History of Siemens in Timeline

Siemens AG is a German multinational technology conglomerate and the largest industrial manufacturing company in Europe. They are global market leaders in industrial automation and industrial software. Their focus areas include industrial automation, distributed energy resources, rail transport, and health technology.

1903: Merger with Schuckert & Co.

In 1903, Siemens & Halske merged parts of its activities with Schuckert & Co., Nuremberg, to become Siemens-Schuckert.

1903: Founding of Siemens-Schuckertwerke (SSW)

Siemens-Schuckertwerke (SSW) was founded in 1903.

1907: Siemens is the seventh-largest company in the German empire

In 1907, Siemens (Siemens & Halske and Siemens-Schuckert) had 34,324 employees and was the seventh-largest company in the German empire by number of employees.

1914: Bribery scandal involving Siemens and Vickers

In 1914, Siemens and Vickers were implicated in a bribery scandal involving payments to Japanese naval authorities.

1919: Formation of Osram lightbulb company

In 1919, Siemens & Halske and two other companies jointly formed the Osram lightbulb company.

1932: Formation of Siemens-Reiniger-Werke AG

In 1932, Reiniger, Gebbert & Schall, Phönix AG and Siemens-Reiniger-Veifa mbH merged to form the Siemens-Reiniger-Werke AG.

1944: Relocation of manufacturing plants

During the final years of World War II, in 1944, Siemens was operating almost 400 alternative or relocated manufacturing plants at the end of the year to prevent losses from Allied air raids.

1945: Siemens continues to operate relocated manufacturing plants

In early 1945, Siemens continued to operate almost 400 alternative or relocated manufacturing plants, initially established in 1944 to prevent losses from Allied air raids during World War II.

1966: Merger of Siemens & Halske, Siemens-Schuckertwerke and Siemens-Reiniger-Werke

In 1966, Siemens & Halske, Siemens-Schuckertwerke and Siemens-Reiniger-Werke merged to form Siemens AG.

1969: Formation of Kraftwerk Union with AEG

In 1969, Siemens formed Kraftwerk Union with AEG by pooling their nuclear power businesses.

1972: Siemens sues F.C. Delius for "Unsere Siemens-Welt"

In 1972, Siemens sued German satirist F.C. Delius for his satirical history of the company, Unsere Siemens-Welt, which publicized Siemens's history in Nazi Germany.

1977: Joint venture with Advanced Micro Devices (AMD)

In 1977, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) entered into a joint venture with Siemens, which wanted to enhance its technology expertise and enter the American market. Siemens purchased 20% of AMD's stock and the two companies also jointly established Advanced Micro Computers (AMC).

1978: Formation of Siemens-Allis partnership company

In 1978, Siemens-Allis partnership company was formed, supplying electrical control equipment.

1979: AMD buys out Siemens's stake in the American division of Advanced Micro Computers (AMC)

In 1979, AMD bought out Siemens's stake in the American division of Advanced Micro Computers (AMC) after the two companies' vision for Advanced Micro Computers diverged.

1980: Production of the first digital telephone exchange

In 1980, Siemens produced the company's first digital telephone exchange.

1981: AMD closes Advanced Micro Computers

In late 1981, AMD closed Advanced Micro Computers after switching focus to manufacturing second-source Intel x86 microprocessors.

1985: Siemens buys Allis-Chalmers' interest in Siemens-Allis

In 1985, Siemens bought Allis-Chalmers' interest in the partnership company Siemens-Allis, which supplied electrical control equipment. It was incorporated into Siemens's Energy and Automation division.

1987: Acquisition of Kongsberg Offshore

In 1987, Siemens acquired Kongsberg Offshore from the Norwegian Government.

1987: Reintegration of Kraftwerk Union

In 1987, Siemens reintegrated Kraftwerk Union, the unit overseeing nuclear power business.

1988: Acquisition of Plessey with GEC

In 1988, Siemens and GEC acquired the UK defence and technology company Plessey. Plessey's holdings were split, and Siemens took over the avionics, radar and traffic control businesses—as Siemens Plessey.

1988: Start of price fixing

The European Commission determined that Siemens and other companies had started rigging bids for procurement contracts, fixing prices, allocating projects to each other, sharing markets and exchanging commercially important and confidential information starting from 1988.

