A REASON TO CELEBRATE: 25 YEARS OF TECHNOLOGY PARK VILLACH
For 25 years, Technology Park Villach has stood for innovation, research, education and technological development. What was once the site of a pulp mill in St. Magdalen has developed into an internationally oriented technology and education hub where companies, research institutions and educational institutions work closely together. The 25th anniversary will be celebrated in October with an exclusive anniversary evening and an Open Day.
Anyone walking through Technology Park Villach in St. Magdalen today encounters a completely different world from just a few decades ago. Modern buildings, laboratories, research and development facilities, and technology companies now shape the site. Around 700 employees, 1,000 students and 70 apprentices currently work, study and conduct research here. More than 40 companies are based on the 27-hectare area.
FROM PULP MILL TO INTERNATIONAL HIGH-TECH LOCATION
A pulp mill was established in St. Magdalen in 1902 and shaped the site for decades. When it closed in 1989, Villach faced the challenge of developing a new future for the area.
The answer was a technology initiative: in 1997, the City of Villach acquired the site of the former pulp mill and additional plots of land to create a contiguous area for new businesses and organisations. The aim was to establish Villach as a high-tech location in the Alpine-Adriatic region. Microelectronics, geoinformatics, mechatronics, renewable energy and geomatics were identified as key fields for the future.
MICROELECTRONICS AS A DRIVING FORCE
Microelectronics became a particular driving force behind the site's development. Major players in the international semiconductor industry, including Infineon Technologies and Lam Research, were already present in Villach. Technology Park built on this industrial expertise and created an environment in which business, research and education are closely interconnected.
The foundation for today's campus was laid in 2001 with the arrival of Carinthia University of Applied Sciences and Carinthian Tech Research, now Silicon Austria Labs. This established a focus on high-tech companies specialising in microelectronics and microsystems. Today, for example, SAL operates the SAL Microfab in Villach, Austria's largest research cleanroom complex, with a total area of 1,400 m², further highlighting its national and international significance.
FROM INDUSTRIAL SITE TO AN INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM
One of the Technology Park's strengths lies in the close proximity of its stakeholders. Students meet companies, research meets industrial practice, and young talent meets experienced technology organisations. Knowledge is shared, contacts are made and collaborations grow. Over the years, WIFI, as well as Campo, a training centre for skilled workers, and a kindergarten with its “mini educational lab”, have joined the innovative businesses at the site. A student residence has also undoubtedly contributed to the internationalisation of the university campus.
“Villach offers all forms of education, from kindergarten through to university of applied sciences level. That is also one of the achievements of the Technology Park,” says Mayor Günther Albel.
The Technology Park Villach has therefore long been much more than a business location. It is part of an education and innovation ecosystem that continues to shape Villach as a technology and business location.
“The future is created where people have the courage to take new paths. For 25 years, Technology Park Villach has stood for exactly this ambition: rethinking what already exists, enabling innovation and creating space for new ideas. An industrial history has developed into an international technology and education location. Now it is about continuing this development and shaping the next chapters of the future together.”
– Bernhard Lamprecht, Managing Director of Technology Park Villach
HOW THE ANNIVERSARY WILL BE CELEBRATED
The 25th anniversary of Technology Park Villach will be celebrated with two events in mid-October. Invited guests and visitors will have the opportunity to explore how the area has developed and find out what the future holds for the Technology Park.
ANNIVERSARY EVENING
The anniversary celebrations will begin on 15 October 2026 with an exclusive anniversary evening for invited guests. Invited guests and key figures who have helped shape the site over the past 25 years will look back on 25 years of Technology Park Villach while also looking ahead to the site's future development. The highlight of the programme will be the keynote talk “No Quantum Computer Without Microelectronics” by quantum physicist Dr Beatrix Hiesmayr (IT Linz).
OPEN DAY
On 16 October 2026, Technology Park Villach will open its doors to everyone interested from 9 a.m. Visitors can experience the transformation from the former pulp mill site into a modern technology and research location and get to know the companies and institutions based there.
Participants include SAL, build!, T.I.P.S., GPS, CU – Carinthia University of Applied Sciences and its laboratories, as well as other important partner companies and institutions. They will provide insights into their work, technologies and current projects, showcasing the innovative strength that is now part of the Villach site.
