INFICON Sustainability Report 2023
Report on non-financial matters 2023
Contents
Sustainability – a core pillar of
INFICON’s strategy

40

Identification of material topics

40

Stakeholder Management andkey stakeholder concerns

41

INFICON’s Business Model

45

Economic topics

46

Technology leadershipMarket leadership
Customer relations
Product quality and compliance
Products with economic, social andenvironmental impacts

46
46
48
49

50

Governance topics

52

Environmental topics

55

Social topics

60

Outlook and Goals

67

Reference table for Art. 964b
Swiss Code of Obligation

68

GRI Content Index

69

Good governance
Responsible supply chain management

Environmental management system
Energy and carbon emissions
Efficient materials sourcing and use

INFICON – an attractive employer
Diversity, equity, and inclusion
Occupational health and safety
Ongoing education and training
Community relations

52
53

55
56
59

60
62
63
65
66

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INFICON Sustainability Report 2023
Report on non-financial matters 2023
SUSTAINABILITY – A CORE PILLAR
OF INFICON’S STRATEGYINFICON aims at sparingly and sustainably utilizing
resources and compensating appropriately for their use,allowing prosperity today and for future generations.
This compensation includes reasonable dividends forshareholders, fair payments for our workers and business partners, as well as the disbursement of taxes inthe various jurisdictions we operate in. Sustainability
is also an important factor that helps us attract, recruit,and retain the best talents. We are aware that employees and customers want to understand the purpose of
a company. When they comprehend a corporation’s
approach to ESG, and know and share its goals, employees see their work as a meaningful contribution to thecompany, the society, and the planet. This increases
motivation, loyalty, and performance. Suppliers and customers, too, value their relationship with a company
more when they can relate to the purpose of a company.

This chapter of the Annual Report outlines INFICON’s
perception and understanding of sustainability andthe respective actions taken. It explains the customerfocused, technological, and sustainable approach of
INFICON’s value proposition and describes the Company’s relationships with its stakeholder groups including customers, employees, investors, the hosting communities, its business partners, and suppliers. This
chapter also describes general environmental, social aswell as governance and leadership related aspects of
INFICON’s business. This chapter serves as report on
non-financial matters according to the Swiss Codeof Obligations. It covers the business model as well as
environmental matters, social issues, employee-related
issues, respect for human rights and combatting corruption issues. See also reference table for Art. 964b Swiss
Code of Obligations on page 68.

IDENTIFICATION OF MATERIAL TOPICS

As a global leader in instruments for gas analysis, measurement and control, and smart manufacturing solutions. INFICON’s business model is deeply rooted in its
commitment to do business sustainably in economic,
environmental and social terms as well as regarding
governance and leadership. In our business decisions
and conduct, we consider economic, environmental andsocial aspects at both strategic and operational levels.
This approach lies at the heart of the Group’s long-term
strategic orientation, its value creation, market leadership, and thus long-term success and profitable growth.
Our emphasis on sustainability provides guidelines for
INFICON’s customer-oriented innovation management,
its global purchasing and production processes, its
risk management as well as the conduct of its customer
relations. Sustainability is also a primary goal of all
our innovation work; INFICON products help our customers to minimize the impact of their activities on theeconomy, nature, and people.

For the 2023 sustainability report and report on nonfinancial matters, we have reviewed all the gathered information and available data and consecutively; we
modified, updated, and further expanded the scope of
this report.
At the start of this process, we have updated the materiality analysis in terms of a double materiality approach.
We consider topics as material that are important to
INFICON with regard to their business relevance, and/or have a significant economic, environmental, or
social impact.
The materiality matrix on next page shows and prioritises the identified topics. The sustainability and non-financial report is structured according to these material
topics into the categories Economy/Products, Governance, Environment, and Social.

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INFICON Sustainability Report 2023

highMateriality matrix

Product impact

Technology leadership
Product quality &compliance

Governance

Responsible supply
chain management

Impact on
Environment,
Society andEconomyOccupational
health & safety

Customer relations

Diversity, equity,and inclusion

Good governanceSocialAttractive employer
Training and education

Energy and carbon
emissions

Community relations

Environmental
management system

Market leadership

Economy/Products

mediumEfficient materials
sourcing and use

Environment

mediumBusiness Relevance

STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT AND KEY
STAKEHOLDER CONCERNShigh

ISO certified management system. Overall, INFICON
defines stakeholders as entities that engage in economic transactions with the Company, or as entities affected by its actions. The Company’s key stakeholders aredescribed below.

Developing and maintaining good relationships with all
stakeholders is key for long-term business success.
INFICON regularly engages with its stakeholders in a
broad and systematic variety of ways to understandtheir needs and to gain insights into changing market
requirements, trends, and developments. Above all,day-to-day communications are the most important formof interaction. Daily contact with customers, suppliers,and business partners, as well as personal discussions
among employees indicate what topics are relevant to
the individual stakeholder groups.

INFICON’s customers faced a demanding global
business environment in 2023. In addition to the ongoing international trade, tax and industry policy disputes, the Russian aggression war on Ukraine, the war
between Israel and Palestine caused sourcing bottlenecks for certain components and materials, and clogged
or disrupted international trade routes.
INFICON interacts in many different formats with its
global customer base to understand their high expectations. The tables below summarizes the interaction
formats and topics:

Each organization identifies and prioritizes its stakeholders and their interests, discussion topics, and values
by means of formal management reviews, SWOT analyses, or dedicated stakeholder analyses as part of our41

INFICON Sustainability Report 2023

Examples of engagement
formats

Key needs and concerns

Daily interaction

Reliable customer service

Regular personal contact

Quality/good value productsVideo conferences

Meeting the technical specs
and requirements

Workshops/visits

Fast response times

Webinars, technicaltrainings

Reliable on-time delivery

Conferences,
presentations, speaker
opportunities

Health and safety impacts ofproducts

Training and application
videosExplaining features andcompetitive advantages

Social media, newsletters,case study articles, emails

Providing general information, generating visibility
onlineTrade shows (virtual andphysical)Show and explain innovationand performance

Industry associations

Assess overall industry andtechnology trends

In our robust exhibition schedule in North America, Europe and Asia, we focus especially on delivering talks
and presentations on topics relevant for today’s market
challenges. We participated also in a series of new
industry trade shows e.g. focusing on the battery andcar industry as well as food packaging.
At the same time, INFICON continues to advocate theelectronic interaction formats in many occurrences asecologic alternative for frequent travels. INFICON experts engage with their counterparts by frequent videoconferences, virtual reality assisted tools, and social
media. We also like to accept opportunities to present
our array of products and services directly at customers and research institutions. During the reporting year
2023, INFICON was e.g. invited to present its offeringat CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, in Geneva/Switzerland, or at Global Foundries,
Dresden/Germany.
INFICON’s employees are a key asset to the Group.
We want to be known as a reliable, fair, and caring employer keeping employees safe, highlighting job security
at INFICON, and attracting and retaining talents as best
as possible. INFICON intensified internal communication in the past years via different channels ranging fromon-site staff gatherings, hybrid to virtual town-hall meetings, from sharing information on the intranet to more
frequent newsletters, from job related training sessions
to the INFICON identity workshops, and special topic
meetings. Depending on the locations, e.g. town-hall
meetings take mostly place monthly, in certain locations
quarterly. As INFICON is expanding its global operations to accommodate future growth, hiring and especially on-boarding new staff and talents locally requires
good communication skills and a high level of attention.

Completion of Responsible
Business Alliance surveys
at customer requests

Understanding our customers’ most pressing needs isa prerequisite for our business. INFICON experiences
great customer loyalty and a rising demand for its products, technologies, and services. Our key account managers and technical staff frequently meet with customers. In fact, close to 10% of INFICON’s staff areapplication engineers. They work daily with – and evenmore importantly so at – our customers, worldwide.
This customer intimacy enables INFICON to team-up
with its clients to research and develop the next generation of customer-oriented solutions.
Over the last couple of years, new electronic formats ofcustomer engagement became more frequent. INFICON
addresses the broader customer base at industry-specific tradeshows and conferences, on industry association panels, through webinars and technical training
videos, as well as newsletter and e-mails. INFICON has
also expanded its presence on various social media
platforms. INFICON’s new state-of-the-art multimedia
studios allows us to create compelling videos to train
our customers and to educate the public at large
about the advantages of INFICON’s technologicallyleading offering.
42

Examples of engagement
formats

Key needs and concerns

Daily interaction

Health and safety

Regular staff meetings

Job security

Regular town-hall
meetings

Flexible communications andinformation sharing

Intranet, newsletters

Business situation

Trainings

Onboarding, daily Workload

Employee representatives

Compensation, training andeducation

INFICON Sustainability Report 2023

INFICON’s suppliers are key to our flexible manufacturing model. Shortages had occurred in the wake of
the COVID-19 pandemic, the different national strategies
to cope with it, and more recently because of the international trade, tax, and industrial policy disputes, thewars in the Ukraine and in the Middle East. The glob­
ally rapidly rising demand for semiconductor products,
electronics and other key components created shortages on the supply markets. Continuous sourcing of certain components became very challenging, especiallyin Asia and China in particular. Well-established, mutually beneficial, reliable and resilient supplier relationships are vital, yet not sufficient. INFICON had to engage
various brokers to safeguard its supply of certain components and materials.

INFICON’s local communities know the Company asa responsible corporate citizen and frequently contact
us regarding topics such as sponsorship and support oflocal events or even political initiatives. Local communities and the public at large ask for more transparency
in terms of environmental, social and governance data.
Regulatory developments also rise the requirements
regarding non-financial disclosures.

INFICON’s purchasing departments and quality specialists closely interacted on a day-to-day basis with key
suppliers, focusing on securing the needed quantities
and the correct quality of components at reasonable
prices. The quality of the components we receive fromour suppliers is a critical aspect of our overall INFICON
product quality. To increase the reliability and consistency of the components we use in our products, wehave instituted Quality Business Reviews (QBRs).
These important QBRs are conducted every quarter toassure that quality is maintained. We conduct onsite
audits bi-annually or more frequently, if required. We alsooffer specific trainings for supply partners at INFICON
sites. We continue to emphasize on site or virtual supplier visits and audits, in order to keep the quality of
the goods delivered to INFICON up as best as possible.
Overall, INFICON has increased its inspections ofincoming components in recent years, focuses on dual
sourcing where possible, and continues to monitor
the quality of goods sourced as the Group is globallyramping up its activities.

The international financial community is an important stakeholder group for a publicly listed Company.
INFICON engages in a continuous dialogue with its
investors and the financial community by means of its
Annual Report, Interim Reports, its quarterly earnings
releases, presentations and online conferences, its
Annual General Meeting of Shareholders, Technology
Days, as well as national and international roadshows,the attendance at financial conferences, and receiving
visitors at its headquarters.

