Sustainable success for generations to come

A staunch commitment to sustainability in our approach, actions and business is a decisive step towards securing success, today and in the future. In a geopolitically challenging time, in the midst of the consequences of climate change and the pandemic, AT&S takes responsibility for people and ecosystems, supply chains and customer safety, equal opportunities and fairness for our employees and our investors. In doing so, our company is sending a clear signal to future generations and taking a stand in all aspects of sustainability.

Each and every one of us can practice sustainability in our lives. AT&S encourages and supports its employees to do just that. However, when it comes to the entire spectrum of sustainability, with its manifold aspects and dimensions, it is companies who are best placed to set an example – especially large-scale companies shaping an innovative future, conducting product research that drives technological progress, and taking responsibility for future generations as the basis of their growth strategy and development. This is why serving as a sustainability role model is part of our corporate culture in the AT&S Group.

A resolute commitment to sustainability helps secure success today and tomorrow.

Global problems and multi-faceted societies require sustainable solutions that can be implemented worldwide.

An increasingly unstable ecosystem needs stable, successful companies that commit to a resource-efficient, responsible focus for their business activities. An increasingly complex world needs clear communication and reliable partnerships across continents. And a time of health-related challenges needs corporations ever-ready to take swift action to protect their employees and ensure their wellbeing. AT&S stands for all of these aspects through its convictions and visions – which guarantees stability that all AT&S stakeholders can build on, today and tomorrow.

Words alone are not enough. What matters is keeping them. AT&S keeps its word with its Sustainability Strategy 2025.

A sustainability strategy built on ambitious goals and strong partnerships

Open-mindedness, responsibility and innovation are the keys to credibility and sustainable success. A specific strategy and clearly defined goals are crucial steps towards implementation. After all, words alone are not enough. What matters is keeping them. And AT&S keeps its word. That’s why we developed the AT&S Sustainability Strategy 2025 – a detailed programme that documents our effort, commitment and determination to integrate sustainability criteria into all strategic decisions and processes. We live and breathe sustainability in all its dimensions.

In our Sustainability Strategy 2025, we initially define four fields of action that we, as a company, believe offer the greatest opportunities for sustainable growth: Decarbonisation, Circular Economy, Decent Work, and Sustainable Value Chain & Business Ethics.
AT&S stands for high-quality products. Their impact on natural ecosystems is a crucial factor in our development and manufacturing processes.

Decarbonisation
As a company with global operations, AT&S feels the consequences of climate changes in various regions. This is why we take our responsibility for sustainable use of resources so seriously and keep our carbon footprint as small as possible by reducing our energy, material and water consumption, and covering our needs through sustainable sources.

AT&S
Sustainability Strategy
2025

Equal opportunities and inclusion, actively embracing diversity and vibrant collaboration have proven to be a recipe for long-term success.

Employees & society
The most important secret behind our success is our outstanding employees. We offer secure jobs around the world and provide flexible employment models to ensure that our workforce always feels at home with us. We are always keenly aware of our responsibility to society and support the regions in which we operate through investments and projects, with the aim of creating the best possible environment for our employees.

The best way to protect the future is to help shape it. The AT&S innovation strategy is squarely focused on sustainability.

Sustainable innovation
We are very proud to be a technology leader in all our areas of activity. However, our vision for a successful future goes beyond technical progress. Instead, we strive to help shape the world of tomorrow through sustainably implemented innovations. Our engineers keep environmental impacts in mind when planning new products and are constantly developing new processes to facilitate the most resource-efficient manufacturing processes possible.

Green promises alone are not enough.

With our Sustainability Strategy 2025, AT&S is doing the job right.

Upholding human rights, prohibiting child labour, supporting environment protection and committing to anti-corruption are key criteria we apply when selecting suppliers.

Sustainable supply chains
In addition to our efforts in relation to sustainability, we are also in constant coordination with our our customers and partners to jointly develop ways to use resources sparingly. We are an integral link in key global supply chains and always use this position to make our supplier networks more reliable and more sustainable. This way, our customers can be sure of receiving cutting-edge green technology at market-leading prices.

In addition, our Sustainability Strategy 2025 sets precise goals for each of these fields of action in order to determine both our direction and our route. The result is a catalogue of specific measures that are applied throughout our Group and demonstrate, step by step, that success and development are not based on fortuitous coincidences or token one-off actions but are instead the result of reliable forecasts, solid assessments and an unerring focus on our goals.

In addition to the our corporate strategy, global risks, trends, standards and international frameworks are also vital for our continuous improvement and reorientation. AT&S is committed to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, as well as standards issued by the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) and the Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI). All of these guidelines and standards cover the four fields of action that we, as a company, have put at the heart of our sustainability strategy.

