DGAP-News

On the road to 'Industry 4.0': BayWa AG takes over system service provider PC-Agrar GmbH

DGAP-News: BayWa AG / Key word(s): Acquisition
On the road to 'Industry 4.0': BayWa AG takes over system service
provider PC-Agrar GmbH

15.01.2015 / 11:33

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On the road to "Industry 4.0": BayWa AG takes over system service provider
PC-Agrar GmbH

BayWa AG plans to take over a 100% stake in the PC-Agrar GmbH group of
companies, subject to approval by antitrust authorities. The company, based
in the German state of Bavaria, provides software solutions and integrated
services for process-controlled operations management in agriculture (smart
farming). The acquisition is to apply retrospectively as at 1 January 2015.

"Given that the almost revolutionary challenges of 'Industry 4.0' also
extend to the agricultural sector, this acquisition is BayWa's way of
arming itself for the digital future," Chief Executive Officer Klaus Josef
Lutz said, emphasising the significance of this takeover. Farm management
solutions are developing at an increasing speed and BayWa, in its capacity
as a trading company, must also rise to the challenge of continuing to
provide services and sales from a single source in the field of
agriculture, he added. At tomorrow's BayWa AG investor conference in
Berlin, Lutz will also say: "In the digital age, we intend not only to
position ourselves between manufacturers and customers as an independent
partner of agriculture, as we have in the past, but also to strive for a
leading position in this field. To do so, we need - first and foremost -
the necessary expertise. PC-Agrar gives us a platform to provide proven
software systems and advance them in an integrative manner."

Agriculture is facing constantly rising demands when it comes to increasing
productivity and sustainability, and operations management is growing ever
more complex. In future, BayWa intends to develop solutions for farmers for
them to take advantage of the benefits smart farming offers - regardless of
the machines and operating resources they use or the size of their
operations, according to Lutz. Customer surveys reveal that owners of
smaller farms are particularly uncertain whether investing in digitisation
is worthwhile and tend to perceive the complexity of the issue as a
problem. This is where BayWa sees an opportunity to combine services and
sales in a digital environment: "The development towards digital farms is
currently picking up steam. BayWa plans to take the lead by paving the way
and accompanying modern agriculture along its path, no matter how large or
small those farms are," Lutz stressed.