Punch Powertrain, developer and producer of automatic transmissions in Sint-Truiden, is taking over its Eindhoven-based R&D partner DTI (Drive Train Innovations).
This acquisition fits within Punch Powertrain’s further growth plans so as to remain on top in the growing Asian markets and meet the steadily rising demand for innovative applications (including electrical and hybrid powertrains). The R&D department in Sint-Truiden is therefore being strengthened by the addition of DTI´s specific knowledge. The 17 employees of DTI will continue to work on projects within DTI while at the same time being progressively assigned to development projects within Punch Powertrain. For the employees of the main R&D department in Sint-Truiden, little or nothing will be changing in practice.
The two parties are definitely not strangers to one another. DTI in Eindhoven works primarily on innovative concept development of specialised applications for all types of gearboxes. This makes DTI particularly complementary with the R&D activity in Sint-Truiden, which also continues to grow. In its R&D department in Sint-Truiden Punch Powertrain is developing not only concepts but also concrete applications for conventional, hybrid and electrical drives. At the same time the Belgian headquarters, together with its subsidiary in China, handles the production for its (primarily Asian) customers.
Development of the R&D activity is of fundamental importance for Punch Powertrain so as to continue to offer a response to the company´s steady growth. For example, over the past two years the R&D department in Sint-Truiden has already undergone substantial expansion to more than 150 engineers and developers, and this site will continue to expand. The acquisition of DTI contributes new R&D facilities that will support the organisation’s growth.
In the past the two parties worked together on a variety of projects, because their respective areas of expertise complement one another and DTI holds a large number of useful and valuable patents. This collaboration is now being made more concrete via a full-fledged takeover by Punch Powertrain.
“However, DTI will continue to fulfil a satellite function for our headquarters, independent of our existing growth story here”, says Elias van Wijk, CTO. “It is a strategic step to optimise overlapping activities and in this way release more talent for new commercial opportunities. Moreover, DTI had hit its ceiling with regard to autonomous growth and was looking for strategic investors. We know each other as reliable partners. Now we’re bundling our forces and areas of expertise so that we can look to the future with complete confidence and continue to grow.”
