There are three news items of note related to members of PI.
- LAPP has become a PI-certified Competence Center
- NXP has acquired port GmbH
- HMS Networks has acquired Molex’s Industrial Communications Business
LAPP Exploration Center: a New PI-Certified Competence Center
LAPP is further expanding its training expertise in industrial communication. With the new LAPP Exploration Center (LEC) in Stuttgart, a contact point was opened in October 2024 that combines the theory and practice of industrial communication. Around six months after opening, U.I. Lapp GmbH was certified as a PI Competence Center and is now one of 13 officially recognized Competence Centers in Germany. The quality standard certification confirms that LAPP supports companies with technical expertise in all matters relating to PROFINET and related technologies.
The certification as a PI Competence Centre confirms LAPP’s in-depth know-how in connection technology with extensive expertise in active network technology. Among other things, a complete, standard-compliant demonstration setup, comprehensive analysis functions and the personal qualifications of the experts were decisive for the certification.
At the same time, LAPP is actively involved in working groups of the user organisation for the general further development of the standards. This includes, among other things, the expansion of safety classes in PROFINET and the integration of Single Pair Ethernet (SPE) in PROFINET for active and passive PROFINET technologies.
NXP Acquires port GmbH
The industrial automation market is transforming. As factories grow more autonomous and intelligent, secure, real-time edge communication is critical. NXP is committed to enabling this shift—and today, we’re proud to take a major step forward with the acquisition of port GmbH.
Founded in 1990 and headquartered in Halle (Saale), Germany, port GmbH has built a global reputation for delivering high-quality, standards-based industrial communication solutions. Its portfolio includes protocol stacks for widely used technologies, such as PROFINET and others.
This acquisition enables NXP to offer more integrated solutions that reduce development time and simplify deployment for industrial customers.
By joining forces with port GmbH, NXP is strengthening its ability to deliver turnkey, scalable platforms for the intelligent industrial edge. The integration of the port GmbH’s protocol suite with NXP’s industrial processors, particularly the i.MX RT1180 crossover MCUs and i.MX 94 applications processors, will enable customers to accelerate development, simplify protocol switching and meet the demands of the software-defined factory.
HMS Networks Acquires Industrial Communications Business from Molex
Molex has entered into a binding agreement to sell its Industrial Communications business to HMS Networks’ Industrial Network Division’s (INT).
The acquisition consists of several strategic assets including:
- hardware and software intellectual property,
- a product portfolio consisting of network interface cards and software stacks,
- customer relations, primarily in USA and Japan,
- development teams based in Waterloo, Canada, and Le Thuit Anger, France, and
- the French company Woodhead Software & Electronics S.A.S.U.
The primary rationale for the acquisition is to obtain strategic intellectual property and know-how from the experienced engineering teams. This acquisition supports division INT’s strategy by strengthening its software and hardware offerings through complementary IP blocks.
Martin Hoffert, Director Corporate Strategy and M&A, HMS
Matthijs Von Witte, VP Sales, Molex Industrial
Bartek S. Candell, SVP, HMS Industrial Network Solutions Division
Dave Atkinson, VP and General Manager, Molex Industrial