Examples of engagement
formats

Key needs and concerns

Regular, daily interaction

PricesSupplier visits

Required volumes

Supplier audits

Specifications

Quality and pricing
meetings

Reliable on-time delivery

Forecasting systems

Volumes, capacity, planning

Examples of engagement
formats

Key needs and concerns

Engagement projects

Sponsorship

Funding requests

Support with personnel

Open-door events

Other contributions andsupport

The investors and analysts are keen to understand how
INFICON is generating value today and in the future.
They want to learn about the product pipeline that continues to define the market benchmarks and thus
secures the Company’s long-term successful positioning.
The financial community is specifically interested invisiting the Company on-site. Management has more
frequently received analysts and investors e.g. at theBalzers (LIE) worksite – close to its headquarters – thanin previous years. Investors and analysts want to understand INFICON’s core technological competence invacuum technology. Information on this topic is publicly
available on the internet, highlighted in INFICON’s reports
and presentations, and addressed at the Technology
Days that take place from time to time. A next Technology Day is planned for late 2024. INFICON management interacts on average with about 200 investors andanalysts per year via various channels.

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Examples of engagement
formats

Key needs and concerns

Financial reports andpress releases

GrowthAnnual report andSustainability report

Profitability

Annual general meeting

Long-term successAnalyst conferences/summits and calls

Product pipeline,
development projects

Technology days (every
four to five years)

End-market developments

Roadshows

Sustainability

INFICON Inc. /Syracuse (USA):• AAFP (Arkansas Association, Food Protection)• Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration
Institute (AHRI)• American Public Gas Association• Centerstate CEO• Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration
International Distributors (HARDI)• IAFP (International Association, Food Protection)• Interior Climate Control Committee (ICCC)• MACNY (Manufacturers Association ofCentral New York)• MEMA – Vehicle Suppliers Association• Mobile Air Conditioning Society (MACS)• Manufacturing Leadership Council• National Association of Manufacturers (NAM)• National Coffee Association• National Defense Industrial Association• Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute• Poultry Federation• SWANA (Solid Waste Association of North America)• Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)• Southern Gas Association• Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association

Reversed-Roadshows

International industry associations provide important interaction and discussion platforms for INFICON
on a variety of topics including industry-specific com­pliance and conformity issues, products and processcertifications and tax contributions.
INFICON is member of the following associations
via its subsidiaries:
INFICON AG/Liechtenstein:• American Vacuum Society (AVS)• SAQ (Swiss Association for Quality)• SEMI (Microelectronics industry association)• Swiss-American chamber of commerce• Swiss Association for Standardization (SNV)• Swissmem• Swissvacuum• Vacuum Society

Universities and Research Institutes are significant
technology partners. INFICON is currently part of several research projects with leading universities, research
institutes, and science partnerships located in the US
and in Europe. To name a few, we are proud to be partof projects e.g. at CERN, the European Nuclear Research Center, at ITER, the most ambitious fusion energy projects in the world today, at ETH, the Swiss
Federal Institute of Technology, or at NASA, the US
Space Agency.

INFICON GmbH/Germany:• BG ETEM• Deutscher Kaffeeverband e.V.
• Deutsche Vakuum-Gesellschaft e.V.
• DIL – Deutsches Institut für Lebensmitteltechnik e.V.
• DIN – Deutsches Institut für Normung e.V.
• DLG – Deutsche Landwirtschafts-Gesellschaft e.V.
• IHK – Industrie- und Handelskammer zu Köln• kölnmetall – Arbeitgeberverband• SPECTARIS e.V. – Deutscher Industrieverband• ZLV – Zentrum für Lebensmittel- und
Verpackungstechnologie e.V.

The cooperation with such bodies is an important sourceof novel expertise in new fields of research. The projects range from basic research to applied developments
and industrial manufacturing, and cover areas fromphysics, chemistry into medical applications. INFICON
also seeks to find new and refine core technologies for
its vacuum technology components through the cooperation with those research institutes. The complexityof vacuum technology and its rapid technical and scientific development requires a permanent and close
look at developments in the core and in neighboring andsometimes even rather distant disciplines such as
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INFICON Sustainability Report 2023

optics and acoustics. We also co-develop new materials
including ceramics, glasses, metal alloys, and innovative novel coatings that promise new properties beneficial for the performance and longevity of our customers’ or our products, that open or require new vacuum
technology procedures and applications. INFICON
also cooperates with academic bodies to bring data
analysis projects forward, as rapidly analyzed data are
a key to next-generation innovations. On a regularbasis, we also accept speaker opportunities to interact
with the academic world and engage with the next
generation of young engineers. We also mentor young
scientist e.g. during their bachelor or master theses
or in other scientific projects. Our close cooperation
with universities and research institutes promotes
INFICON’s attractiveness as employer. Young experts
get to know our products, our research and development capabilities, our technological leadership position.
The close cooperation with these academic andapplied scientific bodies helps INFICON to attract
young talents.

is leak detection while the specialists for pressure management are located in Balzers (LIE). The Chapter on
Market Leadership sheds some more light on our R&D,
Sales & Service, and Innovation teams and their work.
With our combined know-how we serve four definedtarget markets: The biggest one being the global Semiconductor and Vacuum Coating market, followed by
the General Vacuum Application market serving bothindustrial as well as academic customers. Our products and services are also key in the Refrigeration, Air
Conditioning, and Automotive industries. Last but notleast we serve the Security and Energy market. The contribution of the various target markets to INFICON’s
overall Group sales are discussed in more detail in the
Letter to Shareholders and the Financial Report of thisAnnual Report.
While the backbone of our products and services in allthese global markets is INFICON’s mastery of vacuum
technology, they are quite diverse. Common to all ofthem is the fact that these technology driven markets
typically grow faster in the longer term than the worldwide GDP benefitting from global megatrends and growth
drivers as shown on page 6. Our target markets follow
at times different economic trends and business cycles
in the shorter term. INFICON’s broad market position
makes the Company thus less prone to business cycles
overall.

INFICON’S BUSINESS MODELINFICON’s strategy and business model anchor on ourcore competencies. We are (1) a technology company
focusing on vacuum technology. We offer world-leading
sensors, components and instruments as well as control and smart manufacturing software for a growing
range of today’s and tomorrow’s key industries andapplications. We want to be recognized as the (2) innovation partner of choice capable of delivering thesmartest solutions for our customers’ upcoming needs.
And, last but not least, as a Company, we (3) develop,
produce and sell our products and services using a flexible manufacturing model built around our own stateof-the art manufacturing, R&D, and service units on the
one side and our excellent supplier management andour customer centricity on the other.

The complexity of the markets we serve also shows in
INFICON’s customer orientation. Cooperation, collaboration, co-creation are key in continuously bringing ouroffering to the next level of excellence. Many INFICON
colleagues daily work with and even at our clients. At
INFICON, we thoroughly understand our customers’
most pressing needs. This approach has allowed us
to secure top 1 or 2 position in the markets we serve.
We are proud to be acknowledged as the trusted“must-go-to” innovation and solution partner to ourcustomers.

At INFICON, we synergistically leverage our scientificexpertise in the specific, yet broad and expanding fieldof vacuum technology into a growing range of applications and industries. Our R&D and manufacturing efforts
are group-wide coordinated and managed in threecompetence centers. In Syracuse (USA) we focus on
sensors and software. In Cologne (DE), the focal topic

INFICON’s innovation, manufacturing, and production
competence rests on the three above-mentioned, stateof-the-art equipped Centers of Competence, and sevensmaller, specialized locations. Understanding the vital
underlying aspects of vacuum technology, we develop
and design solutions for the next generations of our45

INFICON Sustainability Report 2023

customers’ technology applications. Yet, we do not manufacture all components ourselves. In fact, INFICON’s
activity relies on a flexible manufacturing model and an
excellently managed, international sourcing.

We believe that INFICON’s successful strategy andproven business model is a long-term and sustainablebasis for mutually beneficial stakeholder relations as
discussed further in this report.

INFICON’s has over 1,000 suppliers globally. The largest 20 make up for about 40% of INFICON’s sourcing.
Looking at the regional split of our suppliers, around 50%
of INFICON’s direct suppliers come from Europe andthey cover with around 63% the majority of the sourcing
volume. North American suppliers represent around
36% and the remainder is from Asia. The main sourcing
categories are electronic, mechanical, or metalworking
items, pumps and printed circuit boards. For moredetails please refer to chapter “Responsible supply
chain management” on page 53.

ECONOMIC TOPICS
Technology leadership
Understanding and anticipating our customers’ mostpressing, emerging, and future needs, spurs and drives
innovation. At INFICON, we understand industrial innovation as a multi-layered process ranging from continuous enhancements and optimization efforts for existing product categories, to screening, applying andleveraging the latest scientific discoveries into new use
cases, products, and services. Innovation power andtechnology leadership as a result are firm foundationsof our business model.

The Covid-19 pandemic, the international trade, tax, andtariff disputes, and the ramifications of the war in the
Ukraine and the Mideast conflict into the stable energy
supply and international logistics have highlighted the
major risks associated with INFICON’s flexible production model. Securing the right amount of the rightproducts in the correct quality has become a challenge.
While INFICON has mostly been able to safeguard
ongoing supplies, the seamless deliveries came ata price. Like many other companies, we had to engage
independent supply brokers to search and secureurgently needed components for INFICON on the international sourcing markets.

INFICON is an expert in developing market-leading
instruments for gas analysis, measurement, and control.
In many industries, our products are recognized as technology benchmarks. The high innovation pace allows
INFICON to hold and expand its number 1 to 2 position
in all target markets. During the reporting year, INFICON
has launched a series of new and enhanced products.
A summary of these innovations including photos anddescriptions is shown on the pages 8–9 in this report.
On page 5, we discuss our technological leadership
positions in greater detail, highlighting how our expertise
defines our offering for the various targets we serve.

We serve our markets directly with products bearing
brands of the INFICON Group, and/or indirectly throughprivate label products we produce for third parties.
This approach guarantees on all markets and in all industries the most suitable customer proximity and thebest and most responsive customer service. INFICON
has sales and service centers all over the world, as
shown on page 15 of this report.

Market leadership
INFICON’s business model has proven to be strong forover 20 years. Our products and services allow us togenerate solid cash flows to solidify and grow the business. INFICON is active and present in all world areas.
We operate in very competitive target markets, where
we hold leading positions, generally as one of the toptwo global solution providers. See page 15 for an overview map showing INFICON’s global presence.

Our clear technological focus on the growing realm of
vacuum technology applications, our customer-oriented
approach to innovation and development, INFICON’s
flexible manufacturing and sourcing model, as well as
our direct and indirect sales efforts help us avoid andmitigate the effects of many risks associated with international business. This gives INFICON the leeway to
devote full attention to unforeseen risks that inevitably
occur in today’s complex world.

INFICON covers the global target markets with threebrands. We also manufacture and supply private label
products for large industrial players. Please refer to pages 6–7 for an overview on INFICON’s target markets.
The goal is clear: INFICON wants to offer competent46

INFICON Sustainability Report 2023

services, consultancy and training covering the full customer-buying circle. INFICON’s global sales and service
organization counts around 400 people, and includes
functions in sales and marketing, application engineering, customer service, order management, logistics, aswell as finance and administrative staff. Customers
around the globe benefit locally and efficiently froma comprehensive range of installation, commissioning,calibrating, maintenance, repair, and device rental services. Important to note, well over 150 application engineers work most of the time directly at our key customers. They have access to their production facilities andreally understand the customers’ challenges and mostpressing needs. This cooperation is an essential basisof INFICON’s customer-oriented value creation.

