ZEISS SMT expands capacity for the future of the semiconductor industry

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  • Artificial intelligence is accelerating demand for increasingly powerful microchips – ZEISS SMT is strategically expanding its capacity to meet this demand
  • Expansion in Oberkochen creates around 25,000 square meters of additional space for production and production-related areas; move-in to first office spaces marks an important milestone
  • Investments in Germany and internationally strengthen ZEISS SMT’s presence close to customers and key markets, scalability and the global performance of semiconductor manufacturing
Oberkochen, Germany | ZEISS Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology

Artificial intelligence is significantly accelerating the development of the semiconductor industry and continuing to drive demand for more powerful microchips. To reliably support customers worldwide in the future, ZEISS Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology (SMT) is strategically expanding its capacity. A key element is the expansion in Oberkochen: In total, ZEISS SMT is creating around 25,000 square meters of additional space there for production and production-related areas.

A striking new building now makes the expansion of the site clearly visible. With the move-in to the new office building in July 2026, around four years after the groundbreaking ceremony in May 2022, the site expansion has reached an important milestone. A new company restaurant will also open soon. Additional new buildings will follow successively and be put into operation step by step.

  • Aerial view of a ZEISS campus with large modern buildings, a nearby road, open fields, forested hills, and wind turbines in the background.
    With the move-in to the new office building, the site expansion reached an important milestone in July 2026.

  • Aerial view of the ZEISS SMT site in Oberkochen with production and office buildings across an expanded campus.
    The site expansion in Oberkochen creates around 25,000 square meters of additional space for production and production-related areas.

Forward-looking investments in the semiconductor industry

The expansion in Oberkochen is part of ZEISS SMT’s long-term investment strategy – even in today’s dynamic market environment. A major driver is the need for key technologies for the next generation of semiconductor manufacturing. The company is strategically strengthening its capacity in Germany and internationally to reliably support customers in key markets over the long term. “With the site expansion in Oberkochen and at our international locations, we are investing proactively in the future of the semiconductor industry,” says Dr. Frank Rohmund, President and Chief Executive Officer of ZEISS SMT. “As part of this highly complex and investment-intensive ecosystem, we are taking responsibility and laying the groundwork for innovation, reliability, scalability and speed.”

The focus is on key technologies for central process steps in semiconductor manufacturing – and thus on a technology portfolio that is essential for increasingly complex chip generations. This includes high-precision optics for lithography systems such as High-NA EUV lithography – a central component of the latest generation of microchips – as well as solutions for the production, qualification and repair of highly precise photomasks and wafer fab solutions for inspection, metrology and defect analysis. ZEISS SMT also supports developments such as advanced packaging, in which different chips and functions are combined into highly integrated, energy-efficient systems.

Strengthening capacity in key semiconductor markets

ZEISS SMT is also investing in capacity expansion at other German and international locations. In doing so, the company is strengthening its presence close to customers and key markets, increasing the scalability of its solutions and supporting the global performance of semiconductor manufacturing. In Wetzlar, Hesse, ZEISS SMT is currently building a new multifunctional factory that will complement the existing site. The research and development site in Roßdorf, Hesse, was expanded by 300 square meters of cleanroom space in fall 2025. In Jena, work on the high-tech site is continuing to progress. In the future, ZEISS SMT’s Semiconductor Mask Solutions (SMS) business unit, which develops and manufactures solutions for defect-free photomasks of the highest quality, will also move into new space there.

Internationally, ZEISS SMT is continuing to strengthen its presence in key semiconductor markets. With a new training center in Shanghai and additional logistics infrastructure in the United States and Germany, ZEISS SMT has further enhanced its service quality, delivery capability and responsiveness. With the new ZEISS Innovation Center in Korea, which opened in July 2026, ZEISS SMT is moving even closer to customers and partners in one of the world’s most important semiconductor markets.

About ZEISS

ZEISS is an internationally leading technology enterprise operating in the fields of optics and optoelectronics. In the previous fiscal year, the ZEISS Group generated annual revenue totaling almost 12 billion euros in its four segments Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology, Industrial Quality & Research, Medical Technology, and Consumer Markets (September 30, 2025).

For its customers, ZEISS develops, produces, and distributes highly innovative solutions for industrial metrology and quality assurance, microscopy solutions for the life sciences and materials research, and medical technology solutions for diagnostics and treatment in ophthalmology and microsurgery. The name ZEISS is also synonymous with the world’s leading lithography optics, which are used by the chip industry to manufacture semiconductor components. There is global demand for trendsetting ZEISS brand products such as eyeglass lenses, camera lenses, and binoculars.

With a portfolio aligned with future growth areas like digitalization, healthcare, and Smart Production and a strong brand, ZEISS is shaping the future of technology and constantly advancing the world of optics and related fields with its solutions. The company’s significant, sustainable investments in research and development lay the foundation for the success and continued expansion of ZEISS’ technology and market leadership. ZEISS invests 14 percent of its revenue in research and development – this high level of expenditure has a long tradition at ZEISS and is also an investment in the future.

With over 47,400 employees, ZEISS is active globally in around 50 countries with more than 60 sales and service locations, around 40 research and development facilities, and 30 production facilities worldwide (March 31, 2026). Founded in 1846 in Jena, the company is headquartered in Oberkochen, Germany. The Carl Zeiss Foundation, one of the largest foundations in Germany committed to the promotion of science, is the sole owner of the holding company, Carl Zeiss AG.

ZEISS Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology

With its product portfolio and expertise, the Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology segment of ZEISS covers a variety of key processes in the production of microchips. Its products include semiconductor manufacturing optics – notably lithography optics – as well as photomask systems and solutions for leading-edge microchip and chiplet production. Thanks to ZEISS technology, microchips are becoming increasingly smaller, more powerful, more energy-efficient and more affordable. The electronic applications of these ongoing enhancements enable global progress in many disciplines such as technology, electronics, communication, entertainment, mobility and energy. Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology is headquartered in Oberkochen. Other sites include Jena, Rossdorf, Wetzlar, Aachen and Coswig (Germany), Zurich (Switzerland), as well as Bar Lev (Israel) and Dublin, CA (USA). ZEISS SMT also operates various sales and service sites in the US, China, Taiwan (region), South Korea and Japan.

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