AT&S, a leading global manufacturer of printed circuit boards and IC substrates, has successfully completed the Nadcap assessment for 2025 at its Leoben-Hinterberg site with the highest possible award, “Gold”.
This accreditation is the world's largest program for manufacturers in the aerospace industry and confirms that AT&S's manufacturing processes meet the most demanding requirements for reliability and process control. This underscores the Austrian company's leading position in safety-critical industries and solidifies its role as a key supplier to airlines and aerospace companies worldwide. The "Gold" award not only recognizes the high quality "Made in Austria" but also means an extension of the audit interval for AT&S until 2027, further increasing the efficiency of its quality assurance efforts.
Nadcap: The benchmark for quality in aerospace
The National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program (Nadcap) is an industry-driven program that establishes and monitors quality standards for specialized aerospace processes. It was established to ensure the quality of suppliers critical to the safety and reliability of aerospace systems. Annual audits by independent auditors are essential for suppliers in this industry, as modern aircraft and spacecraft rely on electronics that must meet the most stringent requirements.
Jay Solomond, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Performance Review Institute (PRI), the organization that coordinates Nadcap accreditations, emphasized the importance of this program: "The aerospace industry has incorporated Nadcap into its risk management framework for many years because it demonstrates compliance with industry standards and customer requirements." He added that Nadcap is recognized worldwide as a mark of quality and represents an exceptional achievement. The renewed accreditation, and in particular the first-time achievement of "Gold" status for advanced printed circuit board production in Austria, demonstrates that AT&S's hard work has paid off.
Michael Mertin, President & CEO of AT&S, emphasized the crucial difference between Nadcap and general quality standards: "For electronics manufacturers, Nadcap certification means that their processes meet the highest requirements in terms of reliability, traceability, and process control – a decisive competitive advantage in safety-critical industries. In contrast to general quality standards such as ISO 9001, Nadcap is significantly more specific and technical." The audits are extremely detailed and examine not only the documentation of a process, but also its demonstrable stability, repeatability, and compliance with standards. Mertin emphasized: "The requirements are dynamic and are regularly tightened – standing still is not an option." Achieving "Gold" status, the highest award, allows AT&S to extend the audit interval, meaning the next review will not be required until 2027. This is a testament to AT&S's outstanding and sustained process quality.
Highest quality from Leoben for critical onboard infrastructure
The AT&S Leoben-Hinterberg site, which has been Nadcap-certified since 2019, is one of the few electronics manufacturers in Europe to meet these demanding requirements. This makes AT&S a pioneer in the production of durable circuits for critical applications. The products manufactured in Leoben are finding increasingly widespread use in the aviation and aerospace sectors and now cover the entire range of critical onboard infrastructure.
Florian Titjung, Operations Manager of the participating Leoben plants HTB1 and HTB2, explained the application areas of AT&S products: "The spectrum ranges from flight controllers in the cockpit to entire engine control systems; our products are even finding increasing use in space travel." This underscores the immense importance of AT&S technologies for the safety and functionality of modern aircraft and spacecraft. AT&S printed circuit boards are critical components in systems that must function reliably under extreme conditions – be they high temperatures, strong vibrations, or the vacuum of space.
Titjung expressed his pride at the recent award: "The Nadcap accreditation, the Gold status achieved, and the positive feedback from our customers are further indicators of the high-quality products made in Austria. This is a great success and a collaborative effort by the entire factory team." This recognition not only strengthens AT&S's reputation, but also Austria as a center for high-tech.
AT&S: A global player in the electronics industry
AT&S, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Austria Technologie & Systemtechnik Aktiengesellschaft, is a leading global manufacturer of high-quality IC substrates and printed circuit boards. The company develops pioneering interconnect technologies for various core areas that significantly shape the modern world:
- Mobile devices: AT&S circuit boards can be found in smartphones, tablets and other portable electronic devices that shape many people's everyday lives.
- Automotive & Aerospace: In addition to the aerospace industry, AT&S products are also indispensable in modern vehicles, where they are used in control systems, sensors and communication modules.
- Industrial: In the industrial sector, AT&S products contribute to automation and digitalization by being incorporated into control systems for machines, robotics and industrial electronics.
- Medical: The medical sector demands the highest levels of reliability and precision. AT&S printed circuit boards are found in medical devices such as diagnostic devices, implants, and monitoring systems.
- High-performance computing for VR and AI applications: With the increasing importance of virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI), the demands for powerful and compact electronics are also growing. AT&S, with its advanced IC substrates and interconnect technologies, is an important partner in this area.
The company has a global presence with production sites in Austria (Leoben, Fehring) and plants in India (Nanjangud) and China (Shanghai, Chongqing). This international orientation enables AT&S to respond flexibly to the demands of global markets and serve a broad customer base.
A sign of AT&S's continued growth and innovative strength is the commissioning of a new high-end IC substrate production facility in Kulim, Malaysia, where large-scale production began in early 2025. Furthermore, AT&S established Europe's first center of excellence for research and development (R&D) and IC substrate production in Leoben, which officially opened in June 2025. This underscores the company's commitment to innovation and securing its technological leadership.
With approximately 13.000 employees worldwide, AT&S is a major employer and a key player in the global electronics industry. The recent Nadcap Gold accreditation is further evidence of the outstanding quality and technological excellence AT&S offers its customers worldwide.
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