"Far-sighted entrepreneurs are true to their word, even in a pandemic." As self-evident as this sentence should be, it makes you sit up and take notice when someone like Dr. Michael Weber says it. The managing director of Antennentechnik Bad Blankenburg GmbH (ATBB) has had a Chinese owner, the company Desay SV Automotive, since 2019. The partnership is bearing fruit, the Weimar location will be significantly strengthened in the future and will grow.
Perfect complement
"The partnership with the Chinese premium manufacturer of infotainment and driver assistance systems opens up completely new opportunities for us. Desay's electronics and software expertise and ATBB's proven antenna expertise complement each other perfectly. In the future we will be able to offer networked infotainment and driver assistance systems from a single source," says Dr. Michael Weber. "The customer base with many German and international automobile manufacturers also shows great similarities. This opens up attractive growth potential for us in Europe and Asia".
Of course the Corona pandemic has also had an impact on ATBB. Without the Chinese shareholder, the company would have had to shrink by 30 percent, Weber admits. "We have fallen through all the cracks in the funding and support programs because, among other things, we have already invested in technological upfront investments for growth in 2019. I therefore have little sympathy for the criteria for awarding support.
Ambitious growth plans
ATBB has ambitious growth plans for the future. "We want to and will move from our niche existence as a supplier for commercial vehicle manufacturers to the broad market of car manufacturers," said the ATBB CEO. "And we have the full support of Desay for this". The conditions are favorable right now. "On the one hand, the crisis will result in a market shakeout, which will give us a growth spurt. On the other hand, with this partnership we now meet all the requirements not only to offer the intelligent antenna established in the passenger car environment but also to further develop it with innovative concepts," explains Dr. Michael Weber. With the intelligent antenna, antenna, electronics and software merge to form a complex product. "The intelligent antenna is the prerequisite for highly networked applications such as autonomous driving," says Dr. Weber.
The Weimar-based company is already successfully active in this field. "While Europe was in crisis mode, we were able to land a major order for a Chinese car manufacturer in close cooperation with Desay. We are developing the antennas, Desay the electronics and software," says Dr. Michael Weber happily.
Weimar site to be expanded
To support future growth, the Weimar site is being expanded. Desay moves the headquarters for its European activities from Hesse to Central Thuringia. "This is a recognition of our competencies and corporate culture," says Dr. Michael Weber, not without pride. "Our antenna production will remain, in addition we will retain the sales and project competence for the entire Desay portfolio in Europe". This makes the Weimar site "a success story for and in Thuringia.
Development center for vehicle prototypes
In this context, further investments are on the agenda in Weimar-Legefeld. Together with the State Development Corporation of Thuringia, a development center is currently being built where vehicle prototypes are equipped and tested with intelligent antennas and infotainment components. In addition, there will soon be a customer experience center where current and future products will be presented.
"By strengthening the Weimar location, we are intensifying the dialog with our customers and can react even faster and more comprehensively to special customer needs," explains Dr. Michael Weber. "At the same time we are the bridgehead for Desay's internationalization in Europe."
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