Siemens to secure long-term competitiveness of mechanical drives unit

Siemens is giving its mechanical drives unit (Mechanical Drives, MD) a new setup that will enable the business to operate more efficiently and flexibly in implementing its growth plans in a competitive environment. MD's market, which is dominated by medium-sized companies, is currently characterized by weak growth, increasing competition from the Asian region and overcapacities, with correspondingly high price pressure. To achieve greater room to maneuver and intensify its business-specific orientation, the unit is to be managed in the future as a separate company under the Siemens umbrella.

Siemens is also planning to invest in the business's locations worldwide and product portfolio in order to ensure its continued market and technology leadership. With the strong brands Flender and Winergy, MD is the market leader particularly in applications with high torques in the wind and cement industries, for example.

"In the last two years, the business has considerably improved its competitiveness. We've focused MD on its core business and, among other things, created a separate sales organization that has considerably improved customer proximity," said Jürgen Brandes, CEO of Siemens' Process Industries and Drives Division. "Setting up a separate unit is the next step toward achieving long-term success."

Mechanical Drives (MD), which belongs to Siemens' Process Industries and Drives Division, currently has around 6,000 employees worldwide. It is a leading global supplier of components for mechanical drives systems, with offerings ranging from an extensive portfolio of drives and couplings to services. The unit serves key industries such as wind power, cement production, marine, conveyor and crane technology. Its products and services combine latest technology with extremely high quality and have been reliably guaranteeing the optimal transmission of power for decades.