In a first phase, 285 IEE employees began working in the IEE innovation centre on the campus. IEE specialises in intelligent sensing systems, for occupant detection and classification, employing 4,100 worldwide, 635 of whom are based in Luxembourg on three different sites: Contern, Echternach and now Bissen. The company plans on eventually moving all its activities to the LAC. 

“Like the first European cross-border experimental site for autonomous and connected cars, the campus confirms that the automotive sector in general, and mobility in particular, are innovative sectors prioritsed by the economic diversification policy,” deputy PM and economy minister Etienne Schneider (LSAP) said in a communiqué.

IEE president and CEO Michel Witte said of the occasion, “We have been waiting for this moment. From the very beginning of the conversations with the Luxembourgish authorities, we knew this would be an exciting place to be for us, with plenty of opportunities for the future.”

The LAC, 20 minutes from Luxembourg City, was created to support automotive R&D. Its main objective is to encourage open innovation and exchange among key players, thereby creating synergies to test and develop concepts, e.g., e-mobility and car connectivity. The idea for the campus was announced in 2016, although plans had been brewing for the hub since 2013. 

At the campus’ initial launch event, Schneider said the LAC would “provide professional automotive equipment and service providers with new tools and infrastructure, enabling them to remain dynamic--and thus also innovative and competitive--in a market in constant evolution.”

American multinational tyre manufacturer, Goodyear, is slated to arrive to the campus by end-2021. 

According to 2016 figures, the grand duchy’s automotive sector accounted for a turnover of €1.5 billion and employed around 10,000.