[SatNews] The merger will result in a system company for satellites and payloads in Germany capable of assuming a new role in the European market on account of its scale.

OHB AG will be pooling the skills and capacities of its subsidiaries OHB System AG and Erwin Kayser-Threde GmbH with the aim of additionally strengthening OHB as a leading German space technology group in the European market.

OHB System AG (Bremen) and Erwin Kayser-Threde GmbH (Munich) already work jointly on major projects such as the MTG weather satellites and the EnMAP environmental satellite. There is already a structured allocation of tasks reflecting the two companies’ individual strengths.

The possibility of merging the two companies is currently being explored in detail in order to additionally strengthen the joint activities and to address future challenges in operating activities more effectively. These preparations are to be completed by the end of August 2014.

The merger will result in a system company for satellites and payloads in Germany capable of assuming a new role in the European market on account of its scale. OHB customers in particular will benefit from the heightened efficiency and competitiveness. The transaction will be a merger of equals with key management functions and sustained recruitment and personnel development activities based at both sites.

One aspect of the realignment of OHB’s German satellite and payload business entails the combination of Erwin Kayser-Threde GmbH’s two present facilities in Munich in new premises tailored to future requirements. For this reason, a new building is currently being constructed in the direct vicinity of the DLR Space Center in Oberpfaffenhofen near Munich. These new premises will accommodate technical facilities allowing OHB to assume responsibility for new and challenging projects. With a total budget of over EUR 30 million, the construction project has reached the shell phase and is scheduled for completion in mid 2015.