On top of that, customers can rely on the INFICON’s
trained assistance from distributors and agents. We
analyze customer feedback carefully. We collect spontaneously expressed responses. In addition, we spo­radically distribute customer surveys in the various regions, for specific markets, or certain product categories
to unveil otherwise unexpressed customer wishes andopinions. We also systematically monitor external andinternal data such as customer complaints, productrejections, as well as insights from our own development
efforts or quality assurance processes. On thesegrounds, we define measures and derive actions for ourown processes to close the customer feedback loop
full circle.
The proximity to our customers is an important sourceof innovation. Our sales and service staff learn about
our customers’ technical challenges help them develop
new applications, and spur our own in-house innovation and developments. Customer proximity includes also
the strategy to be geographically as close as possible
to our customers. In 2023, INFICON moved physicallyagain closer to customers in Asia:

To meet these expectations, INFICON has embarked on
a comprehensive investment strategy in 2021. This3-year program saw its completion in 2023. The initiative
has added some 50% additional capacity Group-wide.
INFICON has already identified the next opportunities fororganic growth and plans to complement these expansion projects also by targeted technology acquisitions.
Global competition keeps the innovation pace high.
INFICON strives to provide customers with the best
available technology for their complex and rapidly
evolving vacuum technology production processes andtools. INFICON devices guarantee maximum accuracyof measurement results. Our products and services help
customers gain the best control and predictability of
their processes and maximize productivity and yield
while minimizing production time, material usage, scrap
rate and labor and maximizing the product life cycle.
Employing INFICON components and instruments leads
to the overall lowest cost of ownership and best sustainability in the longer term. Group-wide, some 250
people are primarily devoting their work for our research and development work.

Celebration ceremony for new production line in Shanghai Nov 2023

Vacuum gauge production line in Shanghai: On
November 3rd, INFICON celebrated the opening of our
new vacuum gauge production line at the factory inShanghai, a strong sign of our commitment to our customers in the Chinese market. Together with inter­national and local management, employees and partners, our CEO Oliver Wyrsch proudly inaugurated the
new site.

INFICON operates as a truly customer-oriented Company. We are keen on turning our customers’ emerging
needs into our own innovation targets. Through our close
cooperation with Original Equipment Manufacturers(OEMs) and end-product manufacturers, we gain important information about both their needs as well as theneeds of their customers, which in many instances arealso our customers for end-user products.
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INFICON Sustainability Report 2023

Guangzhou Application Center. China is a world
leader in battery development and production. A close
cooperation with China enables us to stay close totechnological progress and to gain shares in this very
important market. That is why INFICON has started
to establish an Application Center in Guangzhou. At the
beginning, the focus will be on leak-detection products
related to the battery business. The official opening of the
Guangzhou Application Center will be March 4, 2024.

responses. In addition, we sporadically distribute customer surveys in the various regions, for specific markets, or certain product categories to unveil otherwise
unexpressed customer wishes and opinions.
We also systematically monitor external and internal datasuch as customer complaints, product rejections, aswell as insights from our own development efforts or
quality assurance processes. On these grounds, wedefine measures and derive actions for our own processes to close the customer feedback loop full circle.
The proximity to our customers is an important sourceof innovation. Our sales and service staff learn about
our customers’ technical challenges. Our aim is to develop new applications that address our customers’
most pressing needs. The valuable customer feedback
spurs our own in-house innovation and development
processes. While our research and development efforts
are congregated according to the Group’s centers oftechnological competence, the outcome of INFICON’s
innovations process is then focused on the four target
markets we serve. In each of these target markets, weserve various customer groups.

Guangzhou (CN) Application Center

Sales, Service, and Production site in Malaysia. In
2023, INFICON took first steps to found and set up
a new Sales, Service, and Production site in Malaysia.
This new entity is also expected to open in 2024.

In the largest target market, Semiconductor & Vacuum
Coating, we address two major customer groups: The
first consists of semiconductor or thin-film coating endusers and their top-tier suppliers. They seek to optimize their manufacturing processes, maximize output
yields, and run their operations as environment-friendly
as possible. INFICON gas and vacuum instruments, sensors as well as process control and smart manufacturing software help semiconductor manufacturers (“fabs”)
optimize their production processes and increase theyield and quality of their wafer production. Our products
and services also help fabs to monitor the storage,transport and usage of their often corrosive and evenhazardous raw and process materials and are thus
vital for the environmental protection efforts of our customers and contribute thus to the overall sustainabilityof the industry.

Customer Relations
Strongly connected to our customers, INFICON wasformed and operates since as a truly customer-oriented
Company. We are keen on turning our customers’
emerging needs into our own innovation targets. Throughour close cooperation with OEMs and end-productmanufacturers, we gain important information aboutboth their needs as well as the needs of their customers, which in many instances are also our customers
for end-user products.
INFICON’s global sales and service organization
includes globally approximately 400 people. In addition
to office staff, about half of them are highly skilled service and application engineers who are in constant dialogue with our customers. On top of that, customers
can rely on the INFICON’s trained assistance from
distributors and agents. We analyze customer feedback
carefully. We collect spontaneously expressed

OEMs form a second large customer group in thismarket. We supply them with vacuum and thin film
technology components, which they integrate into theirsemiconductor or vacuum coating production equipment and tools.
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In the General Vacuum market, we supply vacuum
analysis, control, and measurement instruments toa broad array of customers. They include e.g. leading
and innovative companies and organization in the life
science and analytics industries, in the food packaging
business, and the global research and academic
community.

Compliance with all legal requirements ensures that norestricted materials of environmental concern enter
production. This quality approach is a true differentiatorand helps us position ourselves as number 1 to 2 inall target markets.
At INFICON, the design for manufacturability and thecontinuous improvements in production reduce scrap
and ensure efficient material use of raw materials andcomponents during all steps of production. Our compliance process ensures that replacement materials aredeveloped and evaluated in order to eliminate raw
ma­terials, chemicals, or components of environmental
concern. While there are no Group-wide targets, alllocations have formulated individual goals for scrap in
production and/or so-called cost of poor quality (COPQ)
targets. Finding and eliminating the root cause for
COPQ (scrap, waste, customer complaints, problems
in production, sorting, rework etc.) is an important partof our quality management system.

In the Refrigeration, Air Conditioning, and Automotive market, our customers specialize in cooling appliances and services. They focus on quality control, leaktightness of their products, and on leak detection whenservicing the installed base of products. Leak tightness
is also of paramount importance for many components
in modern cars – from engines to fuel tanks and airbags,
and an increased focus on leak-testing lithium-ion
batteries, battery stacks, and fuel-cells. INFICON products support the change from combustion to electricor hydrogen powered vehicles. We have designed anddeveloped leak-testing devices specifically for this
rapidly growing market.

On a corporate level, INFICON monitors and documents
quality according to the ISO 9001:2015 requirements
in a yearly Management Review. All ISO certified locations provide their respective information for a consolidated Group report. The final document contains over
200 pages and covers quality performance and indicators on many levels. An audit (ISO 9001 and 14001) conducted at INFICON Balzers (LIE) in November 2022
revealed no non-conformances. During 2023 INFICON
Aaland (FI) passed an audit with very good results,
too. There were no non-conformances, just some recommendations. INFICON Balzers (LIE) and INFICON
Cologne (DE) passed their audits without any non-conformances.

In the Security & Energy market, we supply public
and private sector clients with devices to rapidly detectand analyze gases and volatile organic compounds.
INFICON products help identify chemical agents andhazardous volatile compounds and thus increase thesafety of people and the environment.
Product quality and compliance
INFICON wants to be recognized as the benchmark
supplier of best-in-class products in its target markets.
Superior product quality is of utmost importance for
INFICON’s long-term existence and growth. It has a
profound impact on the ability to maintain and increase
market shares by outperforming the competition.
INFICON’s quality principles apply both to design andmanufacturing processes. They help reduce scrap
and waste in our own production, reduce energy andraw material consumption in our customers’ processes
and applications, and extend the life cycle of theirfinished products. Thus, at INFICON, the notion of sustainability lies at the heart of our lean manufacturing
and lean facility management efforts.

Quality means producing results that meet the requirements for a defined purpose, ultimately generating permanent customer satisfaction. Quality is a key factor in
determining our market position. Both our external
and internal customers determine to what extent theirrequirements are met and therefore set the standardof the quality of our products and services. INFICON’s
quality principles are documented in our quality policy.

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INFICON Sustainability Report 2023

They include the following elements:
1.	Customer satisfaction and market knowledge aredetermining factors: Satisfying our customers’ expectations is of primary importance to our success.
Our strategic orientation builds on a thorough knowledge of the markets we serve.
2.	Our employees are the key to our success: We foster teamwork and understanding of environmental
issues and promote extensive communication in an
attractive work environment. We provide adequate
vocational and advanced training and professional
development to highly motivated employees that arecommitted to our high quality goals.
3.	Know-how ensures future success: To offer our customers innovative solutions, we constantly cultivateand enhance our know-how through active collaboration with our suppliers and future partners.
4.	Quality is the result of managed processes: We constantly optimize our business processes in order tosupply our customers with products and services thatmeet the agreed to quality standards. We comply
with state-of-the-art methods and fulfill special customer requirements, e.g. CE/CC requirement (Copy
Exactly / Change Control).
5.	Comprehensive continuous improvement: We measure our performance with defined key metrics andtake the required corrective measures.

Products with economic, social andenvironmental impacts
Our innovation efforts and our strong product pipeline
inherently guarantee for the Company’s technologicalleadership, long-term growth and prosperity. At thesame time, they make an important contribution to resource conservation at our customers’ and help protect the environment and humankind. All our research,development, and innovation goals encompass ideas
to inherently promote a positive social and environmental outcome.
Understanding how INFICON products help achieve
economic, environmental and social goals is a very important aspect of the corporate purpose discussion.
It helps promote the engagement and commitment of
our employees and solidifies the positive reputationof INFICON in the public at large.
INFICON’s flexible manufacturing model involves materials and components sourced from many different
suppliers. We strive to use materials and componentsthat minimize negative impacts on our environment.
INFICONs products help reduce environmental impacts,
prevent leakages etc., help customers reduce waste
and increase yield.
Looking at key product categories, their positive effectcan be described as follows:

INFICON monitors the success of its quality policy by
the customer feedback given during quality audits performed on-site.

• Leak detectors find even the most microscopic holes.
Absolute tightness is often a prerequisite for the flawless and safe functioning of our customers products.
Just think of diverse products and applications suchas of e.g. airbags, gas pipelines, AC equipment, batteries and battery packs, and food packaging. Ourleak detectors also spot harmful gases so they canrapidly be sealed off. In capital-intensive industries
such as the manufacturing of semiconductors, employees must find and repair leaks very quickly.

50

INFICON Sustainability Report 2023

• Vacuum gauges control production processes andreduce waste and energy consumption. INFICON
gauges offer superior accuracy and reliability in compact designs. Four different technologies cover thewhole range of vacuum from ultra-high vacuum up toatmospheric pressure. The Pirani technology enables
cost-effective measurement in the low and medium
vacuum range. The Capacitance Diaphragm technol­
ogy enables precise measurement in the low vacuum
range, whereas the ultra- and high-vacuum ranges
are covered by the Hot or Cold Ionization technologies.
Each technology is available as a standalone sensor
or combined with complementary measurement technologies.
• Process control and Smart manufacturingsoftware helps semiconductor manufacturers optimize their processes, minimize waste, maximize
output, and – at the same time – maximize the environment-friendly and most sustainable use of raw
and process materials.
• Gas analyzers/Chemical identification systems
generate contamination profiles needed to rapidly
remove a hazardous risk or to contain valuable andoften hazardous process gases. INFICON developed HAPSITE® ER person-portable Gas Chromatograph-Mass Spectrometer (GC/MS) to help responders quickly identify and accurately quantify a broad
range of chemicals in unknown samples to provide
actionable data, in order to protect the health andsafety of themselves and others. The new HAPSITE
CDT is taking the HAPSITE family to the nextlevel with improved analytical capabilities and easeof use.

reinforces the significant role INFICON solutions playin driving semiconductor manufacturing sustainability
roadmaps.

