rus
+W Group is a global leader in the design, engineering, and construction of advanced technology facilities. The company, with its headquarters in Stuttgart (Germany), offers a full range of services from consulting, concept and full design development to construction and commissioning. In the financial year 2015, M+W Group generated global sales of approximately 3 billion euros. M+W Group has offices in both Moscow and St. Petersburg and we discussed the Russian market with Christian Gabriel, M+W Group’s General Manager in Russia.
Mr. Gabriel, what does engineering mean to M+W Group?
For M+W Group engineering means combining highly qualified engineers with knowledge and experience to help our clients deliver the most complex projects to the highest performance standards both on time and on budget.
What is the business of M+W Group?
M+W Group is a global leader in the design, engineering and construction of high-tech facilities and complex projects. The company offers consultation, programming, engineering and design along with construction, commissioning services and maintenance in four major markets:
advanced technology facilities (for the semiconductor, photovoltaics, display and batteries industries);
life science & chemicals (pharmaceutical & health, food & nutrition, consumer goods and chemicals);
energy (solar, waste-to-energy, conventional power plants and nuclear systems);
high-tech infrastructure (science & research, data centers and space & security).
Sounds impressive! So why choose to partner with M+W Group?
Since 1912 M+W Group has been at the forefront of engineering, advanced design and construction solutions. Today, with around 6,000 technical professionals operating in over 30 countries worldwide, we have the expertise to deliver the most complex projects to the highest performance, quality and safety standards. We have extensive in-house technical resources. They combine process, mechanical and electrical engineering, technology integration, lean construction and commissioning expertise. Our unique combination of high-tech engineering and excellent project management helps our customers to reach their goals and to even strive for new horizons.
And we have a big advantage that differentiates us from our competitors: we have production facilities in Europe and East Asia which manufacture both cleanroom products and controlled environments. You see, we have deep insight into our industries and their applications and more importantly, we understand engineering!
What are the major trends and challenges in high-tech engineering?
As an international engineering company we need to know where the important cutting-edge technology development is taking place and we have to be able to implement these developments together with our technologically-leading partner companies. One example is our strong involvement in the development of the next generation of semiconductor manufacturing facilities; enabling us to help our customers apply tomorrow’s technological trends to their planning today. Additionally, there is a strong trend among our international clients who increasingly prefer having a one-stop-shop partner, who will take responsibility for the entire project. They search for companies like M+W Group that offer engineering, design and construction.
How important is the Russian market for M+W Group?
We have had a successful presence in the Russian market for the past 20 years. Currently, we have a Russian workforce of about 60 employees, half of whom are engineers. During difficult economic times like we saw in 2015/2016, M+W Group has kept its tremendous confidence in Russia. We believe that there is large potential for future growth and as such we have grown our team in Russia by more than 30% this year – and we are still searching for additional engineers in several design disciplines.
What are the specifics and difficulties of the Russian market?
We see great opportunities in the LSC sector that presents a lot of opportunity for our company. Working in niche industries such as semiconductors and life-sciences, it is often a challenge for us to find both the quantity and quality of engineers required. However, we are committed to investing in our workforce to ensure they can meet our client’s requirements.
How do you assess the condition of the Russian high-tech industry?
The majority of Russian high-tech infrastructure is in state hands and there has not been much investment during the last few decades. We’re expecting a big potential for future investment due to the need to catch up with recent technological developments across the world. State programs are already quite successful here, and we can see that when industries, such as microelectronics, increase their production in Russia and reduce and their imports.
Which industries are particularly important for M+W Group in Russia?
Currently we have major projects in the semiconductor and pharma & medical devices industries. However, globally we work in many other areas such as photovoltaics, displays, batteries, chemicals, consumer goods, energy and high-tech infrastructure. I hope that in the future we can increase our business in these areas in Russia.
Do you have experience in working with Russian engineering companies?
As a general contractor, we cooperate on a regular basis with Russian engineering companies, especially in the fields of fire prevention / alarm systems and industrial safety issues due to specific local standards and approval procedures with regional authorities.
What are your company’s plans for its future development in Russia?
