Horiba Europe takes over testing expert BeXema

The European arm of the Japanese development service provider Horiba has acquired BeXema GmbH, a start-up based in Barleben near Magdeburg for high-voltage test equipment, emulators and inverters for batteries, fuel cells, electrolysers and power electronics.

With the acquisition, Horiba says it is responding to the need for increasingly complex development and test solutions, driven in part by the growing market for electrified vehicles. The company’s business is to offer customers the full range of testing, manufacturing and diagnostic systems during the vehicle development process, from single component testing to turnkey testing solutions.

BeXema is the second acquisition in three years to strengthen the company in the field of e-mobility. In 2018, Horiba had already acquired the German company FuelCon, which is also based in Barleben. The subsidiary, which has been operating under the name Horiba FuelCon since the acquisition, is a production specialist for testing, manufacturing and diagnostic systems for fuel cells and batteries. The site was expanded after the acquisition in 2019.

But back to the current acquisition: Horiba and BeXema have already been linked by a supply relationship: The Japanese company purchased various products from the hitherto privately run start-up, including source-sink systems for fuel cells, battery and electrolyser test benches, DC actuators for test equipment around e-motor and powertrain test solutions or battery emulators for FC applications.

“With the acquisition of BeXema GmbH, we are significantly expanding our competence in the electrification sector,” says Dr Robert Plank, President of Horiba Europe GmbH. This is an important strategic step, he says, because it ensures that one can meet the growing demands of the global e-mobility market and remain competitive at the same time. “With the acquisition of BeXema, we now have guaranteed access to core technologies relevant to the development of electrolyser, fuel cell and battery systems.”

Dr Ingo Benecke, Managing Director of Horiba FuelCon, added: “The development of the automotive industry towards more electromobility and climate-friendly fuels is presenting suppliers with ever greater challenges. With the acquisition of BeXema GmbH, we now have an innovative manufacturer of highly dynamic power electronics, inverters for high-performance battery storage and high-voltage test equipment within the Horiba organisation. It enables us to implement new, high-performance test solutions that can respond more quickly to customer requirements and be better adapted.”

The Horiba Group is headquartered in Kyoto, Japan and, in addition to measuring instruments and systems for automotive test procedures, also manufactures test tools for process and environmental technology, medical diagnostic equipment and semiconductor production. The division relevant to the automotive sector is called Horiba Automotive and covers the automotive, commercial vehicle, non-road machinery and equipment, defence, marine, aerospace and rail vehicle sectors.

With reporting by Cora Werwitzke, France.

horiba.com (in German)