Mungia (Biscay), December 21, 2021.- Arteche has completed the purchase of the totality of the shares of the Australian company Smart Digital Optics (SDO), in which it had already held 57.6% for over a decade. The Basque company has negotiated with the minority shareholders which held the remaining 42.4% in order to finalize the purchase of the entire company.
Founded in 2004, SDO is a spin-off company of the University of Sydney which manufactures optical fibre current sensors for the electric power and smelting industries. It is one of the first companies to incorporate this type of optical technology into power monitoring and metering systems allowing users to measure electric currents with better accuracy and in a more sustainable manner. In 2010, the Arteche Group acquired a stake in SDO, forming a strategic alliance.
This type of technology facilitates the digitization of substations, creating safer working environments and reducing the costs related to construction, operation and maintenance. It also optimizes HVDC (high-voltage direct current) transmission, which is used for long-distance power interconnections such as, for example, between islands, offshore windfarms or oil platforms.
With this move, Arteche strengthens its technological capacities for the development of smart networks, direct current transmission and increased sustainability in the design of its products. It also strengthens its presence in the Australian market as part of its internationalization strategy, currently providing its services and products in over 175 countries among Europe, Asia, America and Oceania.
About the Arteche Group
Founded in 1946, the Arteche Group carries out its activity in the electricity sector, from generation to distribution, specialising in the equipment, components and electric solutions industry. Within this framework, the Arteche Group ranks among the TOP 3 world leaders in the instrument transformers market, leads the auxiliary relays market and maintains a regional leadership position for the remaining products specifically intended for highly-demanding and high added value markets, such as renewable generation and railway.
The Arteche Group’s business focusses on enabling the transport and distribution of electric energy from any generation plant to the final user with efficiency, quality and reliability. For this purpose, the company consistently invests in R&D&i, with the aim to improve the quality and efficiency of its products, innovate in the development of new products and provide its customers with a differential added value. Arteche currently has commercial distribution capacity in over 175 countries; it has 13 factories in Europe, America and Asia, including 6 research centres, and over 2,400 employees around the world.
