Hexagon says its latest acquisition, Belgium’s Septentrio NV, can help it accelerate adoption of autonomous systems in key markets, including mining.
It described the 25-year-old global navigation satellite system (GNSS) company as a technology pioneer in the space.
Hexagon says Septentrio will add circa-€50 million annual revenues and about 150 employees to its Autonomous Solutions division when it completes the acquisition in the first half of this year.
“The combination of Hexagon and Septentrio will transform the positioning industry across existing and new markets, setting new standards for the accuracy, resilience and scalability of positioning technologies, necessary to support and accelerate the journey towards full autonomy,” Hexagon interim CEO Norbert Hanke said.
Septentrio was spun out of one of the world’s largest semiconductor research institutes, imec, in 2000.
The company said it provided GNSS positioning solutions for industrial applications in robotics, construction, maritime, logistics, mining, rail, precision agriculture and logistics.
As well as its Leuven headquarters it has offices in Finland, USA, China, Japan and South Korea.
