28 Sept 2011

Thales acquired Omnisys, a Brazilian company

Thales, a global technology leader for the Aerospace and Space, Defence, Security and Transportation markets, has acquired 100% of the capital of Omnisys, a Brazilian company headquartered in São Bernardo do Campo, near São Paulo."Brazil is strategically important for Thales. We are proud that Omnisys, as the industrial arm of Thales in Brazil,is already part of our network of R&D centres of excellence and is assuming a key role in the development of the entire Group," said Laurent Mourre, Thales Country Director for Brazil.

Established in 1997, Omnisys was the first Brazilian electronic engineering company to supply high-tech solutions for civil, military and space applications not only to the Brazilian market but also to other countries in Latin America, Europe and Asia.

"Omnisys is already part of the Thales global supply chain. The company will manage transfers of technology for the major programmes that are due to be launched in Brazil in the coming years. Our strategy of transferring technology, establishing a local industrial base and involving local partners in R&D is fully aligned with the Brazilian government's investment policy," added Mourre.

Success driven by strong local R&D strategy
Omnisys has been majority-owned by Thales since 2005 and already designs, develops and manufactures long-range L-band radars under a successful industrial cooperation agreement. The company has produced more than 26 TRAC L-band radars since 2008.

The Brazilian company serves key market segments including air traffic control radars, weather forecasting radars, weapon locating radars, electronic warfare and naval missile systems, and is progressively expanding its activities into other sectors. In March 2011, Thales announced its decision to manufacture the Ground Master 400 (GM 400) air defence radars in São Bernardo, bringing the Brazilian company access to the world's most advanced and complex radar technologies.

Thales in Brazil
Thales has steadily expanded its industrial operations in Brazil over the last 40 years and broadened its portfolio of businesses to meet a growing need for critical information systems in various segments of the Brazilian market.

Over this period, Thales has consolidated its position in a number of major markets. . For example, with an installed base of over 100 radars (air traffic control, air defence and surveillance), the Group has developed unique expertise in the air traffic management and air defence sectors. Thales has been selected to equip submarines for the Brazilian Navy and supply a broad range of communication equipment to the Federal Police. In the space market, the Group has been selected by the satellite operator Star One to provide advanced civil and military telecom services to the Ministry of Defence.