Align Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALGN), a leading global medical device company engaged in the design and manufacture of the Invisalign system, iTero intraoral scanners, and exocad CAD/CAM services for orthodontic and restorative dentistry, today announced plans to open a new manufacturing facility in Poland to address the large and underpenetrated market opportunity in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region, which represents over 5 million annual orthodontic case starts and more than 150 million EMEA consumers who can potentially benefit from a healthier, beautiful smile. The new Wroclaw plant will be Align’s first in the EMEA region and its third plant worldwide, joining Juarez, Mexico and Ziyang, China.
The new facility is expected to begin supplying customers in the EMEA region in early 2022. The investment is part of Align’s strategy to bring its operational facilities closer to its customers. Align works directly with doctors – dentists and orthodontists – to provide them with the Invisalign system of clear aligners to prescribe to their patients to straighten their teeth and transform their smiles.
“I’m excited to announce plans to open our first aligner manufacturing facility in the EMEA region, and third globally. This significant investment underscores our commitment to the more than 62,700 Invisalign trained doctors and their patients in the EMEA region and extends our local operations in the region that include treatment planning facilities (TREAT), based in Poland, Germany and Spain,” said Emory Wright, Align senior vice president, Global Operations.
Align Technology is the world’s largest 3D printing manufacturer, with as many as 700,000 unique aligner parts produced per day in its manufacturing facilities across the globe. The Invisalign system is leveraged by over 200,000 Invisalign trained dentists and orthodontists. More than 9.6 million patients have been treated with the Invisalign system worldwide, including 2 million patients in the EMEA region as of the fourth quarter of 2020.
“We are proud to open Align’s first manufacturing facility in the EMEA region. The state-of-the-art EMEA plant in Wroclaw is expected to add more than 2,500 jobs to Align by the end of 2025, making it the company’s largest investment in EMEA to date. Align has been expanding its presence in the region for the past 20 years by adding new offices, building strong regional and local teams, and expanding digital treatment planning facilities in three different markets – with plans for further expansion. This new investment will allow us to deliver on our ongoing commitment to Invisalign doctors in the region to support them with more dedicated, customized support, as well as quicker turnaround and delivery times,” added Markus Sebastian, Align senior vice president and managing director, EMEA.
“The development of Polish industry, using innovative technologies, is one of the key priorities of the Polish government, which has been highlighted in the Industrial Development Policy of Poland. We continue to create the best possible conditions to allow development of domestic companies, as well as encourage foreign capital to invest in our country. We consistently support investment in digitalization. Poland has some of the world’s best specialists in digitization and support instruments, such as dedicated economic zones or the government grant program that significantly simplify the procedure for business development. We are pleased that another investor – Align Technology, has recognized these opportunities and decided to expand their presence in the EMEA region by planning to open the largest 3D printing and manufacturing plants in Poland,” said Polish Deputy Prime Minister Jaroslaw Gowin, Minister for Development, Labour and Technology.
“I am very pleased with Align Technology’s decision to further develop its operations in Poland. The new project has a huge potential in terms of employment, with approximately 2,500 new jobs expected to be created. Digital transformation has changed the face of many industries and has found its place in the medical sector, which is best proved by Align, a company that uses 3D printing in production. It is worth emphasizing that the interest of the medical industry in the Polish market is still growing, as confirmed by inquiries of foreign companies coming to Polish Investment & Trade Agency (PAIH), with six medical investment projects and another five already underway. Technologies used in the medical sector are now very much needed by everyone,” added Krzysztof Drynda, Chairman of the Polish Investment and Trade Agency.
The new Align manufacturing facility will open in early 2022, with plans to support all EMEA Invisalign case shipments by 2024. The multi-million-dollar investment by Align is one of the larger projects by an international company in the greater Wroclaw area.
*total number of doctors trained in EMEA since Dec. 1998. Data on file.
