Miba takes stake in battery systems manufacturer Voltlabor
July 12, 2019
Miba AG, Laakirchen, Austria, has taken a 25.1% stake in Voltlabor, a sister company of Nordfels GmbH, headquartered in Bad Leonfelden, Austria. The company specialises in the development and production of batteries for electric drives.
According to Miba, the complementary expertise of the two companies will be pooled in order to leverage opportunities for growth, with the goal of creating an important player for the development and production of battery systems worldwide. Activities will be centred on technologically sophisticated niches in which it believes Voltlabor has a clear lead.
While Voltlabor has built up a lot of expertise as a manufacturer of battery systems through its lifetime, Miba has specialised in component development and production. The company stated that it will make its technologies for the thermal management of batteries, which contribute substantially to the optimum functioning of the battery as a whole, available to the joint venture.
One such technology is FLEXcooler®, a flexible battery cooling system that can adjust its shape to fit battery cells. Miba will also reportedly contribute its expertise in the industrialisation of production processes, its access to customers and markets around the world and its production capabilities on four continents.
Voltlabor will continue to operate out of Bad Leonfelden. Depending on how business develops, it was stated that further sites may be added in key markets. Stefan Gaigg, Head of Business Unit Battery Components at Miba eMobility, has been appointed as Managing Director of Voltlabor.
F Peter Mitterbauer, Miba CEO, stated, “The battery is the centerpiece of electric drives. Miba has already developed a number of solutions for thermal management of batteries. Investing in Voltlabor to expand our expertise toward complete battery systems is the next logical step. By taking a stake in Voltlabor, Miba is continuing its strategy of being proactively involved in the electrification of drives in line with its vision ‘No powertrain without Miba technology.'”
“Having Miba as a partner will enable us to set the scene for future growth in all key customer markets worldwide,” added Johannes Kaar, Voltlabor’s co-founder and CFO of Nordfels GmbH. “By pooling our expertise we can take advantage of opportunities and develop the company together.”
