Grand Opening of the new production facility and Open House Day at Optics Balzers Jena on 8 and 9 May 2015 

JENA, Germany – On May 8, 2015 Optics Balzers Jena GmbH is going to welcome Partners and invited guests, including S.D. Prince Stefan of Liechtenstein, Ambassador of the Principality of Liechtenstein to Germany, Markus Hoppe, State Secretary of the Thuringian Ministry of Economy, Science and Digital Society, and Olaf Möller, State Secretary of the Thuringian Ministry of Environment, Energy and Conservation, to the grand opening of the new building at Jena21 technology park.

On May 9, 2015, our company is going to invite the public to an Open House Day for the entire family. Everybody interested is welcome to take a look at the newly built company headquarter and the production facility as well as gain insights into the production of optical filters at 10 different stations. With illustrative exhibits and hands-on activities the world of optics can be experienced by all ages.

After a construction time of 1 1/2 years Optics Balzers was able to bring its new production facility into operation in January 2015. A total of €7.5 million was invested in the building and necessary equipment, representing the largest investment in the history of the company. The company in Jena was financially supported by its parent company Optics Balzers AG, Sparkasse Jena Saale-Holzland, and Thüringer Aufbaubank.

A 1500 m² production hall with a cleanroom and an area of 900 m² with administration and common rooms were built on the new premises. Additionally there are expansion areas available in the production hall which will remain free for future requirements. The company premises will also allow the building of a second production hall of similar size.

The new building became necessary due to the company’s constant growth. “We now have a larger cleaning unit for optical glass and will bring an additional coating facility in operation in May 2015, which means that our capacities have increased significantly,” says Dr. Stefan Jakobs, Managing Director of Optics Balzers Jena GmbH. “It was impossible for us to include both facilities in our old location.”

The company’s product range includes components for biophotonics, industrial measuring technology, and astronomy and space. A new market segment is going to be added to this portfolio in the future: components for laser applications which must be absolutely defect-free and possess a high degree of optical functionality.