Fascinating insights into the world of tomorrow and beyond

Technological change cannot always be explained in a sentence or two. Our goal is to present complex interactions in an engaging way that is easy to grasp. We regularly provide background information on the latest research findings, business developments and sustainability on our blog. It includes fascinating insights and forecasts for the world of tomorrow and beyond – a world we are actively helping to shape today. Join us on the journey and follow the AT&S blog. We would be keen to hear your feedback.

Field of action 1: Decarbonisation

Energy transition and efficiency enhancements for a carbon-neutral future

Energy transition and efficiency enhancements for a carbon-neutral future
AT&S stands for high-quality products. Their impact on natural ecosystems is a central consideration in our development and manufacturing processes.

AT&S is committed to making a significant contribution to climate protection. As a leading manufacturing enterprise, we take our duties seriously and consider the implications for tomorrow in everything we do today. This explicitly shows our support and commitment to the shared attainment of global climate goals. At AT&S, climatic and environmental aspects set the standard for our daily planning and actions.

In order to underline the topicality and urgency of this issue, at the beginning of the 2021/22 business year we established a separate field of action in relation to sustainability, focusing on energy and decarbonisation.

The energy transition is the subject of much discussion, but it is more than just a buzzword: it is the start of our journey to a post-fossil, carbon-neutral future. This is why, as part of our efforts to achieve long-term reductions in our CO₂ emissions, AT&S seeks out opportunities to use green electricity in combination with climate-friendly production processes. This means improving our energy efficiency and using innovative methods to recover waste heat from production processes.

One of the most ambitious goals in the AT&S energy strategy is to source at least 80% of our Group-wide energy needs from renewable sources (including large-scale hydropower) by 2025. Another equally ambitious goal is to replace all fossil fuels within our own production facilities (Scope 1 emissions) worldwide in order to avoid directly emitting climate-damaging gases in our in-house operations.

We meet the highest quality standards and always strive to optimise our technologies and processes to reduce our environmental footprint.

The direction we have set has already been reflected in the figures. In the 2020/21 business year, renewables accounted for 45% of our energy consumption, increasing to 55.7% the following year. This is a clear trend that demonstrates a positive overall shift, even in the face of tough conditions. For one thing, electricity from renewable sources is still not easy to procure in Asia. With this in mind, the AT&S energy strategy remains a challenge for our entire company.

Given the urgency of the situation, we have established a separate field of action in relation to sustainability, focusing on energy and decarbonisation.

AT&S stands for high-quality products and takes the utmost care to consider their impact on ecosystems in our development and manufacturing processes. One of the fundamental preconditions for this is successful teamwork. Close, trusting collaboration between production specialists, customers and suppliers makes it possible to achieve continuous optimisation in this field and work together to reach new heights.

Read more about how AT&S is working towards carbon neutrality here.

Field of action 2: Circular Economy

Life cycle assessments, water recycling and mindful use of raw materials

Life cycle assessments, water recycling and mindful use of raw materials
The best way to protect the future is to help shape it. The AT&S innovation strategy is squarely focused on sustainability.

Innovative new approaches can be truly groundbreaking. After all, when it comes to securing climate and energy targets over the long-term, efficiency measures alone will not be enough. The situation calls for sustainable innovation and the continuous creation of new solutions as part of efforts to industrialise technologies compatible with people, the climate and the environment. This is exactly where AT&S can exercise the full extent of its innovative power. Research and development have long been a focus of our activities – an approach that is paying dividends.

In order to establish a comprehensive circular economy that yields long-term success, innovations are essential in various areas, such as the resource-efficient use of raw materials. One of the most important raw materials in PCB production is copper – which is why AT&S initiated its copper recycling project. The programme’s aims include increasing resource efficiency and developing a closed cycle to ensure sparing use of copper resources and avoid producing hazardous waste.

One of the most crucial materials in PCB production is copper. This is why AT&S initiated its copper recycling project.
Innovative copper recycling: We value our resources

Efficiency and closed cycles are also central topics in relation to water consumption. AT&S strives to continuously improve its water recycling rate. This is a particular priority at production sites in areas at acute risk of water shortages according to the Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas. In the 2021/22 business year, the water recycling rate at the AT&S facility in Shanghai was already at 24%, while our Nanjangud site achieved a rate of 53%.

As a global company reliant on access to fresh water for large parts of its supply chain, we are acutely aware of our responsibility in relation to water management. Water is precious, which is why fresh water management is a crucial aspect of our sustainability strategy. In addition to sparing use of water and effective recycling rates, our strategy also includes conducting a risk assessment at each of our production facilities.

The next step is to record water volumes, main consumers and losses at individual locations and analyse these figures as the basis for efficient improvements. A pilot project at our Hinterberg site has already reached a successful conclusion.

