Dan’s Biz Bookshelf: ‘Abundance: How We Build a Better Future’
Trouble in Your Tank: In Complex Systems, Design Rules Aren’t Optional
It’s Only Common Sense: The Phone Is Still Your Competitive Advantage
#PurpleLightUp: AT&S Sets a Signal for Inclusion
December 4, 2023 | AT&SEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
The International Day of Persons with Disabilities celebrates the important contributions made by people with disabilities in professional and private life. It also aims to raise social awareness of inclusion topics and draw attention to the benefits of an integrative society. In order to increase the visibility of these key issues in every sense of the word and to shine a light on them, companies and institutions in many countries participate in the #PurpleLightUp campaign and light their façades and logos purple.
The international high-tech company AT&S, based in Leoben, is taking part in the campaign for the first time this year. A high-tech lighting element developed in cooperation with Ars Electronica, which is modelled on the traces of a printed circuit board and illuminates the entrance of the new headquarters, will shine in purple from Thursday, 30 November, until Monday, 4 December, and will send purple light along the PCB traces in order to express AT&S’s appreciation for the achievements and concerns of people with disabilities.
Diversity as an advantage
“For a globally operating company like AT&S, it is essential to understand and embrace inclusion and equal opportunities,” says Marina Hornasek-Metzl, Senior Director Corporate ESG at AT&S, and explains the motivation behind taking part in the campaign: “By participating in the PurpleLightUp campaign, we are setting a signal, showing that all people who want to work together appreciatively and apply their talent for a better future are welcome at AT&S. We are OneAT&S.”
As of March 2023, AT&S employed 41 people with disabilities, of whom 83 percent worked at locations in Austria. “In our company, people with disabilities work in various different departments ranging from maintenance and production to our laboratories,” emphasises Marina Hornasek-Metzl. In Leoben, AT&S has also partnered with Café Beniva, a centre enabling the people with Down syndrome working there to lead an autonomous lifestyle, for many years.
AT&S considers diversity in the workforce an enormous advantage and values the creative solutions that such diverse teams deliver. The company pursues a zero-tolerance policy against any form of discrimination and, on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, thanks all employees for their efforts for an inclusive environment at all locations.
Share on:
Testimonial
"The I-Connect007 team is outstanding—kind, responsive, and a true marketing partner. Their design team created fresh, eye-catching ads, and their editorial support polished our content to let our brand shine. Thank you all! "
Sweeney Ng - CEE PCBSuggested Items
It’s Only Common Sense: The Phone Is Still Your Competitive Advantage
05/04/2026 | Dan Beaulieu -- Column: It's Only Common SenseI know this is about the millionth column that I’ve written on this subject, but salespeople still aren’t getting it. Let’s stop pretending that the phone stopped working. You just stopped using it. Salespeople have convinced themselves that email is efficient, LinkedIn messages are strategic, and that marketing automation is scale. Yes, maybe, but none of that replaces a real conversation. The phone, it turns out, may be your unfair advantage.
An Interview With Keynote Speaker Zack Kass on the 'AI Renaissance'
04/23/2026 | Marcy LaRont, I-Connect007Zack Kass is an AI evangelist, technologist, businessman, and the author of The Next Renaissance: AI and the Expansion of Human Potential. He was a key player in bringing open AI to market and the keynote speaker at APEX EXPO 2026. Immediately following his presentation, I brought Zack to our booth, where we had a most eye-opening conversation about both the positive and negative impacts of artificial intelligence, and going beyond what’s “impossible.”
PHOTO GALLERY: A Walk on the Lighter Side
04/23/2026 | I-Connect007APEX EXPO isn’t all business! To wrap up our last photo gallery, we’re sharing some of our favorites from the show—a walk on the lighter side. We’re highlighting those in-between moments: quick selfies, familiar faces reconnecting, robot dogs, booth-side laughs, and the kind of candid snapshots you only get when people are genuinely enjoying themselves. At the end of the day, it’s not just about what we do, it’s about the people we do it with.
PHOTO GALLERY: APEX EXPO Receptions Are Where the Industry Comes Together
04/10/2026 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamAPEX EXPO receptions offer a chance to step away from the booth and connect in a more relaxed setting. From newcomer gatherings to the ice cream social, the show floor reception, and the Golden Gnomes, these events bring attendees together across roles and experience levels. Enjoy this photo gallery of social gatherings. You might find yourself and people you know! It’s a place to reconnect with colleagues, meet people you’ve only known by name, and discover new companies shaping the industry—strengthening relationships and building a sense of community.
From Panels to Post-its
04/07/2026 | Lorena Villanueva, Global Electronics Association MexicoLast January, I attended the Global Leadership Summit of the Wire Harness Manufacturer’s Association (WHMA) in Las Vegas, and there was a subtle shift in one of the events that everyone could feel. We still had the traditional conference rhythm: strong keynote, well-prepared panels, and smart people in the room. There were also, sometimes, some careful answers—useful, but not always candid. So, I was curious when WHMA introduced a new peer-to-peer format for one session.