Departure into a new era
If a company can look back on a hundred years of tradition, then this is certainly reason to celebrate. All the more so if this anniversary is also associated with a departure into the future. The company Antennentechnik Bad Blankenburg GmbH (ATBB), which meanwhile has its headquarters in Weimar, is celebrating its centenary this year. On March 13, however, the focus was primarily on looking ahead. That is when DAY ONE - day one - took place, marking the start of a new chapter in the company's history.
New owner
ATBB has a new owner, Desay SV Automotive from China. This is a major player in the automotive infotainment sector, explains ATBB Managing Director Dr. Michael Weber. Desay was once part of a joint venture with a large German company. After the Chinese partners bought themselves out of this joint venture, they are now returning to Germany. According to Weber, Desay can equip a complete vehicle interior with electronics. The company has its own display production with ultra-pure rooms. Of its current workforce of around 4,500 employees, around 1,900 work in research and development. "The only thing Desay has been missing so far is the antenna," he explains the Chinese interest in the Thuringian company.
Strategic investor and partner
Desay is a strategic investor and partner for ATBB. Investments can now be carried out faster and with greater scope. ATBB remains autonomous, but not independent, said Weber. The Weimar site is to develop alone and according to a specific strategy. The existing business is to be maintained and expanded. There are also synergies in the areas of purchasing, research and production which are to be used jointly. Antenna technology will become increasingly important in the future. The keyword in this context is "smart antenna".
Control directly under the antenna
Antenna expert Weber explains it like this: "The drivers of development are the ever higher frequencies and the increasing bandwidth, especially in the new 5G mobile phone generation. Physically, at some point you reach your limits because the losses caused by cable transmission increase. So we do without antenna cables and place the controller directly under the antenna. All other components are then connected via LAN or other digital interfaces. All major OEMs have been working on this architecture in their laboratories since 2010. In the future, the antenna will be made in Weimar, but the control system will come from China.
Step from niche to mass market
Weber believes this opens up great opportunities for ATBB. So far the company has only been represented in niche markets, in commercial vehicles, motor homes and in the retrofit sector. With the strategic partner behind it, the company now hopes to make a successful move into the mass market. "We will develop antennas for the Chinese market. In the future, Chinese infotainment systems with our antennas will then be offered on the European markets," says Weber.
Speedboat for innovations
All this takes place at a high rate. Shortly after the DAY ONE in mid-March, the first joint trade fair participation with Desay SV Automotive Europe GmbH, the European branch of Desay SV Automotive based in Mainaschaff near Aschaffenburg, Bavaria, took place in May. The ATBB has a kind of door opener function. "Manufacturers who have so far only purchased our antennas will in future be able to obtain entire systems from us. ATBB will continue to be active and innovative in its current fields of activity, promises Dr. Michael Weber. In addition to the BOS public authority radio system, these include above all machine-to-machine communication and the broad field of "smart metering". For example, ATBB is the only company with a 5G-capable patented integrated switch cabinet antenna in its portfolio. "We want to remain a speedboat for innovations in the future," explains the company boss.
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