Hitachi Energy decides on Otelfingen
Otelfingen/Wettingen/Zurich - Hitachi Energy will establish its new Swiss headquarters in Otelfingen. Here, the energy division of the global technology group will move into the former distribution center of Jelmoli in addition to occupying adjacent areas. Wettingen was also in the running.
(CONNECT) Hitachi Energy has opted for Otelfingen in the canton of Zurich as the location of its Swiss headquarters. The Zurich-based Swiss subsidiary of the internationally active Japanese industrial group reached this decision on June 11, 2026. According to an official statement, the municipal council was “delighted about this decision”. Hitachi is a company “that perfectly aligns with the developed industrial strategy and the ‘Energy and Materials Hub’ narrative.” Its decision to establish a presence here will reportedly strengthen Otelfingen as a business location, while also having a positive impact on the region as a whole. “This creates new opportunities and underlines the positive development of our municipality”. Hitachi had promised to secure 1,000 existing jobs and create 2,000 new ones.
In the municipality’s analysis report on location strategy, which was published in 2025, the authors noted that opportunities could arise for the Jelmoli building, which is described as towering over all other buildings in its vicinity, and the further industrial development of the site if it were offered together with the adjacent municipal property, Weberwis. In their view, this would facilitate a “realignment of the Otelfingen location in combination with the S-Bahn stop Otelfingen Golfpark and the targeted development of the Jelmoli building”. It appears that this plan has come together.
In this context, it is now clear that the company will acquire the site of the former Jelmoli distribution center and adjacent areas of land, amounting to 11 hectares in total. Part of the building is listed as a landmarked building. However, neither this nor the higher corporate tax rate in Otelfingen – compared with that in Wettingen, which was also bidding to bring Hitachi Energy to the canton of Aargau – were enough to dissuade the company that its Swiss future lay in the canton of Zurich.
At a meeting on May 26, 2026, the Commission for the Environment, Construction, Transport, Energy and Town Planning, which is made up of members of the Grand Council of Aargau, i.e., the legislative body of the canton of Aargau, voted 13 to 1, plus one abstention, in favor of amending the structure plan for the Tägerhardächer area. As such, any planning obstacles standing in the way of Hitachi Energy establishing a presence in Wettingen were removed. ce/mm