TSMC Supplier Recognition for Production
Support & ESG Collaboration

INFICON’s commitment to innovation and market leadership was also recognized when INFICON Balzers(LIE) won a 2023 Swiss Manufacturing Award for Industry Excellence. This prestigious award, presented by the
University of St. Gallen (HSG) in collaboration with ETH
Zurich, recognizes the company’s significant contribution to improving the industrial landscape of Switzerlandand Liechtenstein. This recognition is a symbol of thecompany’s commitment to maintaining and improving
Swiss manufacturing standards on a global scale.

INFICON’s vital contribution to the sustainability of ourcustomers’ manufacturing processes was highlighted
in 2023 when TSMC recognized INFICON for their impact supporting TSMC’s ESG performance. INFICON
sensors and smart manufacturing software help semiconductor manufacturers around the world meet theirproduction and ESG goals. Fabs use INFICON products
to measure during process to ensure chip quality,
optimize material and power consumption during critical steps like chamber cleans, reduce down time
during preventative maintenance cycles, and monitor
abatement systems to reduce greenhouse gas usage,
driving reliable semi operations with maximum productivity and highest efficiency. Being recognized by TSMC,

Employees of INFICON Balzers (LIE) with the HSG
Manufacturing Award

Of 379 companies from 21 different industries and with
950 production locations, INFICON Balzers (LIE) has
secured a top 5 position. This recognition reflects thecompany’s commitment to excellence and innovation
in a highly competitive environment. INFICON’s Balzers
site was honored for its achievements in Advanced
51

INFICON Sustainability Report 2023

Lean and Automation Techniques; Strategic Production
Expansion; Focus on innovation and environmental
friendliness; Strong supplier relationships; Increased
quality standards, and impressive growth trajectory.

the INFICON Business Ethics Policy. We expect compliance with these guiding principles in the daily workof any INFICON employee on all levels and in all functions. As a Company and corporate citizen, INFICON
itself adheres to fair and good business practices in a
broad sense. ESG criteria are part of the incentive system of Group Management. In 2023, the objectives forGroup Management included qualitative targets, analysis and implementation of new regulations (local andglobal) as well as supporting various internal initiatives.
We are also aware that a Company benefits from infrastructure and public services in the various jurisdictions where we are active. Therefore, good governancealso includes fair tax practices.

GOVERNANCE TOPICSGood governance
INFICON has implemented high standards of Corporate
Governance and business ethics. Separate chapterson Corporate Governance and on INFICON’s compensation practices are included in this report and disclose further information in a systematic manner. Here,it is important to note that the Board of Directors andGroup Management comprise different persons, that
there is no overlap of offices, and no conflicts of interest. Corporate information continuously flows between
Management and the Board supported by a solid information system. Employees, shareholders and the public at large regularly receive information about INFICON’s
business and financial performance.

Business ethics policy
INFICON’s Business Ethics Policy defines the fundamental principles of ethical business behavior and the
responsibilities of every employee and Company representative. A proper conduct includes compliance withthe law, ordinances and regulations, as well as accounting principles and procedures. Compliance is instrumental as we strive to avoid any violation of the law or otherregulations. In 2023, INFICON has closely monitored
the various legal revisions made or planned in various
jurisdictions to early adapt its processes to upcoming
ESG reporting requirements. Compliant with the requirements in force, we have again expanded the scopeand content of this report.

Effective risk assessment is an integral part of INFICON’s
Group-wide enterprise risk management and is governed by policies reviewed by the Board of Directors.
Early identification and professional management ofthese risks is fundamental to business success and increasingly includes also social and environmental
risks. The permanent observation and control of therisks is a management objective, the effective risk
management is a key factor in maintaining INFICON’svalue over the long term. Risks, threats and opportunities to specific business units as well as the Group are
outlined and discussed during INFICON’s Annual
Strategy review with the Board of Directors. Besides
other elements, the strategic review covers the critical
topics like Market analysis, Major projects and initiatives, SWOT Analysis and key financial data. A risk
management process at the Group level ensures thatrisks are continuously and consistently (i) identified,(ii) assessed, (iii) monitored, (iv) managed and (v) reported. Through the risk assessment procedures, risks
are identified and their likelihood of occurrence andpossible extent of impact is assessed. Further the impact levels, measures and actions as well as responsibilities are defined. Good governance at INFICON also
implies high ethical and moral standards as set out in

In addition to regular internal reviews, 2023 saw also
external audits at various sites focusing on quality,
financial performance, and/or IT systems and security.
INFICON welcomed several customers on-site to conduct their own supplier reviews or more formalized Responsible Business Alliance surveys. All these meetings
highlight the importance of our sound Business Ethics
Policy and our commitment to comply with the law.
Human Rights are important to INFICON; as a company
we want to be fully compliant with Human Rights.
Our corporate culture promotes compliance with Human
Rights and we define measures to support them. So,
our corporate policies also forbid child or forced laborand stipulate honesty and integrity in personal behavior. As new laws came and come into force regardingchild or forced labor, INFICON augmented its reportaccordingly.
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INFICON Sustainability Report 2023

Responsible supply chain management
INFICON’s supplier base is truly global and counts over
1,000 production material suppliers. The group of the
20 biggest ones, make up for about 41% of INFICON’s
sourcing. Looking at the regional split of our suppliers,
Europe accounts for about 50% of the direct suppliers.
Some 62% of the sourcing volume comes from Europe.
North America accounts for about 36% of the suppliers
and around 30% of the sourcing volume. So, most of
the sourcing comes from areas where INFICON’s major production sites are also located. Based on thegeographic closeness, we share the same values anda mutually beneficial understanding of longer-termbusiness relations. The proximity to our supplier basenot only fosters close supplier relations but also minimizes risks associated with purchasing.

Our business ethics policy gives guidance for politicalcontributions, gifts, fees and commissions. Our policy
also covers topics such as conflict of interest and otherpotential misconduct. It provides employees with guidelines about how to behave in the international businessenvironment, how to handle corporate and confidential
information, it defines employment practices, as well as
health and safety procedures. We seek to support
diversity on all hierarchy levels. INFICON’s Business
Ethics Policy is publicly available online at https://www.
inficon.com/about-us/company/.
Violations of the Code of Conduct must be reported
prompt­ly by the employee to his/her direct supervisor or,
if necessary, to the audit committee of INFICON’s Board(Dr. Reto Suter, In der Deisten 11, 8125 Zollikerberg,
Switzerland, email: INFICON@whistleblowercontact.
com). All information received from the employee will betreated confidentially to the greatest possible extent.
During the reporting year 2023, there were no incidents
reported by means of this channel.

The predominance of Europe and America as the main
sourcing regions obviously reflects the actual invoicing
addresses of the tier 1 suppliers. It does not include theirtier 2 and 3 contractors. The proportion of materialand components originally manufactured in Asia is therefore certainly higher than the roughly 8% of directsourcing volume suggest.

All employees joining INFICON complete a special
introduction and training session on business ethics at
any of their respective Company site around the globe.
Bi-annually, all employees participate in a refresher
course and renew their commitment to our high standards by signature. This process is overseen by the
local HR teams.

There is a certain but overall rather moderate risk
associated with the Asian supply markets due to thedependency on international shipment and logistics
on the one hand but also on the political developmentsin that area on the other. In addition the very high proportion of Western European suppliers (majority from
Germany and Switzerland) mean that the general risk
profile of the supply chain is relatively low.

Anti-Corruption
Corruption is categorically rejected – there is no tolerance at INFICON. We have guidelines on the preventionof corruption. They are communicated to all employees;
all employees are also regularly trained in this subject.

Looking at the sourced materials or items, 49% of
INFICON’s purchased input concerns electronic,
mechanical, or metalworking items, while pumps account for 21%, and printed circuit boards for 11%.

INFICON assesses every year if there were any reported breaches of compliance with the policy, any confirmed incidents of corruption, or any legal actions foranti-competitive behavior or any anti-trust issues.
No incidents of corruption were reported for the year
under review.

The close cooperation with suppliers is the backbone
of INFICON’s flexible manufacturing model. INFICON
therefore devotes a lot of attention to the careful selection, the ongoing management and continuous development of our suppliers. Selected key suppliers havee.g., signed an agreement outlining INFICON’s expectations regarding requirements on the production change
control process (CE/CC).
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INFICON Sustainability Report 2023

In addition to many quality aspects, our discussions andassessments also include aspects with regard to environmental and social topics. Environment-friendly processing, compliance with environmental regulations,labor practices, and the fulfillment of occupational safety standards among our suppliers is of great importance to us and part of the supplier risk management
approach. We also include vital elements such as theprevention of child or forced labor in our supplier contracts. Compliancy with our business ethics policy isa standard topic at our regular supplier meetings. All ofthese elements are checked during supplier meetings
and audits. As most of our supplier relations go back intime and build on a common long-term business perspective, INFICON liaises with its key suppliers regularly. Formal quality, technical, and legal meetings
and audits are conducted at least once a year with major suppliers.

Purchasing volume share by region(Avg 2 years)

8%
30%
62%

78%

EuropeNorth America

Asia

Major purchasing categories(Avg 4 years)

In the reporting year 2023, INFICON reviewed the due
diligence obligations regarding child labor and conflictminerals and metals in accordance with the newly applicable Swiss law pursuant to Art. 964j et seq. CO.
For the production sites in Europe and Liechtenstein inparticular, it was determined that for the reporting year
2023 Inficon is exempt from the due diligence and reporting obligations regarding conflict minerals. The examination with regard to child labor concluded that there
were no reasonable grounds to suspect child labor in
the reporting year 2023 and that Inficon is exempt fromthe due diligence and reporting obligations regardingchild labor for the reporting year 2023.

17%

78%
30%

Vacuum Pumps
Other

Electronics
Metal/MechanicalTop 20 Suppliers share of purchasing volume

Supplier share by region(Avg 2 years)(Avg 2 years)

14%

36%
78%

EuropeNorth America

21%

32%

41%

50%

78%

Top20 suppliers
Other supplier

Asia

54

59%

INFICON Sustainability Report 2023

ENVIRONMENTAL TOPICS

Created in 2020, the “Green Team” in Syracuse (USA)focused in 2023 on a facility wide energy audit, theinstallation of occupancy and motion sensing sensors
and switches to shut off lights automatically. At Syracuse (USA), the campus lawn is becoming a biologically more valuable territory to increase bird habitat,
reduce heavy rainwater run-offs, reducing landscaping
expenses. Currently, we are evaluation the use ofengineered floating island reactors to promote the natural self-cleaning capacities of our ponds. We havealso found out that the new aspect of the campus is more
inspiring for employees during their breaks. Employee
newsletters, a dedicated information and bookstand, aneven art contest address sustainability issues on aregular basis.