Another vital point on the topic of the circular economy is waste. In addition to our efforts to avoid waste, wherever possible we close cycles through internal recycling processes and pass on any waste materials, depending on their classification, to disposal firms for recycling. Life cycle assessments (LCAs) provide vital information about a product’s environmental impacts. Comprehensive data from this field, combined with new innovations, enables us to improve our resource efficiency in relation to raw materials, water and waste.

Responsible, resource-conserving use of raw materials is a central topic. This is why AT&S initiated its copper recycling project.

Read more about how copper waste can be turned into a valuable raw material here.

Field of action 3: Decent Work

More than 60 nations, one employer: Diversity ensures top performance

61 countries, one employer: Diversity ensures top performance
Equal opportunities and inclusion, actively embracing diversity and vibrant collaboration have proven to be a recipe for long-term success.

AT&S owes its global success to its people. Our highly qualified specialist employees from more than 60 different countries have one thing in common: the motivation and solidarity they show as part of the AT&S brand. Being a reliable employer to more than 14,000 people all around the world is a considerable responsibility – as well as a privilege upon which our company can build long into the future.

People of all genders, generations, cultures and ethnicities are welcome at AT&S.

The AT&S family actively embraces diversity in all social and societal areas. After all, it is through diversity that our company is able to achieve top performance every day, underlining and expanding its ambition to become a global technology enterprise. People of all genders, generations, cultures and ethnicities are welcome at AT&S. Together, we form a vibrant and varied whole capable of overcoming any challenges that may arise in an increasingly complex world.

With this in mind, AT&S intentionally positions itself as an attractive employer. This means employing people of all ages, demonstrating the same appreciation for employees whatever their cultural or ethnic background, and providing a suitable working environment for people with physical or mental disabilities. As part of its commitment to ensuring equal opportunities for all its employees, AT&S has signed up to the Austrian Diversity Charter.

Encouraging women to pursue careers in technology and increasing the proportion of women in leadership positions is a top priority for us.

Supporting employees’ continued development is a top priority for AT&S
Supporting employees’ continued development is a top priority for AT&S
We foster an open, collaborative working atmosphere
We foster an open, collaborative working atmosphere

AT&S is multinational and so is our workforce. Our success is thanks to our ability to offer the most talented minds in the field an environment in which they can realise their potential together.

Equal opportunities and inclusion, actively embracing diversity and promoting spirited collaboration is a recipe for long-term success that allows all employees to realise their full potential. AT&S therefore considers it essential to offer all employees intercultural training and language courses, facilitate their continuous development, and offer them a secure working environment that responds swiftly and efficiently to health-related challenges. After all, safety and protection, fair pay and professional development opportunities are basic requirements for long-term motivation and respectful cooperation.

Become a part of the AT&S team!

Field of action 4: Sustainable Supply Chains & Business Ethics

Clear rules, trusting collaboration, sustainable supply chains

61 countries, one employer: Diversity ensures top performance
Upholding human rights, prohibiting child labour, supporting environmental protection and committing to anti-corruption are key criteria we apply when selecting suppliers.

Responsibility knows no limits. The AT&S sustainability strategy therefore goes beyond the boundaries of our own company. Stable partnerships, continuous communication and long-term relationships with customers and suppliers create the best possible conditions for responsible procurement and sustainable supply chains. AT&S thinks ahead and demonstrates an awareness of responsibility at every stage of its business.

AT&S is committed to the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA). We require our suppliers to make the same commitment in order to ensure that strict criteria regarding environmentally, economically and socially acceptable behaviour are implemented. When selecting companies to become our suppliers, AT&S not only considers economic factors but also puts non-financial criteria front and centre, such as upholding human rights, prohibiting child labour, and ensuring health and safety, environmental protection, anti-corruption and fair pay for workers.

Suppliers must also comply with the requirements of the REACH Regulation, which governs the responsible handling of chemical substances. In addition, AT&S is committed to the Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI) and adheres to the due diligence process for the responsible procurement of conflict minerals.

We therefore contact all our gold, tin and cobalt suppliers at regular intervals and if we have any reason to suspect wrongdoing. This process is supported by 100% of our suppliers, who provide the information required for RMI-compliant reporting.

Upholding human rights, prohibiting child labour, and ensuring environmental protection and anti-corruption are key criteria we apply when selecting suppliers.

Systematically monitoring the performance of our suppliers is decisive in establishing and maintaining long-term partnerships. We monitor our suppliers in line with an audit plan that covers general social and environmental aspects and often also addresses the issues of business ethics and human rights.

