MA MICRO AUTOMATION WILL BE UNDER OPERATION OF JR AUTOMATION. THE ACQUISITION EXPANDS JR AUTOMATION’S REACH INTO GLOBAL AUTOMATION MARKETS IN MEDICAL, ADVANCED BATTERY AND OTHER FIELDS.
Hitachi Ltd. (TSE: 6501, “Hitachi”) has completed the acquisition of MA micro automation GmbH (“MA micro automation”, headquartered in St. Leon-Rot, Germany), a leading provider of robotic and automation technology. MA micro automation will be under operation of JR Automation Technologies, LLC (“JR Automation”) to grow the company’s reach in the global advanced automation market, such as Europe, North America, and Southeast Asia. Hitachi and MAX Management GmbH (the seller, a subsidiary of MAX Automation SE) signed a stock purchase agreement in April, 2024, and pursuant to this agreement finalized the deal on September 30, 2024. Both JR Automation and MA micro automation have strong, recognized brands and will continue to do business under their existing names.
“MA micro automation’s capabilities are a perfect complement to JR Automation’s plans for growth in the medical segment,” said Dave DeGraaf, CEO at JR Automation. “We have been impressed not only by their solutions and R&D capabilities, but also by their strong culture and shared values.”
The acquisition of MA micro automation adds value for customers worldwide with diversified offerings in medical and high-precision automation. The deal also expands sales opportunities for JR Automation in Europe and for MA micro automation in the U.S. as well as business portfolio for the Asia Pacific market with a stronger presence in Singapore.
“This collaboration is poised to deliver increased value and support to our customers worldwide, particularly in the medical market vertical where MA micro automation has established a strong foothold,” said Joachim Hardt, CEO at MA micro automation.
The field of robotic SI, which involves a massive amount of data, is playing a central role in connecting shop floor and top floor to achieve overall optimization. With this acquisition of MA micro automation, Hitachi is globally expanding and strengthening its capabilities in the robotic SI field and develop “Total Seamless Solution*1” that solve issues between shop floor and top floor to create new value. “By welcoming new colleagues, Hitachi Group aims to be a global leader in the robotic SI business, and strive to increase the productivity of frontline workers and maximize customers’ corporate value by utilizing the strength in IT, OT (Operational Technology) and products through Lumada*2’s customer co-creation framework,” said Kazunobu Morita, Vice President and Executive Officer, CEO of Industrial Digital Business Unit, Hitachi, Ltd.
With the deal closed, JR Automation and MA micro automation are carrying out post-merger integration plans and reaching out to key stakeholders including customers and suppliers. The companies are also planning a celebration at MA micro automation’s headquarters in Germany on October 22.
*1 “Total Seamless Solution” is a registered trademark of Hitachi, Ltd. in the U.S., and Japan.
*2 Lumada: A collective term for solutions, services and technologies based on Hitachi’s advanced digital technologies for creating value from customers’ data accelerating digital innovation. https://www.hitachi.com/products/it/lumada/global/en/index.html