Environmental management system
Environmental protection, safety and product stewardship are key priorities at INFICON as shown and discussed in various sections of this comprehensive Annual Report and especially the Sustainability report.
Sustainability and environmental management are key
components of our Company’s DNA. INFICON engages
in many efforts to reduce any negative impact of its
business. These measures have often multiple effects –in terms of health and safety benefits for the employees, optimization of our own production processes, theminimization of environmental damage, and the quality,
longevity, and recyclability of our products and services.
Assessing, studying, and optimizing our environmental
management system has brought us valuable insights
on how INFICON can continuously optimize its environmental management.

To increase the visibility and importance of INFICON’s
sustainability efforts for all employees, we createdspecial steering committees e.g. at the Syracuse (USA)factory. This body, led by a dedicated sustainability
manager who serves as point of contact, sees to it thatsustainability is incorporated into the local strategies.
The manager makes sure measures are aligned withcorporate goals, that teams are held accountable forprogress in this area and that the momentum of the efforts is kept high, that all levels are directed onto ashared sustainability path. The team has started in 2022
to use a Kanban board to formalize, support and better
visualize and prioritize the respective project management an initiatives. One of the key priorities in 2022
was the efficient data collection. We currently evaluate
software to best connect to corporate data portals to
support the compilation of environmental data. Internally, the importance of sustainability is highlighted byeducational activities such as a new speaker series,
the dissemination of internal media posts, and thecreation of a confluence page to more easily disseminate information.

All INFICON manufacturing sites adhere to ISO
14001:2015. According to this ISO release, all manufacturing locations are required to analyze their risks
and opportunities with respect to environmental performance in a systematic way, to minimize their ecological risks, and to identify any corresponding need foraction. The manufacturing facilities are themselves incharge of setting priorities and implementing the actions
they deem necessary. The environmental managers
at each location have created teams and programs tomonitor, analyze and minimize energy consumption
and other aspects detrimental to our carbon footprint.
INFICON Syracuse (USA) is a good example of how
we promote these efforts: 2023 saw e.g. the formationof new ISO14001:2015 Committee to refresh Environmental Management System and introduce sustainable
design tools in product engineering process.

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INFICON Sustainability Report 2023

Energy and carbon emissions
Given INFICON’s business model and value chain,
the operational carbon footprint (Scope 1 and 2) of
INFICON is rather minor. Yet, fully understanding
where INFICON as a company consumes energy andcauses carbon emissions helps us strive for further
improvements. Within our own boundaries, INFICON
was repeatedly able to minimize its carbon footprint.
We also want to investigate how we can further reduce
our negative impact by carefully managing our supply
chain and taking responsibility of the ongoing usage ofour products and systems at our customers (Scope 3
domain). In both Scope 3 categories, a screening analysis was started in the reporting year. We are fully
aware that a company’s carbon footprint is an important topic in many shareholder relations ranging fromexisting to potential employees, suppliers, customers,
investors and the public at large and insufficientengagement can result in reputational problems. We
therefore want to be known as a company not only
compliant with ESG norms, but as a company willing togo the extra mile.

All manufacturing facilities observe and comply with international and regional legislation, as well as guidelines. All suppliers have to sign quality and environmental agreements that they comply with all environmental
laws. The Company observes the European Union’s regulation on chemicals and their safe use (Registration,
Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of ChemicalsREACH). INFICON complies with the European Union’s
directive on the Restriction of Hazardous Substances(RoHS) addressing the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment. We
monitor the list substances of very high concern (SVHC
Candidate List), and focus in the US on so-called
conflict materials (CMRT, EMRT, TSCA). In addition,
INFICON also observes the standards set out in the codeof conduct of the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) –a non-profit coalition of leading electronics companies
dedicated to sustainability and improving corporatesocial responsibility. INFICON also completed a RBA
audit in 2022 to keep abreast with the latest developments in this area. Moreover, the Company observes
the UN Security Council Report S/2006/525 regarding“conflict minerals”. INFICON has realized that there
are more and more regulations to be observed and isaware of new emerging regulations and reporting.
We are currently assessing of how to best tackle thesechallenges on a Group-wide level, rather than dealing
with these issues on a site per site basis.
INFICON did not encounter any non-compliance withenvironmental laws in 2023.

Greenhouse gas emissions by scope(in tCO2e)

1400
1200

1,237

1000
800
600
400

572

545

273

Scope 1
2021

513

434

200
0

818

665

2022

Scope 2
2023
56

79

Scope 1+2

INFICON Sustainability Report 2023

Since the first implementation of ISO 14001 as early
as 1998, INFICON closely monitors and analyzes
resource consumption and emissions. Our main environmental impacts and efforts relate to energy consumption and CO2 emissions and we strive for in-house
reductions of CO2 emissions, a decrease in resource
consumptions and a lowering of our ecological footprint.

2021

2022

Delta
2023–
2023 2022

Total energy
15,429 15,075 15,817
consumption in MWh
Electricity
11,591 11,812 13,241
of which certified
51%
81% 100%
green electricity
2
Natural gas
3,110 2,693 2,141
District heating
729
570
435
(wood chips)
Energy consumption
16.3
13.2
13.4
in MWh per employee
Greenhouse gas
emissions in tCO2e3
Scope 1:Natural gas2
Scope 2: Electricity& district heating4
Greenhouse gas
emissions in tCO2e
per employee
Biogenic CO2
emissions arereported outsideof scopes

In 2023 the overall emission of greenhouse gases could
again be lowered. After a reduction of 33% in thepreceding year, 2023 saw a further reduction of 37%.
INFICON was able to curtail its consumption of natural
gas by 21% in the reporting year, resulting in 20% lower greenhouse gas emissions. The major contributors
to this result were as follows: The measures taken to
save energy for the heating and cooling of the Balzers(LIE) worksite now shows for a full year and resulted
in literally zero greenhouse gas emissions from district
heating. Another source of savings was the ventilation
scheme at Cologne (DE) which was set back to preCovid-19 conditions. During the pandemic, 100% freshoutside air was pumped into the buildings. This had
requested a higher proportion of cold air to be heated.
As the standard ambient ventilation now only holds
35% of fresh outside air, this figure was largely reduced.
We see these achievements as an incentive andstimulus to further minimize any negative impact of oureconomic activity as best as we can.

5%
12%

(21%)
(24%)
1%

1,237

818

513

(37%)

572

545

434

(20%)

665

273

79

(71%)

1.3

0.7

0.4

(39%)

Share of energy carries consumend

80%

201

152

4%

3%
13%

20%

18%

75%

78%

84%

2022

2023

60%
40%
20%
0%

192

5%

100%

2021

Electricity(24%)

	The data covers our 4 largest sites: the 3 competence centers Balzers (LIE),
Cologne (DE) and Syracuse (USA) as well our prodution site in Aaland (FI)	In 2022 for our site Cologne (DE) only a partial consumption of natural gas wasreported which is adjusted in this report.
3	Data is calculated on a market-based approach. For 2022 data Scope 2
marked-based calulations were adjusted due to more precise emission factors.
For the location-based method Scope 2 emissions count 1,695t for 2023 and 1,562t
for 2022. Emission factors are sourced from DEFRA 2023 and IEA 2023 anddomestic electricity/district heat providers.
4	For district heating fueled by wood chips, Scope 2 emissions cover methane andnitrous oxide emissions not absorbed during growth. Biogenic CO2 emissions arereported out of scopes and amounted to 152 tCO2e for 2023 and 202 tCO2e in 2022.
1

2

57

Natural gas

District heating (wood chips)

INFICON Sustainability Report 2023

As the data in the table shows, INFICON managed tolimit its energy consumption to an increase of just 5%
while growing its Group sales by almost 16%. We see
this development as a great achievement, given theunprecedented growth registered literally at all locations.

INFICON AG, Balzers (LIE) installed a new HVAC system including an energy recovery system in 2022.
Now fully operational for a full year, the system stood its
test: INFICON needed no additional external heating
anymore. With that a drastic reduction of energy usage
was achieved. The consumption for heating and cooling went from 432,032 kWh in 2021 down to 204,606kWh
in 2022 and now in 2023 down to zero. In addition, a
new closed-loop cooling water concept for the laboratories and production shop floors resulted in a 87%
lower water consumption.

Energy per net sales

kWh/
kUSD

45

Other actions and efficieny measuresaround the world
In the USA, too, sustainability is a key priority. In orderto tackle the most promising and most urgent projects
first, INFICON developed a 3-year environmental sustainability roadmap. Reducing food waste and composting unavoidable leftovers was such a project. At
Syracuse (USA), some 5,000 pounds of food waste,
leftovers and coffee grounds were composted.

30

15

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

The data covers our 4 largest sites: the 3 competence centers Balzers (LI), Cologne (DE)and Syracuse (USA) as well as our production site in Aaland (FI)The graph above is another view and proof of INFICON’s
successful environmental management. Over the past
five years, the energy consumption continuously went
down in relation to net sales. A clear indication that theGroup’s operations have become more energy-efficient
over time.

At Syracuse (USA), the campus lawn is converted intoa biologically more valuable habitat to increase bird
habitat, reduce heavy rainwater run-offs, reducing landscaping expenses. INFICON collaborated with theState University of New York School of Environmental
Forestry and their Senior Conservation Biology Capstone course to develop plans to naturalize the landscape around the East Syracuse (USA) facility. Students were invited to design plans that increased
biodiversity and if possible minimized storm water runoff. We received about 20 plans. We then selected a
few to proceed with.

After much analysis and discussion, we have defined
the following areas as important and highly relevant,and therefore as focus areas.
Green electricity: We have converted all major production sites to 100% certified green electricity. While thesites in Balzers (LIE), Aaland (FI) and Cologne (DE)were already converted in 2021, Syracuse (USA) has
now followed suit and utilizes 100% certified green
electricity.

At INFICON Aaland (FI), the rented workspace is currently being expanded by 2,000 m2 of new production
area. The new building is expected to be ready by the
fourth quarter of 2024. The new building will include
many initiatives to make it environmentally friendly. It
includes i.e. charging stations for electric cars, e-bikes
and of course ventilation and heating optimized for low
energy consumption. Solar panels will be added to the
new roofs as well. What is more, a closed loop coolingsystem for all buildings is reaching its completion
and will soon considerably reduce water consumption.

In Finland, solar panels produce electricity on the roofsof our facilities.
Optimized Buildings, technical installations, premises: Our production and office buildings offer many
interesting angles to promote sustainability, reduce energy consumption and emission of greenhouse gases.

58

INFICON Sustainability Report 2023

Commuter traffic and business trips: Knowing thatmany issues cannot be tackled individually, INFICON AG,
Balzers (LIE), has teamed up with other local industrial
companies to highlight the need of a new train Swiss
Railway train station close to Balzers (LIE). INFICON
will cover some of the costs of the establishment of thisnew train stop at Trübbach/Fährhütte as this will allow
commuters from the Swiss Rhine Valley to commute
more comfortably to work by public transport. Regularbus service to Balzers will complement this public
transport project.

