Buchs cleanroom set for transformation into Sensor Innovation Hub

(CONNECT) The expansion of the Buchs cleanroom has got the go-ahead from St.Gallen voters with over 77 percent approval, according to a press release issued by the canton of St. Gallen. As such, plans to renovate the cleanroom and expand the site into the Sensor Innovation Hub can now be realized. The cleanroom, which is of equal importance to St. Gallen technology companies and researchers alike, is already used to develop technologies needed around the world, such as those used in smartphone cameras and automotive sensors. The canton of St.Gallen will shoulder 19.5 million Swiss francs of the renovation costs, with total costs not permitted to exceed 22 million Swiss francs by 2034.

“With this investment in the cleanroom, we are supporting companies so that jobs and research opportunities remain in the canton”, as Beat Tinner, President of the St.Gallen cantonal government and head of the cantonal Department of Economic Affairs, stated in advance of the vote.

Operated jointly by OST and RhySearch, the Research and Innovation Centre Rheintal, the cleanroom is situated on the OST’s Buchs campus in the canton of St.Gallen. However, the equipment and facilities available are no longer equipped for modern requirements, which has made this expansion necessary. In this way, young professionals and researchers would not have to relocate after their training, but can instead continue to utilize the infrastructure in Buchs. “The expansion and modernization of the cleanroom is also an investment in the future of our canton as a center of educational excellence”, comments Bettina Surber, member of the St.Gallen cantonal government and head of the Department of Education. ce/jh