History

An industry site with tradition

Having found fame due to the steam locomotives manufactured by the Schwartzkopff company around 1900, destroyed in 1945 after operating as a forge for weapons, and reconstructed as a centre of heavy machinery construction in the GDR, the site needed to reinvent itself after 1990. The establishment of the Wildau Technical University of Applied Sciences and the operational start-up of the Aerospace Technology Centre in Wildau set decisive impulses. With an surface area totalling around 24,000 square metres, one of the largest compact technology sites in Brandenburg has emerged in the last few years.

1900

Erection of a production plant for locomotives by Berlin Maschinenbau AG (formerly Louis Schwartzkopff) at the site of today’s Aerospace Technology Centre in Wildau: This was decisive in establishing the infrastructure for the site and for the industrial origins of today’s technology park.

1907

Foundation of the joint enterprise “Maffei-Schwartzkopff-Werke GmbH” together with the Munich-based company J.A. Maffei, and the erection of further production plants in Wildau: Along with the manufacture of locomotives, turbines, pumps and electric motors were also manufactured at the site with great economic success.

1935

Enlargement of the Wildau site under the leadership of the “Allgemeinen Elektrizitäts-Gesellschaft Berlin (AEG)”: Aircraft components (steering gears, wing components and fuselage components) produced for aircraft made by Junkers, Messerschmitt and Dornier.1945

Development of heavy machinery manufacture and foundation of a state-owned enterprise (also known as a VEB) by the former GDR is Wildau: As a supplier to heavy industry, rolling lines, foundries and bending machines and straightening machines were produced. The VEB was also famous for the production of drop-forged components with crankshafts.

1951

The construction of crankshafts for shipbuilding saw a tradition being established which is still being successfully pursued by the Wildauer Schmiedewerke GmbH & Co. KG and Gröditzer Kurbelwelle Wildau GmbH.

1990

Surrender of the VEB heavy machinery manufacturer “Heinrich Rau” to the Treuhandanstalt (trust agency tasked with overseeing privatisation of state-owned enterprises): The company called Schwermaschinenbau AG Wildau (SMB) founded soon afterwards lead to today’s companies Wildauer Schmiedewerke GmbH & Co. KG, Gröditzer Kubelwelle Wildau GmbH and Sondermaschinenbau Wildau GmbH being formed over the course of privatisation activities. Furthermore, numerous other companies were established on the site.

1991

Establishment of the Wildau Technical University of Applied Sciences: It embraces the tradition founded by the former Wildau Engineering School and is now the largest university of applied sciences in Brandenburg.

2000

Restoration and extension of the Technology and Entrepreneur Centre Wildau (TGZ)

2003

Operational start-up of the Aerospace Technology Centre I in Wildau (ATC I)

2009

Opening of the Aerospace Technology Centre II in Wildau (ATC II)

2010

Opening of the Aerospace Technology Centre IV in Wildau (ATC IV)

2011

Opening of the Aerospace Technology Centre III in Wildau (ATC III)

2015

Sales of the Aerospace Technology Centre IV in Wildau (ATC IV) to the state of Brandenburg

Today

To date, around 70 companies, primarily from the aviation technology industry, but also other high-end industries such as engineering, information and communications technology, and the service industry have set up facilities at the Aerospace Technology Centre in Wildau.