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 the 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.
According to Industry sources, Hitachi and MAX Management GmbH (the seller, a subsidiary of MAX Automation SE) signed a stock purchase agreement in April 2024, and according 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.
Industry sources further confirmed that acquisition of MA micro automation adds value for its clients 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.
“MA micro automation’s capabilities are a perfect complement to JR Automation’s plans for growth in the medical segment,” stated 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.”
“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,” stated Joachim Hardt, CEO of 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” 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’s customer co-creation framework,” said Kazunobu Morita, Vice President and Executive Officer, CEO of Industrial Digital Business Unit, Hitachi, Ltd.