New sensor factory opened at the Szombathely site

In addition to capacitors and inductors, sensors will also be manufactured at the Szombathely site in future, primarily for the automotive industry. A new building with an area of around 12,000 square meters has now been officially opened. The plan is to ramp up 18 production lines by spring 2026. In the first stage of expansion, 50 million temperature sensors per year will be manufactured on these production lines. The ramp-up will start in April 2025 and the number of employees at the site will increase by around 310. A further expansion to 70 million temperature sensors per year is planned by March 2027.

In future, the site will produce NTC sensors for monitoring the temperature of busbars and high-voltage batteries in e-mobility as well as temperature sensors for air conditioning systems. 

Temperature sensors are also used in household appliances, including washing machines, dryers and dishwashers, in refrigerators and freezers as well as in heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems.

Peter Balzer, CEO of TPS BG, says: “With this expansion, we are responding to the significant increase in demand for temperature sensors driven by the transition from vehicles with combustion engines to electric cars. Building a second sensor factory in Europe besides the existing site in Berlin brings us closer to our most important customers in Europe and helps us to reduce risks in the supply chain." To date, the majority of temperature sensors have been manufactured at the Batam site in Indonesia, which is, however, at the limits of its capacity.

Around 250 guests at the opening

Around 250 guests attended the opening ceremony, including the Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Péter Szijjártó, the Vice President of the Hungarian Parliament and Member of Parliament, Csaba Hende, as well as István Joó, CEO of the Hungarian Investment Promotion Agency (HIPA) and Government Commissioner for large foreign direct investments, and András Nemény, Mayor of Szombathely. Numerous employees also took part in the ceremony.

Hungarian Foreign and Trade Minister Szijjártó said that the establishment of additional production at the Szombathely site was not only important for Hungary, but also of international significance. This is because sensors for the latest generation of electric and hybrid vehicles will be manufactured in Szombathely in the future.

Site CFO Balázs Takács emphasized: “As a company, we have been operating here in Szombathely for 30 years and it is a particular pleasure for me to see many colleagues today who have been with us for 20 years or more.” He added: “Both the global economy and the European economy are in a state of change. In this constantly competitive environment, it is important to remain persistent, respond to the changing environment and be prepared to change."

The Szombathely site was founded in 1994 and is now one of the largest TDK plants in Europe with an area of 72,000 square meters. At the same time, the site is the only one where three TEG Business Groups produce: CAP, MAG and now also TPS. This further strengthens the plant's position as a high-performance manufacturing center for a wide range of products for the automotive industry, industrial applications and the renewable energy sector.