Electronics manufacturers within the mainland EU have to combat lower labor costs elsewhere. Here's how an Austrian-based business competes using automation.
Conventional wisdom tells us that running an electronics manufacturing operation within the mainland European Union (EU) is not cost-effective against the lower labor costs of Central Europe, Mexico or the Far East. This is especially the case when odd-form components are involved. A new Siemens manufacturing facility at Siegendorf, 70 kilometers south of Vienna, embodies a unique manufacturing philosophy that allows it to offer a consistently high-quality product and compete effectively against lower cost geographic regions.