Tradition meets the future

No sector in Schaffhausen embodies the canton's versatile and future-oriented industrial expertise as impressively as the materials sector.

Industrial Base Schaffhausen

Short distances and diverse expertise at the highest technological level. These are some of the many advantages of the Advanced Materials location in Schaffhausen. Spatial proximity and close integration facilitate knowledge exchange and cooperation, as well as the availability of qualified professionals. The industrial site in Schaffhausen is characterized by pragmatism, an entrepreneurial can-do spirit, openness to innovation, and an international outlook.

Plastic

Schaffhausen has one of the highest concentrations of companies in the plastics processing industry worldwide. The wide variety of material, processing, and sustainability expertise offers companies specializing in technically demanding high-end products a unique development and production environment.

Metal

Since its beginnings in the early 18th century, the Schaffhausen metal processing industry has been a competence cluster with global significance. In a compact area, material research, material development, and material processing are closely integrated within a dense network of research and testing institutions, development service providers, and globally oriented production companies.

Netzwerk & Knowledge Actors

The Schaffhausen actors connect and enable innovation projects, and knowledge is shared through our network. The Schaffhausen Advanced Materials location benefits from a unique constellation of research, education, mediation, and funding actors.

In close collaboration with local industry, two university institutes conduct applied research as well as practical academic education and training. A leading Swiss competence center for materials and the Schaffhausen testing laboratory network offer highly specialized expertise and infrastructure for the research, development, and analysis of materials.

Innovation promotion and technology transfer have a tradition of more than 25 years in Schaffhausen. Through specialist events, networking activities, expert referrals, and the support of innovation projects, two initiatives strengthen the competence base and competitiveness of the materials location and its networking far beyond the local area.

Utilise potential since 1802

When Johann Conrad Fischer built a smelting works for the production of cast steel in June 1802, little did he realise that he was laying the foundations for a success story that had already lasted over two hundred years. He was followed by other pioneers such as IWC, Alusuisse, SIG and the worsted yarn spinning mill, with which the canton of Schaffhausen acquired a wide range of material expertise at an early stage. 

Building on this diverse business landscape, numerous other key players have established themselves over the years, including the Swiss expert network in the field of material technology in Schaffhausen. Another strength of Schaffhausen in the field of materials technology lies particularly in the plastics industry today, with its numerous interfaces to other industries such as medical technology, the automotive industry, or tool and machinery manufacturing.

By proactively connecting traditional industrial pioneers with dynamic high-tech experts from business and research, the canton continuously creates conditions for a strong, interconnected environment in the field of material technology. Thus, the canton of Schaffhausen provides fertile ground for those companies that want to actively shape the future from the forefront.

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