AT&S is a global company and searches for top international talent

AT&S is a global company and seeks out top international talent

Sustainability criteria are also increasingly becoming a priority for our suppliers. AT&S provides support in the form of training courses and insists on quarterly business review meetings with the top management of each company to jointly assess their performance and coordinate on strategic direction, product development and innovation. Ultimately, our shared goal is to anchor ecological and social aspects even more firmly within supply chains and continue driving sustainability topics forward as a central part of the AT&S supply chain strategy.

Read more about how AT&S demonstrates its commitment to sustainable supply chains here.

Robust assessments create trust

When it comes to sustainability, credibility is also a question of guidelines, certifications and control mechanisms. Robust company assessments by ESG rating agencies are decisive in the decisions taken by sustainability-focused investors. We take account of this development by proudly stating that AT&S is considerably above industry averages in rating agencies’ classifications. Want to find out more? You can find the full details of our standards and certifications here.

MSCI ESG Research offers in-depth research, assessments and analyses relating to environmental, social and governance aspects of business practices for thousands of companies around the world.

In 20241) Austria Technologie & Systemtechnik AG achieved a rating of  BBB (on a scale from AAA-CCC) in the MSCI ESG Ratings. 2) For more information visit: https://www.msci.com/

1) Report publication date: 08 March 2024

2) The use of data produced by MSCI ESG Research LLC or its subsidiaries (“MSCI”) by Austria Technologie & Systemtechnik AG and the use of the MSCI logo, trademark, service mark or index names in this report does not represent support, endorsement, recommendation or promotion of Austria Technologie & Systemtechnik AG by MSCI. MSCI services and data are the property of MSCI of its information providers and are provided as-is and without warranty. MSCI names and logos are trademarks or service marks of MSCI.

Sustainalytics assesses the sustainability of listed companies on the basis of their environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) performance.

Its ESG Risk Ratings categorise companies into five risk levels and aim to help investors to identify financially significant ESG risks in their portfolio and understand how this impacts on performance risks.

In February 2024, AT&S received an ESG Risk Rating of 17.3 from Sustainalytics and was therefore classified as being at low risk of experiencing significant financial impacts due to ESG factors. The ESG Risk Rating places AT&S in the thirteenth percentile in the Electronic Components sub-industry.

Copyright ©2021 Sustainalytics. All rights reserved. This [publication/ article/ section] contains information developed by Sustainalytics (www.sustainalytics.com). Such information and data are proprietary of Sustainalytics and/or its third party suppliers (Third Party Data) and are provided for informational purposes only. They do not constitute an endorsement of any product or project, nor an investment advice and are not warranted to be complete, timely, accurate or suitable for a particular purpose. Their use is subject to conditions available at https://www.sustainalytics.com/legal-disclaimers.

The ISS ESG Corporate Rating assesses and analyses international companies’ performance on environmental, social and governance related aspects. ISS ESG, a leading rating agency in the investment sector, gave AT&S AG the rating of Prime Investment in September 20211).

More information at: https://www.issgovernance.com/esg/ratings/

1) Report publication date: 13 September 2021

CDP operates a global disclosure system in order to manage the environmental impacts of investors, companies, cities, states and regions, and measure their risks and opportunities in relation to climate change, water security and deforestation.

CDP score report – Climate change 2023

AT&S Austria Technologie & Systemtechnik AG received a score of  B. This result corresponds to the regional average in Europe (B) and is above the average for the electrical and electronic devices sector (C).

CDP score report – Water security 2023

AT&S Austria Technologie & Systemtechnik AG received a score of  B. This result is higher than the regional average in Europe (C) and is above the average for the electrical and electronic devices sector (C).

EcoVadis uses a global cloud-based platform to issue companies with comprehensive ratings in relation to corporate social responsibility (CSR).
The rating covers a broad range of non-financial management systems, including the impacts of environmental, labour and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement.

AT&S was awarded Gold status in CSR rating in 20231) – which places it in the top 5% of companies assessed by EcoVadis.

This assessment is further evidence that the company is among the top performers worldwide in relation to sustainability.

1) Report publication date: October 24, 2023

VÖNIX is the sustainability benchmark for the Austrian equity market. It covers companies that are listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange and play a leading role in terms of the environmental and social activities and performance. AT&S has once again successfully placed in the VÖNIX Sustainability Index 2023/241) along with other renowned Austrian listed companies. The company became a member of the VÖNIX Sustainability Index for the first time in 2015/2016.

1) Since June 2024

Transparent information gives insights into the details

As a company with a sustainable approach to business, we assume responsibility for society as a whole. With that in mind, we believe it is important to provide access to detailed data, information and targets to anyone interested. Our sustainability report shows why, as a global enterprise, we think and act with an intergenerational approach, and how exactly we implement this at all our sites. If you would like to find out more about us, please get in touch! We would be happy to hear from you.