STEINACH, SWITZERLAND – “Co-Creating Leading Innovators” is how Variosystems AG, based in Steinach, Switzerland, sees its purpose. In recent years, the company has systematically developed from being an EMS specialist to the global service partner for electronics solutions. With a targeted expansion of its portfolio of services, the reinforcement of its global supply chain and production basis, and consistent alignment of its organization with the customer experience, Variosystems has paved the way for its future as a reliable and sustainable service partner across the entire electronics value chain. The new branding presented at electronica 2024 in Munich emphasizes the ambitions of the all-inclusive solution provider and puts the customer experience at the center.
Offering everything under one roof, from the initial product idea to the packed-and-ready electronic product fresh out of series production, Variosystems is the global electronics service partner that provides all services. With customer organizations in Europe, the Asia-Pacific region, China, and North America, the company ensures close-knit oversight across the entire value chain. As part of its transformation from EMS specialist to full-system provider, Variosystems in recent years opened new sites, boosted capacity, established regional supply chains, and perfected its portfolio of services with strategic acquisitions in engineering and rapid prototyping.
“Our customers expect that working with us will reduce time to market for their product innovation, that our supply chain services will meet their cost, quality, and supply demands, and that we will serve them on all continents around the clock. To meet these demands, we have expanded our range of development and life cycle management services and reinforced our organization and production basis globally,” explains CEO Stephan Sonderegger. The new branding, which was just presented at electronica 2024 in Munich, highlights this transformation. “The brand is intended to raise the visibility of our mission as a full-system provider and put the Variosystems customer experience at the center,” says Sonderegger.
Security and risk minimization
Variosystems orients itself toward the CDMO (contract development and manufacturing organization) model used in the pharmaceutical industry. The company has four customer organizations, with regional development, industrialization, production, and life cycle management competencies guiding OEM (original equipment manufacturer) customers with the realization of product innovation and the series production of it. “Harmonized processes and production infrastructure, a high degree of digitalization and automation, and a globally integrated supply chain allow rapid multiplication. This makes us a long-term partner who creates planning certainty and minimizes our customers’ supply chain risk,” Sonderegger emphasizes. Interconnected factories, uniform production infrastructure, digitized processes, and standardized engineering technology platforms guarantee a customer experience that is identical across the world.
Investment in development and production
The service portfolio combines engineering, rapid prototyping, and series production all under one roof. “We get involved starting with the initial product idea and accompany it through to series production with the same points of contact. This seamless interface reduces the time to market, lowers product costs, and ensures clear and transparent customer communication. That is what makes us different from classic EMS providers,” says Sonderegger. Variosystems has developed a competence center for rapid prototyping in Zizers, Switzerland and accelerated the expansion of global engineering capacity with a competence center in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Global production capacity has been doubled since late 2023 with a new-build facility in Sri Lanka and the acquisition of the EMS division of electronic component manufacturer SCHURTER. Starting in mid-2025, a roughly 6,000 square meter new-build project in Varaždin, Croatia will offer even more space for electronics assembly and equipment manufacturing. Additionally, production capacity for printed circuit board assembly and equipment manufacturing in Mexico will be increased over the coming year to support growth in North America. With this expansion, Variosystems remains on track to generate revenues close to 500 million Swiss francs by 2026.