Efficient materials sourcing and use
INFICON not only manufactures products that help ourcustomers to optimize their own manufacturing processes, save resources and materials, and maximize
output. INFICON’s flexible manufacturing model involves materials and components sourced from manydifferent suppliers. In our purchasing and manufacturing endeavors, we strive to find and use materials andcomponents that minimize negative impacts on ourenvironment in our own production processes and during their use at our customers. Designing new products or refining and enhancing existing instruments isgenerally done with environmental consequences inmind. We understand these efforts as a key contribution to INFICON’s reputation as an environmentallyconscientious corporation. Our developers think about
ways to separate and recycle valuable materials at
the end of a product’s life cycle.

To support this eco-friendly way to commute to work,
INFICON installed a special charging station for bicycle
or scooter batteries. Charging their batteries during
work, colleagues can rapidly e-pedal or ride home afterwork. The parking facility for commuter cars is now
supported and managed by means of a new software
including the functionality to organize shared rides.

Often, waste is not only associated with the actual
components or products sourced, but rather with packaging. In 2023, INFICON has thus drafted an Addendum to its Corporate Supplier Responsibility focusing
on reducing packaging waste. This has resulted in a
successful joint re-engineering project with a supplier
to reduce plastic foam in packaging.

In the USA, we promote more environmental friendly
ways to commute to work. INFICON colleagues now
have access to a share-a-ride platform with other companies. The benefits are obvious: less people travel bythemselves. This fosters a community feeling. Morepeople can relax during the commute rather than focusing on the traffic behind the wheel. Fewer cars on
the road reduces gasoline consumption.

Obviously, we want to “walk the talk” ourselves: Whenit comes to shipping our products to our customers,
INFICON in Syracuse (USA) has changed to biodegradable pallet overwraps. A bigger project included thestandardization of product packaging over eight product lines with the aim to reduce packaging material.
This effort resulted in using now a sling mechanism toprotect our finished products during shipments rather
than encapsulating them in plastic foam as before. This
leads to a considerable reduction in the use of plastic
foam in packaging at INFICON and to much less waste
at our customers when they receive our products.

In addition to several smaller projects in the area of environmental protection and sustainability, INFICON
Cologne (DE) is planning to install solar systems on theroofs of its buildings in 2024. These will be able to coveraround 6% of annual consumption and we will be able
to save around 40 tons of CO2 with these installations.

At Syracuse (USA), 2023 saw the installation of further
10 charging ports for electric cars, expanding the overall
ability to charge electric vehicles during working hours
to 15 vehicles. We also installed a new bicycle shelterto encourage colleagues to ride their bikes to work.

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INFICON Sustainability Report 2023

SOCIAL TOPICS

Similar efforts were taken in Cologne (DE): A project
supported by an external consultant looks at ways of
packaging our products more sustainably for shipping.
Tests are now in preparation to verify that the new
packaging options will support the needs and guarantee
safe shipment of our products. If successful, the project should save up to 90% of foam packaging. Anotherproject looks at alternatives to replace single packag­ing
of small items such as flanges and centering rings withblister boxes.
Waste
Total waste in metric tons

2022
296

2023
345

Delta
17%

138

205

48%

158

140

(11%)

157

140

(11%)

0.3

0.3

7%

Waste diverted from disposal
through recycling
Waste directed to disposal
Incineration with energy
recovery
Other disposal operations

INFICON – an attractive employer
INFICON is active in a highly competitive marketplace.
In our quest for talents, we compete not only with oftenmuch larger corporations but also with universities,
research laboratories and scientific institutions. Our success relies on attracting, developing, empowering,and retaining the most talented employees. Smart colleagues drive innovation and product excellence.
With our recently launched people initiatives the focus
lies on two main objectives – Culture and People Development. This initiative will build on the positioning
statement, the identity and the behavior anchors that welaunched in recent years. It aims to build on the existing strong cultural foundation including also components
from the past program I3C – Care, Commit, and Change.
Identity statement

The data covers our 4 largest sites: the 3 competence centers Balzers (LI), Cologne (DE)and Syracuse (USA) as well as our production site in Aaland (FI)Non-hazardous waste 2023
During 2023 we have set up the initiative and ran a large
number of workshops across the organization. All
organizations are involved over a 2–3 year plan. Next tostrengthening the identity and the behavior anchors
further we are rolling out a global program for typology
work-shops for which we have internal certified coaches
and work on strengthening core concepts such as
ownership, self-management, entrepreneurship, relationship and team building. In an internal process wehave selected “oneINFICON” as the name of our cultural journey.

40%
60%
78%

Waste diverted from disposal through recycling
Incineration with energy recovery

Being recognized as an attractive, modern, and fair,
ESG conscientious employer where people at all levels
are motivated and happy to work, helps INFICON
attract, recruit and retain the best suited talents. While
INFICON does not run a formal employer branding
policy, the attractiveness of INFICON positions is wellknown in the industry. We discuss these topics withall job applicants and supporting employment agencies.
Apart from competitive payment, we offer all our workers attractive performance-based financial benefits.
We also recognize, that our sustainability efforts are

The data for 2023 show an increase in the total amountof waste. This has to be seen against the backdropof the massive renovation, remodeling and expansion
program INFICON had concluded in 2023. The newmachines and equipment installed at the various sites,
obviously arrived with a fair amount of packaging.
The installation work then also created additional waste.
Last but not least, the higher production output
requested an increased amount of materials and components sourced from outside.
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INFICON Sustainability Report 2023

enablers that supports and allows us to execute thestrategic initiatives and growth plans. The personalgoals for INFICON’s top management include certain
sustainability targets such as e.g. to support efforts
expanding the scope of ESG information, facilitate
non-financial data gathering, promote our commitment
to be sustainable as a company, or define further KPIs.

a structured appraisal dialogue. At Balzers (LIE) and
Cologne (DE), everyone prepares individually for theseannual discussions. At Balzers, so-called energizing
talks complement this process mid-year. The Human
Resources departments oversee this process andassess the long-term success with key performanceindicators such as employee satisfaction, loyalty, andfluctuation, as well as participation in the various ongoing training, workshops, and development programs.

Our colleagues welcome INFICON’s flexible working
hours and work patterns, our canteens where staff
of all levels meet and mingle, attractive lifelong learningand development programs, and many after-worksocial activities that often include the families of ourcolleagues.

Even in these challenging times, INFICON managed tofill openings in its staff in reasonably short times.
The HR teams also conducted farewell interviews whencolleagues retired or chose to continue their careers
outside of INFICON to systematically collect feedback
on INFICON as an employer.

Social activities take place regularly at all locations.
They include e.g. barbecue or summer festivals, familydays, Christmas and year-end parties, planned andspontaneous get-togethers to celebrate success andpre-defined milestones, Company outings. These
events also take local customs and workforce preferences into account (as e.g., skiing days in Switzerlandand Liechtenstein or jointly visiting the Carnival at
Cologne (DE) with international participation; moon festival or Lunar New Year celebrations in Asia, mid-summer parties in Scandinavia, St. Patrick’s day or Halloween in the USA). Apart from these instances, regularmanagement updates at every INFICON site create ashared culture that fosters identification, team spirit,creative cooperation, and intercultural inclusion.

Fluctuation
All numbers in HeadcountEmployee turnover
Joiners in HeadcountLeavers in Headcount
Joiner Rate

2022
288
117
26%
10%

2023
217
127
18%
10%

The data covers our 4 largest sites: the 3 competence centers Balzers (LIE), Cologne(DE) and Syracuse (USA) as well as our producction site in Aaland (FI)
Rates are calculated by dividing the total number of joiners/leavers by the total number of
employees in the respective year.

Turnover rates
30%
25%

A comprehensive HR program structures INFICON’s
dialogue with its staff and workforce. Every new colleague receives a formal introduction to the Group andthe respective site on his or her first day. HR continues
to be in regular contact with all employees supported bynumerous programs rolled out across the whole Group.
These include courses on our Company values and business ethics, professional health and safety training,
the pillars of personal health (body, spirit, and soul),
INFICON’s value-based approach to corporate governance, leadership, and motivation.

26%

20%
18%

15%
10%

10%

10%

5%
0%

2022
Joiners

Every colleague annually discusses his or her performance and achievements, satisfaction, motivation,
personal development goals as well as communication
aspects at work with their immediate managers in
61

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Leavers

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Diversity, equity, and inclusion
INFICON’s long-term success as a high-tech Company
active in a competitive marketplace relies on its competent staff. We are therefore always looking for the best
available person for any job opening and seek to create the right mix of people, technical capabilities, andhuman competence across our Group. INFICON’s
employment policies and procedures provide for equal
opportunity, pay, and fairness in employment decisions. They comply with the respective laws in the various jurisdictions where our major worksites are located.
In this way, we also aim to reduce interpersonal conflicts,
which are detrimental to the corporate culture andemployee motivation and, last but not least, also harbor
the risk of legal disputes, and a negatively impacted
reputation e.g. as a supplier. In Balzers (LIE) we pay
standard market salaries and regularly compare
these with companies in the region. This is based onfunction, training, experience and market wages.
Regularly means that we take part in the Swissmem
salary comparison every year. This comparison allows
us to check whether equal pay is guaranteed for thesame job and function.

The societal narrative of the past few years has raised
the awareness for additional aspects of diversity.
At INFICON, we are convinced that we perform better,are more innovative, and even minimize risks, if andas we welcome and actively bring together people withall sorts of backgrounds and personal orientation.
We also believe that as a company we can thus makea difference for our colleagues, hosting communities,
and the society at large. In 2023, we thus put a special
focus on Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity.
The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee
seeks to assist management and employees in creating
a welcoming, supportive workplace for all our employees. In 2023, the Committee introduced our Diversityof Thought (DoT) Model as a guiding principle of ourefforts, which values diverse perspectives, ideas, andopinions within the organization. This model encourages the inclusion of individuals with different backgrounds, experiences, and viewpoints, and supports ourbelief that the best decisions are made when a varietyof viewpoints are considered. By fostering a culture ofopen-mindedness and inclusivity, we hope to benefit
from a wider range of creative solutions, better decisionmaking, and a more innovative and adaptable environment. We feel this approach is crucial not just to live
the INFICON values, but to remain a leading-edge
innovator with our customers.

The extract from employment regulations from Balzers(LIE) states that “Equality between women and men:
INFICON ensures that there is no gender-specific discrimination, particularly with regard to employment,
allocation of tasks, organization of working conditions,
remuneration, training and further training, promotion
and dismissal”.
INFICON’s workforce is very diverse in terms of nationalities: our employees working at our Balzers (LIE)
location come from 13 different nationalities. Also, at
the other major production sites in Cologne (DE) andSyracuse (USA), our colleagues have widespread national backgrounds. We do not discriminate basedon race, color, ancestry, place of origin, religious belief,
physical or mental disability, age, gender, sexual orien­
tation, marital status, family status or source of income,and we take steps to comply with all applicable affirmative action legislation. Since 2021, INFICON job offers
explicitly invite diverse, female, and male applicants.

Our committee’s other 2023 accomplishments include
the release of our 2026 Target State and the development of the organization’s growth plans to implement
the DoT Model across the organization; establishing
All-Gender, Single-Use Bathroom Spaces; and creating
dedicated Expectant Mother parking spaces. We use
these efforts to live our DEI values day-to-day.

