Energy – Jülich – Localization of new technology in the field of coal – Economics

Jülich (dpa/lnw) – Another technology company wants to locate in the Rhine coal mining region. The Ministry of Economic Affairs announced on Tuesday in Düsseldorf that an initial 90 jobs will be created at the Brainergy Park site in Jülich next year, and a total of 360 by 2028. Taiwanese subsidiary Quanta Computer wants to produce high-precision electronic systems and devices for vehicle manufacturers, especially In the field of autonomous driving.

Prime Minister Hendrik Fust (CDU) and Economy Minister Mona Neubauer (Green Party) stressed that added value and new jobs would be created in the region before coal is phased out. North Rhine-Westphalia has gone “from coal to artificial intelligence,” Fust explained. The creation of Quanta Computer is the next milestone on this path. A few weeks ago, the American technology group Microsoft announced the construction of two data centers in the region at a cost of one billion dollars.

According to the Ministry of Economic Affairs, a production and storage hall with a total area of ​​20,000 square meters will be built at the site near Jülich for the Taiwanese company. To this end, a commercial real estate developer from the Netherlands is investing more than 40 million euros in purchasing the property and constructing the building in Brainergy Park. The company will lease the manufacturing facility to Quanta Computer. Construction is scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2024.

“The Rhenish Revier region is gradually becoming the leading digital and quantitative region,” Foust said. Restructuring the economy in what was once Germany's largest lignite mining region is making progress, Neubauer said. As brown coal extraction and power generation operations and suppliers end, approximately 17,000 jobs will be lost in the region over the years.

Quanta said the site provides the ideal infrastructure and environment for the development and production of its high-precision technologies. “We see great potential here for successful cooperation and the realization of our innovative projects,” the company said.

Brennerje Park is located on flat land in the north of Jülich. The 52-hectare business and technology park, which is still underdeveloped, is being developed by the neighboring municipalities of Jülich, Niederser and Titz as well as the district of Düren. The construction of the innovation and startup center is being financed with €67.5 million. There are many scientific institutions nearby, such as the RWTH in Aachen or the Research Center Jülich, which would contribute to the attractiveness of the location.

© dpa-infocom, dpa:240416-99-694034/3