Delta Electronics: Here we have all the ingredients to make our strategy work
When Delta Electronics first arrived in Brabant, its ambition was to grow to a dozen people. Nearly 15 years later, its Eindhoven branch has far surpassed that goal. Recently, the Taiwanese company kicked off the construction of a new building at the Automotive Campus in Helmond. “We want to play a leading role in the development of smart city solutions, and here we will have all the ingredients to make it work.”
Founded in 1971 in Taipei, Delta Electronics is a global leader in power and thermal management solutions. The company has a wide range of products and operates across many industries. To give an example, it’s the world’s largest provider of switching power supplies and cooling fans for TVs and laptops. But it also develops inverters for solar panels, and industrial computers (PLCs) used to control water supply pumps, parking gates and manufacturing machines.
With all these activities, what’s the best way to describe Delta? It doesn’t take long for Tim Lee, General Manager of the Industrial Automation business group for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), to come up with the answer. “We use our competencies in power electronics and automation to provide innovative, clean and energy-efficient solutions for a better tomorrow. This mission drives everything we do.”
Strong presence in the Netherlands
Delta has a strong presence in the Netherlands. The EMEA headquarters for the entire company is located in Hoofddorp, just outside Amsterdam. Eindhoven is home to the EMEA headquarters of its Industrial Automation business, which focuses on offering automation solutions for smart factories. In 2000, the business group opened its first EMEA branch in the Dutch province of Limburg. Five years later, it moved to Eindhoven. The site includes sales and marketing, order handling, product support, training facilities and R&D to deliver customized product configurations to clients. According to Lee, there were many reasons to choose Brainport Eindhoven.
Brabant is an international hotspot. You have a booming technology ecosystem with the High Tech Campus and companies like Philips and ASML, Eindhoven has a good airport and - thanks to the nearby universities and the English-speaking population - it’s a great place to recruit talent. The availability of technical talent is very important for the future of our company.
Tim Lee, General Manager of the Industrial Automation business group for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) - Delta Electronics
Groundbreaking
Delta has ambitious expansion plans for Brabant. In the fall of 2019, it celebrated the groundbreaking for its new office building at the Automotive Campus in Helmond. The 4,050 square-meter (43,500 square foot) building – more than triple the size of the current location in Eindhoven – can hold up to 150 people. Apart from Industrial Automation, the site will also support other business groups including Automotive Electronics.
In Helmond, the company will play an active role in the local ecosystem. At the Automotive Campus, more than 1,250 people focus on developing mobility solutions for the future. “This really fits in with Delta’s bigger vision to develop IoT-based solutions to drive energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions in cities around world,” Lee said. “We look forward to working with other companies located on or near the campus to test and develop new applications and technologies.”
Green mobility test lab
A good example is the green mobility test lab that will be developed next to its new building. Delta will use the 1,300 square-meter parking area to test its electric-vehicle charging solutions together with other companies at the campus.
In addition, Lee is very excited about the prospect of working together with the technical universities in the area: “There are 600 students at the Helmond campus. Summa College’s engineering program will be right next door. The Eindhoven University of Technology and the automation faculty of the Fontys University of Applied Sciences are also very nearby – and Aachen University is just across the border with Germany.”
In one sentence, the people at BOM are the regional matchmakers. They are extremely well connected, both here and in Taiwan.
Tim Lee, General Manager of the Industrial Automation business group for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) - Delta Electronics
A very friendly relationship
Delta has been working with BOM since the early 2000s. “They helped us find our first building in Eindhoven, and we have had a very warm relationship ever since,” Lee said. “When we were looking to expand, they introduced us to the Automotive Campus and informed us about the local regulations and possibilities. They also arranged a visit of the Eindhoven city mayor to our headquarters in Taiwan and connected us with a green mobility research program at Eindhoven University of Technology that we are now sponsoring. In one sentence, the people at BOM are the regional matchmakers. They are extremely well connected, both here and in Taiwan.”
Delta Electronics in numbers:
- Founded: 1971
- Employees: 87,000
- Revenue: $9 billion in 2018
- Activities in Brabant: headquarters of the Industrial Automation business for the EMEA region. The new site in Helmond will also include activities related to other business activities including electric-vehicle charging.
- Workforce in Brabant: 40-45 FTE, which will over time increase to 150 in Helmond