Spectris has signed an agreement to acquire VI-grade, as part of its continuing expansion into PLM and ADAS vehicle development, testing and simulation. The acquisition is subject to approval by the relevant merger clearance authorities.
“VI-grade represents an exciting opportunity for us to move further into the simulation segment of vehicle testing, which is expected to see significant growth in coming years on the back of ADAS and AV development and the proliferation of models,” said John O’Higgins, chief executive, Spectris.
“It is closely related to our existing instrumentation businesses and, as such, the acquisition is an important step forward in providing our customers with solutions that combine hardware, software and services.
“Supported by our global reach and expertise, VI-grade’s application and technical expertise in simulation software and hardware, and the testing equipment, services and software of other Spectris operating companies, will help customers address the increasing complexities of product testing while reducing the time to market for new products.”
Jürgen Fett, managing director at VI-grade, added, “This is a strategic move for VI-grade and we are very excited to be joining Spectris. The leadership team at Spectris has a strong interest in developing and investing in VI-grade’s capabilities and workforce.
“We also believe Spectris’s other portfolio companies will bring additional expertise and capabilities that will allow us to jointly offer innovative solutions to our customers.”
Spectris intends to establish VI-grade as an independent operating business within its test and measurement business segment, alongside Bruel & Kjaer, HBM (including nCode and ReliaSoft), ESG, and Millbrook Group.
It will retain VI-grade’s employees and sites, and has a clear strategy to significantly invest in, and grow, the business. VI-grade’s current management team will continue to drive the business, led by Bob Ryan, a software industry veteran who has joined Spectris to head up its move into simulation software solutions.