The sector has steadily grown over the past decades, increasing in importance for the national economy. Today, around 9,000 individuals work for approximately 30 different businesses in the sector.
Of the work done in the sector, a fifth is dedicate to research and development. Cebi, the electromechanical manufacturer based in Steinsel, is also investing in automotive research and development. Cebi's activities go beyond the sector, manufacturing everything from car components to ovens and air conditioning units. Nearly every household in Luxembourg likely uses an appliance with parts made in Steinsel.
Nevertheless, Cebi's activities go beyond the Grand Duchy. The company manufactures parts that are exported to countries such as Poland, China, and Mexico.
Mainly, Cebi focuses its work on the automotive sector, which corresponds to around 80% of its activities. The sector is also currently undergoing massive upheaval, as questions surround the future of the industry. Cebi has also been considering this upheaval and has consequently invested a lot into its research and development teams, focusing on the automotive sector in particular. As general manager Raymond Mohrbach conceded, the firm does dedicate 20% of its work to household appliances, but understands the innovation occurring in the automotive industry as more of a key focus. He highlighted that this sector had experienced the most progression and development over the past few years.
To that end, Cebi is currently building further infrastructure next to its current buildings in Steinsel's industrial zone. The new building will house 50 employees in the research and development department, providing the team with more space over 3,200 square metres. The space will include a laboratory, which Cebi plans to rent out to external businesses, namely those members of ILEA, the Luxembourg Automotive Suppliers Industry.
Every day, around 300,000 separate parts depart the building. To get to that figure, part of the production has been automated, with high-tech robots taking over work where possibly. Parts that are produced in smaller numbers continue to be made manually. Some 60% of the work force at Cebi is female, incidentally.
