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Ormazabal welcomed a delegation from Krefeld to our global headquarters and research center in Spain. Alongside our German management, representatives from the Krefeld Economic Development Agency (Krefeld Business) travelled to the Basque Country. The focus was on modern production processes and the further development of solutions for energy distribution, such as SF₆-free medium-voltage technology. Another aim of the trip was to deepen international dialogue and bring new ideas from one of Europe’s most significant industrial and technological hubs back to Krefeld. With this visit, Ormazabal also highlights the importance of its German site in Krefeld.
During a visit to a to part of our industrial capabilities in Spain, the delegation gained insights into state-of-the-art production lines for next-generation switchgear. Solutions for secondary power distribution with F-gas-free medium-voltage switchgear are manufactured there.
With the gradual European phase-out of the insulating gas SF6, demand for SF6-free switchgear is growing significantly. Ormazabal addresses these requirements with practical solutions for safe and efficient operation: the SF6-free switchgear is based on ‘industrial natural air’ and is completely free of F-gases. At the same time, we use proven technical parameters to ensure operational continuity, minimise risks and enable grid operators to make a reliable transition to SF6-free technologies.
Areas of application include industrial infrastructure, critical facilities and applications in the context of the energy transition, such as charging infrastructure and renewable generation plants.
The visit to Bilbao also provided an opportunity to intensify the collaboration between Krefeld Business and Ormazabal. Krefeld Business is supporting us in expanding our business at the Krefeld site. With the new site, Ormazabal is consolidating Engineering, Solutions, After Sales and industrial manufacturing operations, thereby establishing a central customisation and technology hub for Central Europe. The aim is to tailor SF6-free solutions specifically to local regulatory, technical and operational requirements – with short response times, high service availability and a clear focus on automation and digitalisation for the German market.
The newly acquired site in the Fichtenhainer Allee Business Park will be home to the new headquarters for Germany, Central and Eastern Europe. Ormazabal is making a targeted investment in modern infrastructure and the sustainable expansion of its activities in the German market. The visit by the economic development agency to Bilbao was also a clear commitment to Krefeld as a business location.
Eckart Preen, Managing Director of Krefeld Business, emphasises: “The fact that Ormazabal is investing in a new German headquarters, particularly in economically challenging times, sends a strong signal for Krefeld as an industrial location. The visit to the Basque Country was also a sign of appreciation for this commitment and underlines the long-term partnership between Ormazabal and Krefeld as a business location.”
A key part of the visit was also the exchange with Koldo Atxutegi, Chief Innovation Officer at Ormazabal, on open innovation strategies and collaboration with technology start-ups. We are currently working on 23 innovation projects – ranging from the concrete definition of problems through proofs of concept to implementation in operational settings. More than ten solutions have already been successfully implemented, including in the field of artificial intelligence, for instance to optimise stock levels, for digital service and field reports, or internal assistance systems. In total, Ormazabal invests four per cent of its turnover in research, development and innovation, positioning its Bilbao site as a group-wide pioneer for technology-driven collaborations with measurable added value for grid operations.
Krefeld Business also pursues open innovation approaches and cooperates, amongst others, with the BEAZ business development agency of the province of Bizkaia. A joint visit to the B Accelerator Tower (BAT) in Bilbao – an internationally oriented start-up centre – served to exchange best practices in innovation methodology, start-up support and institutional networking. The insights gained provide valuable impetus for the development of the Krefeld site.
The term “Bilbao Effect” describes the successful transformation of the Basque metropolis of Bilbao from a traditional industrial city into an internationally recognised hub for innovation and technology. For Ormazabal, this effect is more than a regional phenomenon: as a company with roots in the Basque Country, we consciously apply the principles shaped there – industrial strength, an open culture of innovation and collaborative partnership – to other locations. The investments in Krefeld, the close dialogue with the Krefeld Economic Development Agency and the shared focus on innovation demonstrate how this approach is also having an impact beyond Bilbao.
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