enable a broad ICS portfolio. It is always a delight to see multiple teams working together to share the depth of their ICS design expertise and application know-how and I am very excited by the potential for growth that the new Munich and Shanghai sites will offer.”
LEM SVP Asia John McLuskie adds: “In an increasingly competitive market place, we are continuing to invest in the future and to develop solutions that our customers value. China is an important source of technology and innovation, both for our customers and for LEM. The new R&D facility in Shanghai will work together with the existing site in Beijing and enable us to be physically closer to our customers and to deliver our solutions to them even faster than was possible before.”
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