Sony DADC Shifts Austrian Plant Toward Micro-Optics Future
Sony is strategically overhaulilng its manufacturing operations by injecting approximately $35 million (Rp 629 billion) into its Thalgau, Austria factory. The significant capital infusion follows the tech giant's broader decision to completely cease the production of physical game discs within the next two years. Currently, the Austrian facility boasts a maximum capacity of producing 600,000 physical media units per day, covering a mix of PlayStation games, Blu-ray discs, and standard CDs.
The plant's physical media production volumes are anticipated to plummet significantly as Sony pivots its corporate focus toward purely digital distribution channels. Sony DADC Chief Executive Officer Dietmar Tanzer informed the workforce regarding the imminent restructuring, highlighting that PlayStation products currently command 50% of the plant's total output volume, with new game releases accounting for 20%. By 2028, this combined physical output is projected to dwindle to a mere 10% of the factory's operational capacity.
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Despite the drastic decline in media manufacturing, Sony plans to avoid immediate layoffs by modernizing the production lines with specialized, high-tech equipment. "We expect about 10% of that volume in 2028," Tanzer noted regarding the remaining disc production. Instead of downscaling the workforce, the company is reallocating personnel to develop miniaturized optical systems, known as micro-optics, which focus and guide light beams within microscopic physical spaces.
Employees at the Thalgau facility have already begun transitioning away from disc manufacturing lines to test the newly installed machinery. Sony intends to execute comprehensive staff retraining programs over the coming months to fully prepare the existing workforce for the factory's new direction. Full-scale mass production of the advanced micro-lens components is officially scheduled to commence next year, with applications targeting automotive projection safety and advanced lighting systems.