French multinational Segula Technologies has opened an office in Eindhoven. This was jointly announced by Segula, BOM Foreign Investments, the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA) and Brainport Development. Segula’s objective is to have at least 100 employees in the Brainport office within the coming three to five years.

Segula Technologies B.V. delivers outsourcing solutions to high-tech companies. Segula develops products in the field of mechatronics, electronics and software, with a special focus on the automotive sector. The company will initially operate on the Dutch market from its office in the Brainport Development Bèta Business Center on the High Tech Campus Eindhoven. “Flexibility, infrastructure and the open innovation climate in the Brainport region were important reasons to choose for this location,” according to managing director Evert Rietdijk. The Dutch office will organize a festive official opening, most likely in June 2010. Rietdijk expects that the international character of the company will help in attracting technically skilled employees.

Brainport Development, BOM Foreign Investments and NFIA played an important role in the establishment of Segula Technologies in Eindhoven. “These parties made a ‘soft landing’ possible by offering professional housing, access to key networks, assistance with recruitment and introductions in relevant sectors. Additionally, they provided us with insight and data on location issues and supported us with visa applications as well as fiscal and incentive matters, like the WBSO,” Rietdijk sums up.

Segula is present in 15 countries and it has more than 6,000 employees. The company has clients in sectors of industry like automotive, aerospace, energy and health care, as well as business services. Segula’s choice to operate on the Dutch market originated amongst other reasons from the need to be close to customers like ASML. “Traditionally, high-tech, automotive and medical technology have been strongly represented in this region. Segula facilitates existing industries by acting as a chain supplier: we supply from idea to prototype and from product to service,” Rietdijk explains. “We offer companies the possibility to outsource part(s) of the development and possibly production processes to us. This is in keeping with current trends in high-tech industries.” The collaborating parties view the arrival of Segula as a logical acquisition for Brainport, where open innovation and co-creation are common practice.

Presence of local support is required when outsourcing part(s) of the chain. Therefore, Segula is planning to open up more offices in the Netherlands in the near future. In Brainport Segula foresees possibilities for cooperation with e.g. Philips, FEI Company, DAF and TomTom. The company is also looking at activities in other regions, like Rotterdam, Chemelot, Leiden (biotech), Amsterdam (finance and IT) and Food Valley.