Opel and Segula Technologies have now signed an agreement on a strategic partnership. It is described by Opel as a major step towards securing highly qualified jobs in the research and development sector in Russelsheim and Dudenhofen for the long-term.
The closing of this transaction is expected in the second quarter of 2019. The parties have agreed not to disclose the financial details.
Opel says the significant decrease in assignments from external parties will lead to overcapacity in the engineering centre. To overcome this, Opel and Segula Technologies plan to enter into an extensive strategic partnership.
Segula Technologies is planning to establish a European engineering campus and Centre of Excellence in Russelsheim with up to 2,000 employees joining from the engineering centre in Russelsheim along with facilities from vehicle and propulsion system development. The protection of employees against dismissal agreed until July 2023 will be continued. The discussions and negotiations with the social partners will continue.
On its website, engineering firm Segula says it ‘can intervene as outsourced technical platforms or help design and industrialise sub-assemblies, or even a complete turnkey vehicle’.
Opel parent Groupe PSA reiterates that – also after the closing of the transaction – its Russelsheim Engineering centre will remain at the core of the company’s R&D and will be at the right competitive level to continue the handling of design and engineering of the future Opel/Vauxhall models. In addition, the centre will be in charge of the development of light commercial vehicles for the entire Groupe PSA and a new engine family. Furthermore, Groupe PSA says it has allocated 15 centres of competence for fields such as fuel cell development to the Russelsheim Engineering centre.
See also: Segula looks to expand Rüsselsheim site if takeover succeeds