ABB announced today that it has completed its acquisition of B&R (Bernecker + Rainer Industrie-Elektronik GmbH), a provider of product- and software-based open-architecture solutions for machine and factory automation.
B&R’s products, software and services in PLCs, industrial PCs and servo motion-based machine and factory automation will no doubt strengthen ABB’s position in the market. The acquisition marks a milestone in its “ABB’s Next Level” business strategy.
“Following the acquisition of B&R, we are the only industrial automation provider offering customers in process and discrete industries the entire spectrum of technology and software solutions around measurement, control, actuation, robotics, digitalization and electrification,” said ABB CEO Ulirch Spiesshofer.
B&R will become part of ABB’s Industrial Automation division as a new global business unit called Machine & Factory Automation, implementing ABB’s PLC activities. The unit is headquartered in Eggelsberg, Austria, ABB’s new global center for machine and factory automation.
However, this doesn’t mean B&R’s customers will lose support, as ABB has committed to investing in the expansion of B&R’s operations.
“Our commitment to growing the business of B&R is demonstrated by our investment in a new R&D center, which is to be built next to its headquarters in upper Austria,” Spiesshofer said.
The co-founders of B&R, Erwin Bernecker and Josef Rainer, will act as advisors during the integration process.
“The B&R team is proud to be part of ABB and its leading Industrial Automation division,” said Hans Wimmer, former managing director of B&R and now managing director of ABB’s Machine & Factory Automation business unit. “With our compatible cultures, complementary strengths and leading technologies, ABB and B&R will have an even more compelling value proposition to offer our customers in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.”