Good Neighbours
The former grounds of a TV Electronics Plant in Oberschöneweide are providing a new home to microsystem technology companies. A new cluster is in the making that is profiting from neighbouring companies in the southeast of Berlin.
“We like to stick around,” laughed Andreas Thun, Managing Director of iris-GmbH infrared & intelligent sensors in Oberschöneweide. When the TV electronics plant WF was wound up in the wake of Reunification, Thun and his team were looking ahead. They set up the company that today has become an established force among the Berlin manufacturers of microsystem technologies (MST).
The main product is “Irma”, a system that counts automatically the passengers using public transport. The infrared sensor componentry this needs is developed and produced by iris itself. In the process, this company also makes use of the knowhow provided by researchers and developers from the Adlershof Science and Technology Park or the Wuhlheide Innovation Park. “The southeast of Berlin is basically an MST cluster that had been evolving since GDR times, although, of course, the term ‘cluster’ was not used then,” explained Thun. One good neighbour who is firmly rooted in the history of the location is Gabi Grützner, Managing Director of mrt micro resist technology GmbH. Her company too was disincorporated from the former WF and now specialises e.g. in microcomponentry and microoptics. “Our products are mostly used in MEMS technology, the semiconductor industries, optoelectronics, the production of data storage media and nanotechnology,” explained Grützner.
First Sensor AG has advanced through the MST network like almost no other company. Then operating under the name Silicon Sensor GmbH, this company also emerged from WF in Oberschöneweide and moved to the adjacent new building where this modern producer of sensors today employs 151. There they develop and manufacture individualised sensor solutions, above all for customers in medical engineering, industry, research and aerospace.
According to Head of Marketing Sarah Johanna Schiesser, First Sensor is profiting from the good contacts with researchers in Adlershof and from its direct vicinity to the HTW University of Applied Sciences and Economics. Also iris Managing Director Thun is convinced that HTW will have a beneficial effect on the cluster, also in the form of new disincorporations. “The location has great potential, particularly since the companies work well together and everyone knows everyone,” he said and explained that the vicinity to each other was a great advantage. There’s no doubt about it: “sticking around” was certainly worth the wait for iris & co.
Chris Löwer
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