FACC opens expanded facility in Jakovlje, excellence center on the way

FACC, a technological partner of the global aviation industry, has officially opened the expanded part of its facility in Jakovlje, Zagreb County, and the company’s management announced that an excellence center is expected to be established at this location.

Among those present at the ceremony at the production facility in Jakovlje were Minister of Economy Ante Šušnjar, the Chinese Ambassador to Croatia Qi Qianjin, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of FACC Chengkuan Wang, and CEO of FACC Robert Machtlinger, who stated that the excellence center should focus on the development of aircraft interiors.

When asked about further expansion of the production facility in Jakovlje, he said that it also depends on the aviation industry, which, given the growing trend of travel, is experiencing increased orders. FACC is a partner of all leading aircraft manufacturers, such as Airbus and Boeing, and will therefore have to keep pace with this growth, which also applies to the facility in Jakovlje, he said.

At the Jakovlje location, FACC has so far invested 36 million euros and built its largest production facility outside Austria. Production began in 2022 when it employed 170 people, the expansion of the facility started in 2023, and currently, the factory, which spans about 15,500 square meters, employs around 550 workers.

Additional capacities, FACC emphasizes, support the increase in production of global aircraft manufacturers who currently have firm orders for about 18,700 aircraft, which will keep the entire industry, including the facility in Jakovlje, busy for years to come, FACC officials stated.

They reveal that the development of a new production step is also underway, namely the production of composite components using presses, which will soon be fully operational.

Further measures are also planned to better connect individual production phases, thereby laying the groundwork for greater automation and more efficient operations.

– This continues the strategy for the development of the location that was set with the initial investment – to develop Jakovlje into a center for the production of high-quality components for aircraft cabins in large quantities – stated the company based in Austria, which is majority-owned by the Chinese state company AVIC.

Minister of Economy Ante Šušnjar stated that Croatia needs such high-tech investments, which among other things involve the creation of quality jobs.

He reminded of the Government’s industrial strategy until 2034, which allocates nearly three billion euros for strengthening and modernizing the industry and increasing its competitiveness. He asserted that the Croatian investment promotion law is one of the most attractive in Europe, reminding that FACC utilized the investment promotion system of the Ministry of Economy in both phases of investment.