crossroads magazine 3D scanning leader Artec 3D moved its headquarters from Silicon Valley to Luxembourg. From here, its digital twin technology services Fortune 500 companies and researchers worldwide. BY LENA MÅRTENSSON Artificial intelligence may dominate today’s headlines, but for Artem Yukhin, CEO of 3D scanning technology leader Artec 3D, it is nothing new – he was lecturing on AI and machine learning for computer vision already in the late 1990s. In 2008, together with his co-founders, he set up Artec 3D in Silicon Valley to pioneer the de- velopment of compact, handheld 3D scanners capable of capturing data without fixed targets and creating highly precise digital models. “We are still the market leader in this field,” he confirms. A year later, the young startup had already reached break-even after signing major Hollywood studios as clients, which used its scanners to integrate special ef- fects into film scenes. Toyota, a world leader in quality control, was another early client. Today, after almost two decades, Artec’s 3D scanners are used in fields ranging from manufacturing and civ- il engineering to law enforcement and cultural heritage. The company’s clientele includes top-tier Fortune 500 companies, leading museums and 800 universities, and its software was used to create Apple’s Face ID. Mr Yukhin is particularly proud of how the scanners are used in healthcare, for instance, to scan patients who have lost limbs to produce perfectly fitted prostheses, and the growing number of scientific articles featuring break- through research results enabled by Artec 3D scanners. A regional office turned global HQ As most of its early clients were European, Artec 3D quickly saw the need to open a European sales office. “Finding the right European location to serve markets with different cultures and languages is a big chal- lenge for an American company,” Mr Yukhin points out. Eventually, they landed on Luxembourg. “This country is unique: both French-speaking and German-speak - ing countries see it as a sister country, and it has excel- lent relations with key global markets, including Japan and China. Strategically, it is in a very good location.” The EU office in Luxembourg opened in 2010, and a year later, the management decided to move the global HQ to Luxembourg. The decision proved easy. “We just fell in love with this country,” says Mr Yukhin. Today, over 120 of the company’s 200 staff members are based in the Grand Duchy, which also hosts its R&D centre and top-range production line. “Our employees from over 20 different countries feel at home here. Luxembourg’s multilingual, multicultural and friendly environment helps us attract top talent.”