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INFICON Sustainability Report 2023

We also endeavor to ensure that all employees aretreated fairly in all aspects of the employment relationship, including performance appraisals, compensation,
opportunities for advancement, and disciplinary matters.
While INFICON supports a gender diverse personnel
policy, the nature of our technology driven business may
serve as a reason why the workforce, the Executive
Management, and the Board of Directors consist of more
men than women. The age split shows that all age
groups are well represented in INFICON’s workforce,more evenly spread on a staff level, while Management
and Board have higher average ages.

A regularly reviewed training program ensures implementation of all safety policies and procedures. Training
topics range from general safety at work courses, specific instructions for special jobs or equipment and sessions on how to adjust one’s workstation ergonomically,
to firefighting courses, lessons on applicable chemicallaws, and teachings on how to correctly handle criticalchemicals, to name a few examples. Regular escape,rescue and evacuation drills familiarize the employeeswith the facilities at the various works sites. Training ofoccupational health and safety related topics is e.g.
part of the onboarding program for every new colleague.

INFICON Aaland (FI) supported the local government
in 2023 and welcomed an apprentice with disabilities
to work in the factory for two days a week. This is partof a program to rehabilitate people with disabilities sothey can get a job. This was a valuable experience foreveryone.

At INFICON’s Syracuse (USA) plant all employees aretrained in work safety, health, and work-place ergonomics. Various hygienic measures put in place to fightthe COVID-19 pandemic remain in place: Masks andhand-sanitizing gels are still widely available on thepremises.

Occupational health and safety
The safety and well-being of our staff is very important
to INFICON. We want to be known as a company offering safe, ergonomically optimized, inspiring jobs that
foster a harmonious work spirit. In doing so, we not
only minimize job related risks in terms of health andsafety, but we also make a positive contribution to thewell-being of our workforce and their families at large.
By investing in the health of our employees, we ensurethat our operations run smoothly. At the same time, we
minimize the risks of productivity losses and disruptions, potential costs from litigation, penalities, or fines.
Very important to us, we want to be seen and known
as an attractive employer. A positive reputation is important to safeguard future growth opportunities.

As in prior years, INFICON put up an on-site flu shotclinic in October 2023 as a service for all employees.
At INFICON in Balzers (LIE), hand-sanitizing gel is stillavailable at the entrances and we promote social
health measures such as sneezing etiquette, a strict
if-sick-stay-at-home policy and cautiousness in any
physical contact. All production equipment is CE compliant. Identification and assessment of risks is donewith the help of SUVA (Swiss work accident insurance)
guidelines/checklists or external experts if appropriate.
In 2023, a special focus was the replacement of officefurniture with ergonomically adjustable workstations.
At INFICON, employees and workers are involved in
the development, implementation and evaluation of theoccupational health and safety management system.
Everybody should report any relevant EHS findings, incidents, accidents or potential risks to their supervisors
or a dedicated safety officer and all employees are invited to make suggestions. The work sites have clearlystructured reporting schemes. At Cologne (DE), any
injury and accident is brought to the attention of the
Human Resources Department using a special form. In
the case of work/ travel accidents with a lost time ofmore than three working days, it is also reported to the
Employer’s Liability Insurance Association. If an accident occurs, the nature and scope of occupational

The Business Ethics Policy declares personal healthand safety of all employees a top priority. We haveadopted policies and procedures to ensure that we meetand exceed all applicable health and safety laws andregulations as well as prevailing industry standards. We
track all these measures by key performance indicators on incidents, accidents, absenteeism. We evaluate
feedback from our human resource departments, ourworkforce, and from our insurance companies.

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INFICON Sustainability Report 2023

health and safety compliance are investigated. If necessary, experts help to clarify the situation, reassess
risks and implement corrective measures. Syracuse(USA) has a reporting ticket system; an incident is
flagged to the EHS manager who then follows up with
employees, supervisors, and witnesses to determine
the root cause and possible risk mitigation steps. In
Balzers (LIE), an accident report form supports thenotification process to the HR department. In addition,
all accidents and near accidents are brought to theattention of the safety officer for a root cause analysis
and for the implementation of corrective/preventive
actions as appropriate with the help of SUVA checklists.

INFICON Aaland (FI) supports a “no smoking” projectto encourage and support colleagues wanting to quit
smoking. In addition, a local health team meets monthly
to discuss ways of supporting a healthy lifestyle. All
employees get some financial support to join local sports
clubs, gym memberships, or equivalent. Another outcome of these meetings is the participation for 2024 at
local health and sustainability days.
At INFICON Syracuse (USA), the workforce participatedeagerly in corporate sporting events of all sorts, including a mid-winter fitness challenge, regular yoga sessions,or the Syracuse (USA) workforce run. This communitywide 5K event benefits a local charity. The 2023 beneficiary of the run’s success was AccessCNY, an organization that offers person-centered services that empower
individuals of all ages and abilities to reach their fullpotential as part of our shared community.

On a more personal level, INFICON Balzers (LIE) supports already for years programs such as the cycle
to work initiative. 75 colleages participated in 2023, cycling jointly on 1,482 days a total of 24,291 km saving
the equivalent of 4,285 kg of CO2 emissions. We offer
free yoga sessions twice a week, and encourage workers to join jogging or walking groups, or participate inlocal employee runs. INFICON supports a corporatesoccer team – the IFCN Kickers – who compete withother corporate football teams in a local championship.
They offer freshly cooked food for lunch that is partly
paid for by the Company. INFICON offers fresh fruits
free of charge and invites people to drink enough waterat fresh water dispensers available all over the facilities. We handed personalized drinking bottles out allcolleagues to promote this effort and to reduce thewaste caused by disposable drinking cups. For eachdrinking bottle handed out to our employees, INFICON
Balzers (LIE) donated in total CHF 5,000 for charitablepurposes. Colleagues who prefer hot beverages canget boiling water for free. Our safety manual also calls
to take the necessary measures to prevent home andleisure accidents (e.g. warm-up).

INFICON workers regularly meet in organized corporate groups.
Occupational health and safety
Accidents resulting in at least one
lost work day
Lost work days
Accident Frequency Rate (AFR)
Accident Severity Rate (ASR)

2022

2023

7

6

17
0.9
2.1

48
0.7
5.7

The data covers our 4 largest sites: the 3 competence centers Balzers (LIE), Cologne (DE)and Syracuse (USA) as well as our production site in Aaland (FI)
Rates are calculated by dividing accidents/lost work days and are per 200,000 working hours.

Reported figures from all worksites suggest that
INFICON colleagues stayed healthy during the reporting year.

At INFICON Cologne (DE), the use of bottled drinking
water was drastically lowered by water dispensers
located throughout the premises. Free organic fruit aswell as allowances for sport clubs and other ways
to promote a healthy lifestyle complement the efforts.

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Ongoing education and training
INFICON sees itself as a learning organization. It therefore offers ongoing training for all employees to empower everyone with the required knowledge and skills
to optimally fulfil their current responsibilities and perform in their respective jobs. We also want to inspire ourcolleagues so they internally apply for opportunities
for new or different jobs. These are e.g. jobs with more
responsibilities or jobs where they can better contribute to the overall success, performance, and innovation
power of the Group with their accumulated and contin­
uously broadened education and training. Fostering an
atmosphere where our staff realizes how their contribution is appreciated builds trust, resilience, and commitment. Investing into ongoing education and trainingis therefore well worthwhile. This is even true, if an employee at some stage in his or her career decides toseek opportunities outside of INFICON, as they will continue to be ambassadors for INFICON on the global
job market.

Composition of workforce
All numbers in
Headcount
Employees (excl.
apprentices, interns,
trainees, externals)
Apprentices, interns,
trainees, externals

The trainings offered respond both to the needs of theindividuals as well as the requirements of the market
and the Company as a whole. They unleash the employees’ potential, creativity, and motivation to secure,stimulate and transfer expertise and knowledge. At
INFICON Balzers (LIE), employees are e.g. offered
English lessons with the aim to train our colleagues totake Cambridge Exams at various levels. INFICON
Syracuse (USA) offers German-language classes
through a local teacher.

2022 Share2023 Share

1,091

97%

1,181

96%

31

3%

43

4%

Employees by
employment contract(excl. apprentices,interns, trainees,
externals)
Permanent
Fixed-term

1,056
35

97%
3%

1,131
50

96%
4%

Employees by
employment type(excl. apprentices,interns, trainees,
externals)
Full time
Part time

1,034
57

95%
5%

1,120
61

95%
5%

The data covers our 4 largest sites: the 3 competence centers Balzers (LIE),
Cologne (DE) and Syracuse (USA) as well as our production site in Aaland (FI)Diversity by gender, 2023
100%
80%

Data from our locations in Balzers (LIE), Cologne (DE)and Syracuse (USA) as well as our manufacturing site
in Aaland (FI) show that in 2023, the average hours of
training per employee increased again and reacheda level of 9.4 hours.

20%

23%

60%
40%

100%
80%

77%

20%
0%

Employees

Executive
management
Men

Board of Directors

Women

The data covers our 4 largest sites: the 3 competence centers Balzers (LIE),
Cologne (DE) and Syracuse (USA) as well as our production site in Aaland (FI)65

INFICON Sustainability Report 2023

Besides our commitment to the training of young colleagues and the ongoing education of our own workforce, we host e.g., in the Principality of Liechtenstein,
special out-of-school weeks for students. We welcome
a whole class for one week in a special business-oriented course where the students familiarize themselveswith economy, business, and management. Studentsof the local university of applied sciences were also
given a tour through our production followed by a Q&A
session with management. We also support special
initiatives to promote technical vocational training andscience-oriented jobs for young adults, hold so-called
future days when kids can accompany their parents or
relatives to learn more about their work. In addition,
INFICON sponsors the work on a bachelor thesis at a
local university of applied sciences in southeastern
Switzerland.

Gender distribution by employment type, 2023
100%
23%

80%

55%

60%
40%

77%
45%

20%
0%

Full time

Part time

Men

Women

Excl. apprentices, interns, trainees, externals

Diversity by age group, 2023
100%
80%

50%
80%

60%
40%

53%
50%

20%
0%

INFICON Cologne (DE) yearly welcomes girls aged 12
to 14 to give them more insight into technical and scientific job opportunities. Internships for pupils and students
as well as the cooperation with various agencies thatrun such programs or help students to find part-time
employment during their study years complement thisinitiative.

29%

20%

18%
Employees<30

Executive
management
30–50

In the USA, INFICON supports not-for-profit organizations that are dear and important to our employees andthe local community. A voluntary team of eight employees forms a Council that manages the corporate budget
for charitable contributions. This involvement provides
opportunities for INFICON colleagues to do voluntary
work with the Samaritan Center, the Salvation Army,
the Humane Association and others, or to participate
individually in charity funding walks, runs, or bike-athons. A special focus of INFICON Syracuse (USA) lieson the next generation: We support Onondaga Community College (OCC). OCC offers degree programs inelectrical technology, electromechanical technology,
mechanical technology, and other certificates that graduate potential candidates for our workforce. We alsofrequently host high school students from the Syracuse(USA) school district in our facility to give them an
overview of how STEM (science, technology, engineeringand mathematics) learning can turn into career oppor­
tunities. We also contribute to the MACNY (MACNY –The Manufacturers Association of Central New York)
collegiate sponsorships.

