{
  "id": 19290082,
  "title": "Siemens Mobility: \"With Mermec to strengthen itself in railways\"",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/10/siemens-mobility-con-mermec-per-rafforzarsi-nelle-ferrovie",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-11-10T05:02:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Il Sole 24 Ore",
    "slug": "il-sole-24-ore",
    "url": "https://www.ilsole24ore.com/art/siemens-mobility-con-mermec-rafforzarsi-ferrovie-AJplylAC"
  },
  "original_language": "it",
  "account": "Siemens Mobility is set to bolster its presence in Italian railways with the acquisition of Mermec, a company renowned for its diagnostic services and digital innovation in the rail sector. CEO Michael Peter outlines the future prospects of the acquired assets, projecting €430 million in revenue for 2025 and 1,700 employees on board. The expansion does not stop there, as Siemens Mobility aims to modernize Italy's railway network, compete with China, and contribute to the future of the European industry. The move is strategic, leveraging Mermec's expertise in signaling along Italian lines, diagnostic trains, and a robust manufacturing base. In Milan, Siemens Mobility will focus on modernizing the metro system, building upon their existing strengths. They plan to establish a new rail baricenter centered around Mermec, avoiding duplication and instead pursuing growth opportunities. Siemens Mobility has a rich history and idle industrial capacities, which can be utilized effectively. In spring 2027, they aim to introduce a regional train to Italy, showcasing it to clients and gauging market interest. They are keen to explore this market, with aspirations to assemble trains in Basilicata. Mermec, known for its growth, complements Siemens Mobility's activities, with discussions centered on growth and employment. The implementation of the Etcs program, enabling common European train standards, covers 16,000 kilometers of Italian network, with 4,000 km under upgrade. Siemens Mobility aims to secure a significant share of this growing market, which expands by 6% annually, outpacing global mobility growth by 4.5%. The technology allows for more trains on existing lines, and Siemens Mobility intends to accelerate this development through its sales network. Mermec has already demonstrated its capabilities in diagnostic trains across Germany, Switzerland, the UK, and Singapore. A global diagnostic competence center will be built, functioning as a command center. The market for diagnostics is projected to grow at 7% annually. The future lies in data, with Siemens Mobility's trains monitoring track and electrical line conditions, gathering information from trains in transit. By integrating this data into their cloud platform and utilizing AI, they can predict failures, much like preventative maintenance for locomotives. A service center in Italy is being constructed to service these systems. Siemens Mobility boasts approximately €13 billion in revenue and a €65 billion order portfolio, investing in specialized production capacities rather than full-scale factories. They focus on automated platforms and digital train platforms to propose to multiple clients. Digital twins assist in designing energy-efficient vehicles. The goal is to shift more functions from hardware to the cloud. The largest and most complex market is also the most challenging, as each country has different regulations, and approvals take too long. To truly compete in border-crossing trains without obstacles, approvals must be simplified. They can compete fairly on a level playing field. In Egypt, their technology for a 2,000-kilometer network was cheaper than China's. Competing with civil works is difficult in some markets. They call for fair competition and safety concerns, as ferries are critical infrastructure. Europe must consider the origin of software controlling remote trains. Asia focuses on metropolises, North America on high-speed city links, the Middle East on new projects, and India, which has electrified 40,000 kilometers in five years, has 95% electrified network against Europe's 60%. It's a massive market, but also a reservoir of railway expertise that they leverage globally.",
  "summary": "Michael Peter, global CEO of Siemens Mobility: after acquiring Mermec, the German group wants to relaunch Ferrosud, export diagnostics and prevent faults with digital technology",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}