Top Investment 2020 in Saxony

January 2020

The successful structural development of the Lusatian lignite mining district is one of the key tasks of the Saxon State Government.  Initial achievements are already clearly visible.  In addition to the business setups of new, primarily international companies in the region, the Saxony Economic Development Corporation (WFS) also supports the growth of existing companies located here.

A fine example of this is the SKAN AG Group which was able to celebrate the groundbreaking ceremony for the next big expansion of its corporate site on the premises of the former lignite mine Görlitz/Hagenwerder in October 2020.  The construction of two new production halls and two office buildings is now on the agenda.  Thus, about 10,000 square meters of additional production space will be built.  This translates into about one and a half soccer fields.  SKAN Deutschland will, thus, more than double its hall space.  In addition, the office buildings will have a total floor space of about 4,000 square meters.  This creates the prerequisites for welcoming at least 100 new colleagues to the SKAN Deutschland GmbH team within the next two to three years.

© SKAN

Saxony’s Minister President Michael Kretschmer notes on the scheduled company expansion:  “SKAN Deutschland is a dynamically growing company with a huge potential for the future.  This is aptly demonstrated even now, during the corona pandemic.  Görlitz is the place where isolators and cleanroom equipment are produced which are used for the development of new drugs and vaccines which, in turn, explains why this equipment is so highly coveted by the pharmaceutical industry.  It’s a strong signal for the business venue Saxony that SKAN is investing so vigorously into the expansion of its corporate site in Görlitz.”

Thomas Horn, the Managing Director of the Saxony Economic Development Corporation, adds:  “SKAN’s decision to further advance its business in Görlitz is a positive sign right in the middle of the structural change process.  Examples like these confirm and affirm what we perceive from our numerous corporate contacts:  The region offers superb development opportunities for companies and has skilled employees which is why investors are increasingly expressing interest in this region.”

The German branch office of the Swiss pioneer for isolators and cleanroom equipment, SKAN AG which is headquartered near Basel, was founded in Görlitz/Hagenwerder in 2013 and has been growing continuously ever since.  The Swiss parent group accompanies the entire life cycle of drug manufacturing, ranging from research all the way to mass production.  Görlitz is specifically responsible for the production of isolators and control cabinets.  Dr. Sascha Pawel, CEO SKAN Deutschland GmbH, points out:  “Our site in Görlitz produces the majority of SKAN’s pharmaceutical isolators for the international market.  It has been growing continuously right from the start at high double-digit numbers.  Through an initial scale out and several expansions, the site has assumed a leading role in our supply chain network only a few years after its founding on the greenfield.  This success is made possible by our fantastic professional team and by the excellent business conditions found in the Lusatia region.”  So far, 18 million euros have been invested into the expansion of the corporate site Görlitz.  Only in May 2020, another office building had been completed.  The Lord Mayor of Görlitz, Octavian Ursu, notes:  “For us, economic growth enjoys top priority which is why I’m particularly happy that SKAN Deutschland is expanding its corporate site Görlitz and, thus, creating new jobs here.  That’s a powerful commitment to our city, and we’ll continue to be a reliable partner for SKAN Deutschland also in the future.”

Currently, SKAN has about 185 employees in Germany and approx. 900 employees around the globe.  In addition to its branch office in Germany, the company which was founded in 1968 has subsidiaries in Switzerland, Belgium, Italy, the USA, and Japan.