We see quite some investment in the high-tech industries. In particular, there are a number of state programs in the fields of microelectronics, nanotechnology, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment and space that will support the growth of these industries within Russia. This is why we expect great potential for M+W Group in Russia and we are currently searching for new employees to fulfill our growth plans. ■
For M+W Group engineering means combining highly qualified engineers with knowledge and experience to help our clients deliver the most complex projects to the highest performance standards both on time and on budget.
What is the business of M+W Group?
M+W Group is a global leader in the design, engineering and construction of high-tech facilities and complex projects. The company offers consultation, programming, engineering and design along with construction, commissioning services and maintenance in four major markets:
advanced technology facilities (for the semiconductor, photovoltaics, display and batteries industries);
life science & chemicals (pharmaceutical & health, food & nutrition, consumer goods and chemicals);
energy (solar, waste-to-energy, conventional power plants and nuclear systems);
high-tech infrastructure (science & research, data centers and space & security).
Sounds impressive! So why choose to partner with M+W Group?
Since 1912 M+W Group has been at the forefront of engineering, advanced design and construction solutions. Today, with around 6,000 technical professionals operating in over 30 countries worldwide, we have the expertise to deliver the most complex projects to the highest performance, quality and safety standards. We have extensive in-house technical resources. They combine process, mechanical and electrical engineering, technology integration, lean construction and commissioning expertise. Our unique combination of high-tech engineering and excellent project management helps our customers to reach their goals and to even strive for new horizons.
And we have a big advantage that differentiates us from our competitors: we have production facilities in Europe and East Asia which manufacture both cleanroom products and controlled environments. You see, we have deep insight into our industries and their applications and more importantly, we understand engineering!
What are the major trends and challenges in high-tech engineering?
As an international engineering company we need to know where the important cutting-edge technology development is taking place and we have to be able to implement these developments together with our technologically-leading partner companies. One example is our strong involvement in the development of the next generation of semiconductor manufacturing facilities; enabling us to help our customers apply tomorrow’s technological trends to their planning today. Additionally, there is a strong trend among our international clients who increasingly prefer having a one-stop-shop partner, who will take responsibility for the entire project. They search for companies like M+W Group that offer engineering, design and construction.
How important is the Russian market for M+W Group?
We have had a successful presence in the Russian market for the past 20 years. Currently, we have a Russian workforce of about 60 employees, half of whom are engineers. During difficult economic times like we saw in 2015/2016, M+W Group has kept its tremendous confidence in Russia. We believe that there is large potential for future growth and as such we have grown our team in Russia by more than 30% this year – and we are still searching for additional engineers in several design disciplines.
What are the specifics and difficulties of the Russian market?
We see great opportunities in the LSC sector that presents a lot of opportunity for our company. Working in niche industries such as semiconductors and life-sciences, it is often a challenge for us to find both the quantity and quality of engineers required. However, we are committed to investing in our workforce to ensure they can meet our client’s requirements.
How do you assess the condition of the Russian high-tech industry?
The majority of Russian high-tech infrastructure is in state hands and there has not been much investment during the last few decades. We’re expecting a big potential for future investment due to the need to catch up with recent technological developments across the world. State programs are already quite successful here, and we can see that when industries, such as microelectronics, increase their production in Russia and reduce and their imports.
Which industries are particularly important for M+W Group in Russia?
Currently we have major projects in the semiconductor and pharma & medical devices industries. However, globally we work in many other areas such as photovoltaics, displays, batteries, chemicals, consumer goods, energy and high-tech infrastructure. I hope that in the future we can increase our business in these areas in Russia.
Do you have experience in working with Russian engineering companies?
As a general contractor, we cooperate on a regular basis with Russian engineering companies, especially in the fields of fire prevention / alarm systems and industrial safety issues due to specific local standards and approval procedures with regional authorities.
What are your company’s plans for its future development in Russia?
We see quite some investment in the high-tech industries. In particular, there are a number of state programs in the fields of microelectronics, nanotechnology, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment and space that will support the growth of these industries within Russia. This is why we expect great potential for M+W Group in Russia and we are currently searching for new employees to fulfill our growth plans. ■
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