News and New Products

Motorola Buys Denmark R&D Center for Mobiles

By Richard Wilson -- Electronics Weekly, 5/2/2006

Motorola has agreed to acquire a Denmark-based radio system research and development center from local company BenQ.

The Aalborg facility and team of 250 employees will become a product development centre in Motorola’s Mobile Devices business.

According to Ron Garriques, president of Motorola Mobile Devices: “This acquisition will enhance Motorola’s capabilities in mobile phone development, software application development and antenna technology.”

The location features measurement facilities, including antenna chambers, acoustical chambers, radio frequency chambers, environmental laboratories and measuring facilities related to mechanical development. 

Through the sale of the R&D site BenQ Mobile continues its restructuring strategy. In March, BenQ Mobile announced its decision to centralize German development activities at the sites in Munich and Kamp-Lintfort/Northrhine-Westphalia and to relocate its R&D employees from Ulm to Munich until end of May.

“One of our targets is to streamline operations and to simplify our fragmented product development assignments through the consolidation to major sites,” said Clemens Joos, CEO of BenQ Mobile.

The main facility in Aalborg is currently owned by a Danish Pension Fund and leased to Siemens Real Estate who leases it to BenQ. Motorola expects to enter into a lease directly with Siemens at closing. 
 
This transaction does not include any business or technology assets from BenQ, such as intellectual property, manufacturing or supply relationships, or sales and administrative capabilities.

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.  The closing is expected to take place in early June.

Electronics Weekly is the London-based sister publication of Electronic News.