Hatz Expediting Innovation Strategy

Motorenfabrik Hatz has acquired the technology start-up Inecosys. The young company from Munich, Germany, is specialized in developing innovative control and electronics systems. This step has secured more expertise and know-how for drive solutions of the future for Hatz.

Motorenfabrik Hatz has been pursuing a consistent innovation and technology strategy for more than ten years. The objective of the drive specialists for construction and municipal machinery is to transition from being an engine supplier into a solution provider. Evidence for this strategy can be found in the multitude of innovative developments in recent years. These include the H-Series engines, E1 technology, hybrid battery charger and generating set Hatz fiPMG as well as the advanced stage of development of the connected services, which were unveiled at the last Bauma in 2019 to a very positive reception.

On the Way Toward Zero Emissions

Various renowned awards have confirmed the excellence of these new developments, including the "GreenTec Award", and the Diesel Progress Summit Awards for "Achievement of the Year", "New Power Technology" and "Engine of the Year". On top of this, Hatz has been added to the list of Digital Hidden Champions Germany. 

By acquiring the technology start-up Inecosys in July, the drive specialist has now added the next building block to its innovation strategy. "At the moment, we are busy transforming ourselves from being a diesel engine specialist into an open technology drive manufacturer. Even if our engines already meet the strictest exhaust emission standards and are the benchmark in their class — our long-term objective, apart from emission-reduced combustion engines, is in particular zero-emission operation for our drives," Hatz CEO Bernd Krüper points out. 

The acquisition will further expedite the transformation process of Motorenfabrik Hatz: "Inecosys is an agile company with a tremendous amount of know-how in developing electronic as well as instrumentation and control technology for drive systems, equally specialized in hard- and software. As a result, we now combine technological leadership in the field of our combustion engine drives with the know-how and agile development processes of a technology start-up. This is another huge boost to our innovativeness," confirms Hatz CTO Dr.-Ing. Simon Thierfelder. 

For Tomorrow's Products

Three doctoral candidates at the Technical University Munich established Inecosys in 2014. Currently, it employs eight people at the Munich Technology Center MTZ. The last seven years have seen several of the big names in the automotive and engine industry become customers of the young company.
"We had been cooperating with Motorenfabrik Hatz for quite some time already. These successful joint projects created a great deal of trust," sums up Inecosys founder Benedikt von Imhoff. "As a result, our team has now reached the next milestone in the company's history. We are highly motivated to make our contribution as part of the Hatz family to the company's success and to the innovation strategy," co-founder Benjamin Korbe is pleased to note.

The takeover of Inecosys is the latest highlight in the Hatz innovation offensive. "The products of tomorrow will feature full electronic control and their own artificial intelligence. In future, our planning will also integrate hybrid solutions and electric drives along with alternative fuels. The know-how of our latest company addition will provide us with enormous support in converting these visions into market-ready innovations," says Dr.-Ing. Simon Thierfelder in explaining the future path of Motorenfabrik Hatz. "The team at Inecosys and their expertise are a wonderful supplement to our research and development department." In future, the division at the headquarters of Hatz, headed by Dr.-Ing. Sebastian Wohlgemuth will cooperate closely with the development team in Munich.

Initially, the development work will concentrate on electrical drive systems, closely linked to the development of digital solutions. Hatz already took a first step in this direction with its E1 technology, which at the time it was launched was the first electronic control for single cylinder diesel engines. In future, monitoring and analysis of the drive systems is to undergo even greater expansion as part of the digitalization offensive launched in 2019, leading to the creation of networked innovative drive solutions. The data recorded and processed in this way prepare the basis for fleet management, use-optimized maintenance intervals and connection to ERP or autonomous systems, completely in the spirit of the mega trend building site 4.0. 

Hatz CEO Bernd Krüper concludes, "The technological know-how brought into the Hatz Group by Inecosys means we're perfectly set up for the challenges of the future, from digitalization to electrification. As a result, we can enhance the speed of our innovations and launch innovative drive solutions faster. We're looking forward to the future projects with the team from Munich."