Automobile and aviation industry
Jaguar, Mercedes and Audi: the canton's expertise is attracting big brands in the automotive industry. Vehicles around the world produced by these brands feature body panels, metallic paints, air-conditioning systems and intelligent sensors that are made in Valais. And this expertise is also being deployed in the aviation industry.
Aerospace and railways
As world market leader in the development and fabrication of innovative aluminium- based products, Constellium employs 700 staff in Valais at its sites in Sierre, Chippis and Steg. 60% of the aluminium used is recycled and used to design high value-added parts for the aerospace, machine and rail industries. The company has some big-name clients, including Stadler Rail, Siemens and Alstom.
Constellium also has a large training centre that celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2017.
Pigments
German manufacturing group ECKART is world market leader in the production of metallic pigments. It operates within the paint, coatings, graphic arts, plastics, aerated concrete and even cosmetics sectors. The ECKART Switzerland SA site Vétroz exports everything it produces in terms of powder, zinc pastes and alloys, which are mainly designed for the automotive industry.
The company processes more than 3,500 tonnes of zinc ingot in powder and paste annually, the pigments of which have an average diameter of 20 microns.
Aluminium
Novelis is the largest producer of laminated aluminium products and one of the most prolific recyclers of aluminium in the world. The site in Sierre hosts two production facilities and a European centre for research and development. It is the leader for the development and production of body panels in the automotive industry. In light of the global standardisation of aluminium bodywork production, the factory in Valais focuses on excellence and innovation.
Novelis designs and supplies the aluminium for Jaguar and Land Rover bodywork.
Did you know?
It is now possible to obtain a drone operation diploma, thanks to the training course provided by the start-up Fly & Film in Valais. Feel like a change of career?