Wacker Launches New Production Site for Specialty Silicones

Business Expansion Wacker Launches New Production Site for Specialty Silicones

2026-06-22 Source: Press release Wacker 4 min Reading Time

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Wacker has recently launched its new production site for specialty silicones in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic. At the site, customized silicones for the automotive, household appliances and medical technology industries as well as for the energy sector will be manufactured.

At Wacker’s new Czech based production site in Karlovy Vary, Wacker will produce silicones for the growth markets of electromobility, medical technology and power-grid expansion. (Source: Wacker) — At Wacker’s new Czech based production site in Karlovy Vary, Wacker will produce silicones for the growth markets of electromobility, medical technology and power-grid expansion.
(Source: Wacker)

Munich/Germany – Wacker has recently opened a new production site for silicones in the Czech Republic. After just two years of construction, the first production line officially went on stream in Karlovy Vary. Here, customized silicones for the automotive, household appliances and medical technology industries as well as for the energy sector will be manufactured. “Karlovy Vary is an important pillar for our silicone activities in Europe and a central building block in our specialties strategy”, said Wacker Executive Board member Christian Kirsten at the opening ceremony welcoming around 100 guests from politics, business and industry. “With the new site, we are expanding our position as a solution provider for customers in key industries.”

With the commissioning of the new site, Wacker is reorganizing its silicone activities in Europe. Together with the company’s Plzeň, Nünchritz, and Burghausen sites, Karlovy Vary will be responsible for supplying customers of silicone specialties going forward. In the future, liquid silicone rubber will be manufactured in Burghausen, while thermally conductive silicones, potting compounds for the automotive industry and silicone gels for wound care will be produced in Plzeň. Room-temperature-curing silicones and solid silicone rubber will be located in Karlovy Vary.

“Karlovy Vary will make our integrated production network in Europe much more flexible, agile and efficient”, emphasized Kirsten in his speech. “Karlovy Vary complements our existing sites and, thanks to state-of-the-art production technology, creates the underlying conditions for extremely high levels of efficiency and quality. Going forward, this will enable us to serve our customers even better thanks to high-quality and innovative products. With Karlovy Vary, we are beginning a new chapter in our silicones’ success story.”

Megatrends drive Wacker’s silicone business

The main drivers for the silicone business are megatrends such as electromobility, medical technology, renewable energy, grid expansion, and digitalization. Customized silicone elastomers are especially needed where conventional materials cannot meet the high and ever-increasing requirements, such as in thermal management in electric vehicles, wound care and power engineering.

The new production site is located in Business Park Karlovy Vary, a 25,000 square meter industrial park in the north of Karlovy Vary. The land and the building, which Wacker has leased, are owned by the investment group Accolade. The building shell was constructed by the development company Panattoni. Production facilities and laboratory equipment were designed by Wacker.

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“We are proud to have been able to build business facilities in Karlovy Vary that go beyond the region’s traditional spa, energy and coal industries. From the very beginning, our goal has been not only to deliver a modern industrial facility of the highest global quality, but also to provide an impetus for the further development of the local economy”, said Jiří Zita, Panattoni’s Commercial Director in the Czech Republic, during the official ceremony.

Accolade CEO Milan Kratina also praised the project. “The moment we stop talking about the potential of our investments and start seeing how it materializes in practice is the best reward for years of preparation. The Karlovy Vary site is now entering precisely this phase, as Wacker begins operations and gains state-of-the-art facilities for development and production. For the Karlovy Vary region, this represents a significant strengthening of its industrial development; for us, it confirms that the right location will always find the right tenant”, he said. “I would like to thank the entire team that worked on the project, the region and the city of Karlovy Vary for their long-term cooperation, and the tenant Wacker for the trust they have placed in us.”

Production in Karlovy Vary, Wacker’s second site in the Czech Republic

Wacker has been present in the Czech Republic since the 1990s. In Plzeň, the company has been operating a production site for ready-to-use silicones since 2008. Meanwhile, thermally conductive silicones and silicone gels are also manufactured here. In 2023, Plzeň also became home to an Excellence Hub, which provides services for the entire Group. Since 2026, Wacker is now active in the Karlovy Vary region too. Up to 200 jobs are to be created there by 2028 and filled by qualified specialists from the region.

“Our goal is to create the conditions for quality jobs, the development of regional infrastructure, and a long-term competitive economy. The signing of this memorandum therefore represents an important step and a catalyst for strengthening economic development in the Karlovy Vary Region. Our partnership with Wacker opens up new opportunities in the areas of innovation, education, and sustainable industry, and enhances the region’s appeal for further investment,” said Petr Kubis, Governor of the Karlovy Vary region, during the signing of a cooperation agreement between Wacker, the city and the district.

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Karlovy Vary Mayor Andrea Pfeffer Ferklová, too, praised the commitment of the project partners. “The arrival of a strong international partner such as Wacker is an important expansion of the portfolio of job opportunities and the local business environment for Karlovy Vary. The memorandum will allow us to leverage further synergies in the development of the city and its infrastructure, as well as in engaging the local community. I am very much looking forward to our mutual cooperation increasing the attractiveness of the city for its current and potential future residents, as well as for other investors.”

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