Schott AG – 140 years of innovation and success -- COMPAMED Trade Fair
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Image: A tiny electronic component encased in glass is held by tweezers; Copyright: SCHOTT AG Image: A tiny electronic component encased in glass is held by tweezers; Copyright: SCHOTT AG

Schott AG – 140 years of innovation and success

From glass for microscopes to hermetic glass packaging for microtechnology

When Otto Schott, Ernst Abbe and Carl Zeiss founded the Schott & Genossen glass technology laboratory in 1884, none of them dared to dream how the company would develop. Today, Schott AG is one of the most important technology groups for the manufacture of specialty glass and glass-ceramics and one of the most important exhibitors at COMPAMED.

With 140 years of company history, over 17,000 employees around the world and a research and development network of over 700 scientists and engineers, Schott AG can draw on a wealth of experience that is growing every day and makes the company an authority in the field of specialty glass and glass-ceramic production. In conversation with Julia Hütsch, Technical Sales / Product Manager Medical at Schott Electronic Packaging, we were able to learn a lot about the history, development, achievements and future of Schott AG.

History

When the Schott company was founded in Jena in 1884 as Glastechnisches Laboratorium Schott & Genossen (Schott & Genossen glass technology laboratory) by Otto Schott, Carl Zeiss and Ernst Abbe, Wilhelm I was still the first emperor to rule over a German Empire that had only been united for a few years. But even back then, the glasses developed by Otto Schott and promoted by Carl Zeiss were already state-of-the-art technologies of their time. Much has changed since then – the German Empire is long gone. But even in 2024, the name Schott still stands for the highest technological expertise in customized glass solutions.

Julia Hütsch on the history of Schott AG

Otto Schott

Friedrich Otto Schott (1851 - 1935) was a chemist and glass technician from Witten, Germany. In 1879, he developed lithium glass, a new type of glass with sufficient homogeneity for spectrometric measurements. In 1882, he moved to Jena to support the work of Carl Zeiss with his developments. Schott AG still bears his name today.

Carl Zeiss

Carl Zeiss (1816 - 1888) was a mechanic and manufacturer of high-quality microscopes from Weimar, Germany. As he was dissatisfied with the glass supplied from England, France and Switzerland, he began a collaboration with Otto Schott in 1882, which led to the founding of their joint venture two years later.

Ernst Abbe

Ernst Abbe (1840 - 1905) was a physicist and optician from Eisenach, Germany. In 1866, Carl Zeiss offered him the opportunity to provide scientific support for the production of microscopes. In 1889, Abbe established the Carl Zeiss Foundation, which still supports a wide range of research today.

Material & applications

Schott's portfolio is more than comprehensive. As a supplier to the medical technology sector, the protection of sensitive electronic components plays a particularly important role. With glass or glass-metal packaging, components can be effectively and hermetically protected even when they become smaller and more sensitive. Especially in the medical field, electronics are often exposed to thermal or chemical stresses and body fluids. Schott also offers glass fibers, glass tubing, connectors and much more for medical applications.

Julia Hütsch on areas of application

Julia Hütsch on protection made of glass

Overview of different solutions from Schott AG

Hermetic connectors for medical devices – © SCHOTT AG

Glass-metal feedthroughs – © SCHOTT AG

Autoclavable connector – © SCHOTT AG

All-glass housing for miniaturized implants – © SCHOTT AG

Autoclavable LEDs – © SCHOTT AG

Comparison of a conventional titanium implant with a miniaturized glass encapsulation from Schott – © SCHOTT AG

Development & customer requests

The variants of glass or glass-metal packaging requested by customers do not always already exist. However, thanks to the many areas of expertise that Schott combines under one roof, new or further developments at the customer's request are usually no problem. Together with partners, for example medical technology companies, the experts at Schott consider and develop solutions for specific challenges. All process steps remain under the control of Schott AG – from melting the glass to testing and delivery.

Julia Hütsch on development and customer requests

Sustainability & future

Climate neutrality by 2030 – that is one of Schott's declared goals. An ambitious goal, considering the amount of energy required to process glass. "The climate-neutral 2030 target requires a massive upheaval in our production. We are working intensively on the development of new technologies to make our glass melting plant fit for green electricity and hydrogen," explains Dr. Frank Heinricht, Chairman of the Management Board and responsible for sustainability at Schott AG.

The company's action plan comprises four fields of action:
  • Technological change
  • Energy efficiency
  • Green electricity
  • Compensation

Julia Hütsch on sustainability

Julia Hütsch on future innovations

Schott at COMPAMED 2024

Over the past 140 years, Schott AG has demonstrated its innovative and pioneering spirit more than once. But neither companies in the medical technology sector nor their suppliers can afford to rest on yesterday's achievements. In order to remain innovative and competitive in the future, Schott will once again be represented at COMPAMED this year. Interested visitors will find SCHOTT Technical Glass Solutions GmbH from November 11 to 14 in Hall 3, Booth E57.
The interview was conducted by Matthias Groß.
COMPAMED-tradefair.com
Image: A tiny electronic component encased in glass is held by tweezers; Copyright: SCHOTT AG

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