The Heilpädagogisches Zentrum Liechtenstein (hpz) is an important institution for the promotion and support of people with cognitive, psychological, and multiple disabilities in the region. In addition to areas such as housing, therapy, and school, hpz operates a total of six workshops where people with special needs work. This includes the Protekta workshop, which acts as a system partner for local industry. After about 25 years of operation in an outdated industrial building in Mauren, Protekta recently moved to its new location in Schaan. The Hilti Foundation is one of the proud supporters and financed the disabled-friendly expansion and furnishing.

Living the right to work

Work is an important foundation for social and economic integration. The hpz workshops offer attractive workplaces for people with disabilities and provide them with an important daily structure. In the Protekta industrial department, around 60 supervised employees perform tasks such as assembly, packaging, or shipping for local companies. Depending on the care needs and abilities of the employees, these tasks are carried out in one-to-one settings or group work. Wherever possible, the focus is on developing and maintaining the independence of the employees. In recent years, however, not only has the number of supervised employees increased, but also the complexity of disabilities. As a result, the requirements for infrastructure, which could no longer be met in the old industrial building in Mauren, also increased—making a renovation or new construction unavoidable.

In the Protekta activity group, people paint and do handicrafts.

The new protekta workshop in Schaan

The new Protekta in Schaan was made possible thanks to the financing of the building by the FMR Stiftung and the cost coverage for the interior design by our foundation. This ensures a disabled- and needs-friendly working environment in the future:

“For us, this is an absolute dream. Our former Protekta workshop in Mauren, around 60 years old, was no longer up-to-date in every respect. Especially not for the special needs of our supervised employees there. In this new building, we were able to incorporate our experience and plan many things from the beginning.”
— Christian Hausmann, Managing Director of the hpz

The new building extends over three floors and was planned in detail for use as an industrial workshop by hpz. In addition to more space and an optimized room layout, disabled-friendly interior design and furnishing played a central role. Here too, long-standing experience was incorporated, which ultimately brings important relief in everyday life.

Michèle Frey-Hilti at the ceremonial opening of the workshop.

“For more than 50 years, hpz has been doing impressive work for people with special needs in the region. The workshop area precisely embodies our belief in promoting self-determination through economic and social integration. Seeing the employees now carrying out orders in the new premises, for example for Hilti, is simply a source of pride.”
— Michèle Frey-Hilti, Chairwoman of the Board of the Hilti Family Foundation Liechtenstein

The new building is an important investment in the future of hpz-Protekta and, above all, in the quality of life and job satisfaction of the employees. We are convinced that this workshop will be a place for many people to find meaningful and fulfilling work and enjoy performing it.

Heilpädagogisches Zentrum Liechtenstein (hpz)

HPZ Atelier team presents products made by employees with disabilities at Hilti headquarters.

For more than 50 years, the Stiftung für Heilpädagogische Hilfe in Liechtenstein has operated the hpz with its areas of school, therapy, workshops, housing, and administration. The hpz is a recognized and valued institution in Liechtenstein and the region, supporting and promoting people with mild to severe cognitive, psychological, and multiple disabilities in all phases of life. With nearly 600 supervised individuals—working and living—the hpz has become a substantial SME operation with many locations throughout Liechtenstein.

Workshops of the hpz

People with special needs provide services such as assembly, packaging and shipping for local companies, including Hilti, in the Protekta workshop.

Work is a source of development, daily structure, self-realization, self-assertion, recognition, appreciation, social contacts, friendships, improvement of the material living situation, and much more. The workshops of hpz offer meaningful workplaces for people with special needs. The Protekta employees, consisting of 60 supervised employees aged between 20 and 64 and 22 hpz specialists, are organized into various workgroups, including three employment groups, two industrial groups, and a cafeteria group. For many years, the Protekta workshop has thus been a reliable partner of the Liechtenstein industry.

New building overview

The planning phase of the new building by the FMR Stiftung lasted from 2020 to 2022, followed by the construction phase from February 2022 to December 2023. The Protekta building extends over three floors and houses a total of nine workrooms as well as numerous ancillary rooms for group activities, breaks, and rest, and its own canteen. Thanks to the support of the Hilti Foundation, the needs-oriented interior design, including furniture such as height-adjustable tables and chairs, the entire interior lighting, wardrobes, cabinets, and shelves, the disabled-friendly equipment of the wet rooms, as well as communication tools such as whiteboards and pictograms, was made possible.

Promoting Participation in Economic and Social Life