ABB Acquires B&R
April 5, 2017
ABB has acquired B&R, the largest independent provider focused on product- and software-based, open-architecture solutions for machine and factory automation worldwide.
B&R operates in 70 countries and employs more than 3,000 people, including 1,000 R&D and application engineers. It generates sales of more than US$600 million (2015/16) in the US$20 billion machine and factory automation market segment.
The combination will result in a comprehensive offering for customers of industrial automation by pairing B&R’s products, software and solutions for modern machine and factory automation with ABB’s world-leading offering in robotics, process automation, digitalization and electrification. Through the acquisition, ABB will be uniquely positioned to seize growth opportunities resulting from the Fourth Industrial Revolution. In addition, ABB takes a major step in expanding its digital offering by combining its industry-leading portfolio of digital solutions, ABB Ability, with B&R’s strong application and software platforms, its large installed base, customer access and tailored automation solutions.
“B&R is a gem in the world of machine and factory automation and this combination is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” says ABB CEO Ulrich Spiesshofer. “This is a perfect fit and will make us the only industrial automation provider offering customers the entire spectrum of technology and software solutions around measurement, control, actuation, robotics, digitalization and electrification. This acquisition perfectly delivers on our Next Level strategy. With our unique digital offering and our installed base of more than 70 million connected devices, 70,000 control systems and now more than 3 million automated machines and 27,000 factory installations around the world, we enable our combined global customer base to seize the huge opportunities of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.”
On closing of the transaction, B&R will become part of ABB’s Industrial Automation division as a new global business unit, Machine & Factory Automation, headed by the current Managing Director, Hans Wimmer.
Both companies consider B&R’s management and employees as a key driver of future growth and the business integration together with their counterparts from ABB. The integration will be growth-focused and live by the “best-of-both-worlds” principle, with ABB adding its own PLC and servo drive activities to the offering of the new business unit in a phased approach.
ABB underlines its clear commitment to continuing the B&R growth story by articulating a mid-term sales ambition to exceed US$1 billion.
Find out more: http://new.abb.com/br-abb-leadership-industrial-automation.