Board of Directors>50

The data covers our 4 largest sites: the 3 competence centers Balzers (LIE),
Cologne (DE) and Syracuse (USA) as well as our production site in Aaland (FI)Community relations
INFICON cares for its employees not only when they
are at work. We understand that our colleagues arepart of their communities and the society. By means of
our workforce and directly as a corporate citizen,
INFICON is part of these communities, too. We strive forgood relations with our hosting communities, our direct
neighbors, the educational systems, and many otherkinds of networks relevant for our staff and for us as a
Company. INFICON thus supports many local activities
where our colleagues eagerly participate. It makes us
proud to be recognized as an active, caring, responsible
and thus attractive employer and partner to society.

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In Finland, INFICON is a member of the local sustainability community called “Bärkraft”. This entity was
founded by the local government. We attend meetings
every other month to discuss and promote local sustainability matters together with government and other local
companies, understanding that some issues should betackled not alone but together. (www.barkraft.ax)• Team Health:
Prioritize the health and well-being of teams, ensuring
a positive and sustainable working environment.
• Diversity and Inclusion:
Champion diversity and inclusion initiatives to createa more equitable and innovative workplace.
• Technology Leadership:
Foster technology leadership through continuous
innovation and pivot experiments.

The INFICON Management team discusses the Company’s DNA and INFICON’s identity statement atmeetings and workshops at all sites and at various
management and employee levels to promote a sharedunder­standing. We remind our colleagues about theessentials of this initiative on posters, behavioral anchors, personalized pins and notebooks. Our identity
statement forms an integral part of the yearly employee
surveys. Our identity statement focusses on authentic,
simple, individual, and future oriented ambitions.

• Bottom-Up and Local Initiatives-	Foster change through bottom-up and local initiatives, empowering teams to take ownership.
Encourage innovation and adaptation based onregional needs and contexts.
-	Globalize sustainability education efforts.
- Define global on-boarding training and seminars that
include INFICON’s sustainability goals & principles.

• Create: We enable visionary technologies for tomorrow• Live: We live performance, joy and individual growth• Care: We make our world safer and better• Closely follow the recommendations of the Task
Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures(TCFD) for Swiss companies and the EU taxonomy
regulations. We will follow and watch the various
regional and local developments and requirements
examine their implementation and, if necessary,
address them step-by-step.

OUTLOOK AND GOALS
Our goal and outlook for the coming years is to focus
on the following areas:

To support these goals, the individual targets of theGroup Management for 2024 also contain elements ofthe sustainability ambitions described above.

• Concrete plans for further improvements in productionbuildings are developed and analyzed as part of thestrategy development process, then continuously discussed in the review and budget process and brought
to a conclusion (e.g. energy recovery, geothermaland solar energy, thermal insulation).

To strengthen its sustainability approach, the Board had
defined a dedicated representative for ESG and sustainability matters. In 2023, a formal Sustainability Council was established. It is led by Lukas Winkler, Board
member, as Chairperson; Reto Suter, Board member,and Matthias Tröndle, CFO, complement this group.
The council will define a roadmap, reviews targets, studies the regulatory developments in the ESG area andsupports the Audit Committee in non-financial reporting.

• Scope 3 Emission screening: Understanding, testingfeasibility and implementation, and screening of indirect greenhouse gas emissions in the value chain.
• Circularity in Production/Products:
Pilot circularity initiatives in production and products,
with one pilot project serving as a testing ground.

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REFERENCE TABLE FOR ART. 964B
SWISS CODE OF OBLIGATIONS
The table below shows which material topics cover therequired elements of non-financial reporting in accordance with the requirements of Art. 964b of the Swiss
Code of Obligations. The signature of the Board of
Directors (p. 68) confirms its approval of the sectionsof the report listed below. Also the vote of the General
Meeting to approve the report on non-financial matterspursuant to Art. 964c of the Swiss Code of Obligationsin the form of a note is limited to the content of these
sections.
Requirements ofArt. 964b CO
General information

Referenced chapters in
the non-financial report

Page

Business model

INFICON’s Business Model

45

Identification of material
non-financial matters
Non-financial matters
Environmental matters

Identification of material
topics40

Environmental management
systemEnergy and carbon
emissions
Efficient materials sourcing
and useSocial issues
Community relations
Employee-related issues INFICON – an attractive
employer
Diversity, equity,and inclusion
Occupational healthand safety
Ongoing educationand training
Respect for human rights Good governance
Responsible supply chain
management
Combating corruption
Good governance

55
56
59
66
60
62
63
65
52
53
52

For the Board of Directors:

Dr. Beat L. Lüthi
Chairman of the Board of Directors

Dr. Reto Suter
Chairman of the Audit Committee

March 4, 2024
68

INFICON Sustainability Report 2023

GRI CONTENT INDEXINFICON has reported in accordance with the GRI Standards for the period from 01 January 2023 to
31 December 2023. For the Content Index – Essentials Service, GRI Services reviewed that the GRI content
index has been presented in a way consistent with the requirements for reporting in accordance with the GRI
Standards, and that the information in the index is clearly presented and accessible to the stakeholders. The service
was performed on the English version of the report.
GRI 1 used
Applicable GRI
sector standard(s)GRI 1: Foundation 2021
None

General Disclosures
GRI Standard
GRI 2: General
Disclosures 2021

Disclosure
2-1 Organizational Details
2-2 Entities includedin the organization’ssustainability reporting
2-3 Reporting period, frequency
and contact point

Location/Information
18
80
Fiscal year 2023, annually
Contact:
Matthias Tröndle,
Vice President and CFOINFICON HOLDING AG,
Hintergasse 15 B
CH-7310 Bad Ragaz, Switzerland

2-4 Restatements of information
2-5 External assurance

Activities and workers
GRI 2: General
Disclosures 2021

2-6 Activities, value chain andother business relationships
2-7 Employees
2-8 Workers who are not
employees

Tel. +41 81 300 4980
Fax +41 81 300 4988
E-mail:matthias.troendle@inficon.com
no restatements of information
no external assurance
45–46
65–66
65–66

69

Omission

INFICON Sustainability Report 2023

GRI Standard

Disclosure

GRI 2: General
Disclosures 2021

2-9 Governance structure
20–24
and composition
2-10 Nomination and selection of
20–24
the highest governance body
2-11 Chair of the highest
21, 23governance body
21
2-12 Role of the highest
governance body in overseeing
the management of impacts
2-13 Delegation of responsibility
25
for managing impacts
2-14 Role of the highest governance 21
body in sustainability reporting
2-15 Conflicts of interest
25, 52
2-16 Communication of52
critical concerns
2-17 Collective knowledge of the23highest governance body
2-18 Evaluation of the performance 30of the highest governance body
2-19 Remuneration policies
30
2-20 Process to determine
30, 31
remuneration
2-21 Annual total
35
compensation ratio

Governance

Strategy, policies and practices
GRI 2: General
Disclosures 2021

2-22 Statement on sustainable
development strategy
2-23 Policy commitments
2-24 Embedding policy
commitments
2-25 Processes to remediate
negative impacts
2-26 Mechanisms for seeking
advice and raising concerns
2-27 Compliance with laws
and regulations
2-28 Membership associations40

2-29 Approach to stakeholder
engagement
2-30 Collective bargaining
agreements

41

Stakeholder engagement
GRI 2: General
Disclosures 2021

Location/Information

52
52
52, 5541
52, 56, 63
44

Collective bargaining agreements
exist in Germany and Sweden(about 21% of work force).

70

Omission

INFICON Sustainability Report 2023

MATERIAL TOPICSGRI Standard

Disclosure

Location/Information

GRI 3: Material
Topics 2021

3-1 Process to determinematerial topics

40

3-2 List of material topics

41

Economic topics

Technology leadership
GRI 3: Material
Topics 2021

3-3 Management of material topics 46

Market leadership
GRI 3: Material
Topics 2021

3-3 Management of material topics 46–48

Customer relations
GRI 3: Material
Topics 2021

3-3 Management of material topics 48–49

Product quality and compliance
GRI 3: Material
Topics 2021

3-3 Management of material topics 49–50

Product impact
GRI 3: Material
Topics 2021

3-3 Management of material topics 50–52

Governance topics
Good governance
GRI 3: Material
Topics 2021

3-3 Management of material topics 52–53

GRI 205: Anti-corruption 2016

205-1 Operations assessed forrisks related to corruption

53

205-2 Communication and training 53
about anti-corruption policies andprocedures

GRI 206: Anti-competitive Behavior
2016

205-3 Confirmed incidents ofcorruption and actions taken

53

206-1 Legal actions for anti-competitive behavior, anti-trust, andmonopoly practices

53

Responsible supply chain management
GRI 3: Material
Topics 2021

3-3 Management of material topics 53–54

GRI 408: Child Labor 408-1 Operations and suppliers
2016
at significant risk for incidents ofchild labor53–54

409-1 Operations and suppliers
at significant risk for incidents
of forced or compulsory labor

53–54

GRI 409: Forced orCompulsory Labor
2016

71

Omission

INFICON Sustainability Report 2023

GRI Standard

Disclosure

Location/Information

Environmental topics

Environmental management system
GRI 3: Material
Topics 2021

3-3 Management of material topics 55–56

Energy and carbon emissions
GRI 3: Material
Topics 2021

3-3 Management of material topics 56–59

GRI 302: Energy
2016302-1 Energy consumption within
the organisation

57

GRI 302: Energy
2016302-3 Energy itensity

57

GRI 305: Emissions
2016

305-1 Direct (Scope 1) GHG
emissions57

305-2 Energy indirect (Scope 2)
GHG emissions

57

305-5 Reduction of GHG
emissions57, 59Efficient materials sourcing and use
GRI 3: Material
topics 2021

3-3 Management of material topics 59–60

GRI 306: Waste
2020

306-3 Waste generated

60

306-4 Waste diverted
from disposal

60

306-5 Waste directed to disposal

60

Social topics

Attractive employer
GRI 3: Material
topics 2021

3-3 Management of material topics 60–61

GRI 401: Employment 2016

401-1 New employee hires andemployee turnover

61

Diversity, equity, and inclusion
GRI 3: Material
topics 2021

3-3 Management of material topics 62–63

GRI 405: Diversity
and Equal
Opportunity 2016405-1 Diversity of governancebodies and employees

65

GRI 406: Nondiscrimination 2016406-1 Incidents of discriminationand corrective actions taken

62

Occupational health and safety
GRI 3: Material
topics 2021

3-3 Management of material topics 63–64

72

Omission

INFICON Sustainability Report 2023

GRI Standard

Disclosure

Location/Information

GRI 403: Occupational Health and
Safety 2018403-1 Occupational health andsafety management system63403-2 Hazard identification,risk assessment, and incident
investigation

63403-3 Occupational healthservices

63–64

403-4 Worker participation,
consultation, and communication
on occupational health and safety

63403-5 Worker training on
occupational health and safety

63403-6 Promotion of worker health64403-7 Prevention and mitigation of 64
occupational health and safety
impacts directly linked by business
relationships
403-9 Work-related injuries

64

Training and education
GRI 3: Material
topics 2021

3-3 Management of material topics 65

GRI 404: Training
and Education 2016404-2 Programs for upgrading
employee skills and transition
assistance programs

65

Community relations
GRI 3: Material
topics 2021

3-3 Management of material topics 66–67

GRI 413: Local
Communities 2016413-1 Operations with local
community engagement, impact
assessments, and development
programs

66–67

73

Omission