May 7, 2025. After around two and a half years of construction, the Jenoptik Group has completed its largest single investment in recent history and officially inaugurated its new plant in Dresden. With the expansion of its production and research and development capacities for innovative micro-optics, Jenoptik is supporting production technologies with state-of-the-art, high-precision sensors for high-performance chips, for example for applications in AI.
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The new Jenoptik fab in Dresden was officially opened on May 6, 2025 in the presence of customers, partners, construction participants, neighbors and representatives from business, politics and authorities from the Free State of Saxony and the City of Dresden. Together with the Prime Minister of the Free State of Saxony, Michael Kretschmer, and the Lord Mayor of the City of Dresden, Dirk Hilbert, Jenoptik CEO Dr. Stefan Traeger and Site Manager Dr. Andreas Morak pressed the symbolic start button, which opened the factory with a short light show. Jenoptik also invited around 200 employees from the micro-optics business in Dresden and Jena to a joint employee party the next day to celebrate the opening.
Opening in Dresden, from left: Ralf Kuschnereit (Jenoptik Executive Board member), Dirk Hilbert (Lord Mayor of Dresden), Michael Kretschmer (Prime Minister of Saxony) and Stefan Traeger (Jenoptik CEO). Photo: Jenoptik
“We are proud to have completed this largest single investment in the company’s recent history on schedule, at just under 100 million euros. In a challenging environment with constantly rising prices and scarce resources, this is an outstanding achievement. Our thanks go to all those involved in the construction, our employees and everyone who made this possible,” said Dr. Stefan Traeger, CEO of JENOPTIK AG.
Michael Kretschmer, Minister President of Saxony, emphasized: “The opening of the new Jenoptik plant in Dresden is a strong signal for innovation and cooperation in ‘Silicon Saxony’. The fact that the world-renowned Jenoptik Group is now consolidating its production of special micro-optics and sensors for the semiconductor equipment industry here means additional positive effects for employment and value creation. At the same time, the new plant will contribute to the further successful development of the unique semiconductor ecosystem here. This will benefit not only the Saxon economy, but also Germany and Europe as a whole – through greater European sovereignty and technological independence in a key industry.”
“The opening of the Jenoptik fab will give the microelectronics location a further boost. Dresden and Silicon Saxony are leaders because companies and research institutions here represent cutting-edge technologies along the entire value chain of the semiconductor industry. The state capital of Dresden is proud to have supported Jenoptik, such an innovative and globally active company based in eastern Germany, in its growth for many years. The fact that the largest investment project in the company’s history is being realized here in Dresden underlines the great confidence in the location,” said Dresden’s Lord Mayor Dirk Hilbert on Jenoptik’s investment.
With the new factory, Dresden will become an important location for Jenoptik’s micro-optics activities. “We deliberately chose one of the most important locations for the semiconductor industry in Germany and Europe, where many global companies and research institutions in the sector are represented,” said Dr. Stefan Traeger at the opening ceremony.
Almost 100 employees now work in an extremely sophisticated production environment at the new high-tech factory. Production takes place exclusively in ISO 5 and ISO 3 class cleanrooms, which meet the highest requirements for vibration-free operation and temperature stability. The locations previously spread across the city of Dresden are now united under one roof. The new site offers significantly expanded production capacities for technologically sophisticated micro-optics and micro-optical sensors. These are primarily used in systems for semiconductor lithography and inspection, but also in systems for laser material processing, for example.
Jenoptik invested almost 100 million euros in the new site with a total net area of 11,000 m², including 2,000 m² for clean room production. In addition, considerable investments were made in state-of-the-art production facilities, some of which were relocated and some of which were expanded.
In addition to the demanding production conditions, the factory also meets high environmental standards: Jenoptik is in the process of achieving the “KfW 40 Standard” and the “LEED Gold Standard Certification”, which are very comprehensive and strict building criteria in terms of sustainability. Recycled materials were used during construction, a photovoltaic system was installed on the roof and, in addition to intelligent control technology, an energy-efficient building envelope and a cooling and heat recovery system were installed. In addition, a central chemicals management system ensures economical consumption.
Jenoptik has been active in Dresden since 2007. In addition to Dresden, Jenoptik also manufactures its high-precision and micro-optical products in Jena and Triptis (polymer optics) in Thuringia, in Heerbrugg in Switzerland and in Jupiter (Florida) and Huntsville (Alabama) in the USA. The Group employs around 4,600 people worldwide.
Micro-optics and micro-optical sensors are characterized by the highest precision in the smallest space and a very flat design. They direct light using micro- and nanostructures and, unlike conventional optics, are manufactured using a lithographic process similar to that used in semiconductor production. In addition to chip production, they are used in other, primarily technological manufacturing processes that require highly precise and/or very flexible positioning of light for process steps, such as laser material processing or quality assurance, including inspection processes.
The semiconductor equipment industry is the most important area of application for the micro-optics produced at the Dresden site. Micro-optical sensors enable, for example, the precise positioning of wafers during lithographic processes in chip production. Areas of application include both DUV (deep ultraviolet) and EUV (extreme ultraviolet) lithography.
Jenoptik is a global technology group operating in the photonics market. Our growth areas include semiconductor, medical, measurement and transportation technology. The Jenoptik Group, headquartered in Jena (Germany), employs around 4,600 people worldwide. JENOPTIK AG is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and included in the MDAX and TecDAX. In the 2024 financial year, Jenoptik generated revenue of around 1.12 billion euros.
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Photo: Jenoptik
