The Osram Case
From the Innovation Hunter to the Hunted
Fortsetzung des Artikels von Teil 1
New Board of Management and Break-Up?
This strategic course will also be continued after the takeover – together with Berlien as CEO, as the Handelsblatt reports. In the course of the takeover negotiations, a 30-page document on the further course after the takeover was produced. According to the magazine it is a novelty in the relationship between industry and financial investor. In addition to the obligatory location and job guarantees, it was agreed that the group should not break up but expand through further acquisitions. A fund worth billions would be available for this purpose.
The company headquarters will continue to be in Munich and the patents, which are particularly valuable for a technology company, will remain in the possession of Osram. According to such promises, there is apparently no need to fear a technology sellout. This may indeed be the case, provided that the path taken so far proves to be the right one and puts the troubled group back on track for growth. After all, Bain and Carlyle are investors with the intention of making a profit.
They cannot realistically orient themselves to the targets for 2020 set by the Osram management in 2015 as part of the major »Diamond« growth strategy: A turnover of between 5 and 5.5 billion euros and a profit (EBITDA) of 900 million euros are unthinkable from today's perspective.
From a German perspective, however, one can only wish every success on the way back to growth. If the focus on the high-tech sector is actually continued, the location in Regensburg should benefit greatly. This is where the high-tech division Osram Opto Semiconductors is located. To achieve this, however, demand from the automotive sector must first increase.
- From the Innovation Hunter to the Hunted
- New Board of Management and Break-Up?