1989: Acquisition of ARCO Solar's photovoltaic business

In 1989, Siemens bought the solar photovoltaic business, including 3 solar module manufacturing plants, from industry pioneer ARCO Solar.

October 1991: Acquisition of Texas Instruments' Industrial Systems Division

In October 1991, Siemens acquired the Industrial Systems Division of Texas Instruments. This division was organized as Siemens Industrial Automation.

1991: Acquisition of Nixdorf Computer

In 1991, Siemens acquired Nixdorf Computer and renamed it Siemens Nixdorf Informationssysteme, in order to produce personal computers.

1992: Acquisition of IBM's half of ROLM

In 1992, Siemens bought out IBM's half of ROLM (Siemens had bought into ROLM five years earlier), thus creating SiemensROLM Communications.

1993: Siemens C651 electric trains built for Singapore's MRT system

In 1993, Siemens C651 electric trains for Singapore's Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system were built in Austria.

1993: Sale of Kongsberg Offshore

In 1993, Siemens sold Kongsberg Offshore to FMC Technologies.

1994: Siemens C651 electric trains built for Singapore's MRT system

In 1994, Siemens C651 electric trains for Singapore's Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system were built in Austria.

October 1997: Founding of Siemens Financial Services (SFS)

In October 1997, Siemens Financial Services (SFS) was founded to act as a competence center for financing issues and as a manager of financial risks within Siemens.

1997: Sale of Siemens Plessey's defence arm

In 1997, Siemens agreed to sell the defence arm of Siemens Plessey to British Aerospace (BAe) and DaimlerChrysler Aerospace.

1998: Acquisition of Westinghouse Power Generation

In 1998, Siemens acquired Westinghouse Power Generation for more than $1.5 billion.

1999: Spin-off of Infineon Technologies and Siemens Electromechanical Components

In 1999, Siemens's semiconductor operations were spun off into a new company called Infineon Technologies. Additionally, the Electromechanical Components operations were converted into a legally independent company: Siemens Electromechanical Components GmbH & Co. KG, which was later sold to Tyco International Ltd.

1999: Spin-off of Infineon Technologies

In 1999, semiconductor manufacturer Infineon Technologies was spun off from Siemens.

1999: OECD Anti-Bribery Convention implementation

In 1999, with the implementation of the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention, Siemens began using off-shore accounts to conceal bribery, as bribes were no longer tax-deductible in Germany.

2000: Acquisition of Atecs-Mannesman

In 2000, Atecs-Mannesman was acquired by Siemens.

2000: Acquisition of Shared Medical Systems Corporation

In 2000, Shared Medical Systems Corporation was acquired by the Siemens's Medical Engineering Group.

April 2001: Finalization of Atecs-Mannesman acquisition

In April 2001, the sale of Atecs-Mannesman to Siemens was finalized with 50% of the shares acquired. Mannesmann VDO AG merged into Siemens Automotive forming Siemens VDO Automotive AG, Atecs Mannesmann Dematic Systems merged into Siemens Production and Logistics forming Siemens Dematic AG, Mannesmann Demag Delaval merged into the Power Generation division of Siemens AG.

2001: Incorporation of Chemtech Group of Brazil

In 2001, Chemtech Group of Brazil was incorporated into the Siemens Group.

2001: Siemens established joint-venture with Shell and E.ON

In 2001, Siemens established a joint venture company with Shell and E.ON in solar photovoltaic industry. In 2002, Siemens sold its participation to Shell.

2001: Formation of Framatome joint venture with Areva SA

In 2001, Siemens formed joint venture Framatome with Areva SA of France by merging much of the companies' nuclear businesses.

2002: Siemens abandoned solar photovoltaic industry

In 2002, Siemens abandoned the solar photovoltaic industry by selling its participation in a joint-venture company, established in 2001 with Shell and E.ON, to Shell.

2002: Sale of business activities to Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P. (KKR)

In 2002, Siemens sold some of its business activities to Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P. (KKR), with its metering business included in the sale package.

February 2003: Siemens planned annual Xelibri lines

On 11 February 2003, Siemens planned to shorten phones' shelf life by bringing out annual Xelibri lines, with new devices launched as spring -summer and autumn-winter collections.

March 2003: Siemens Opens Office in San Jose, and plans to gain 10 per cent of the mainland China market for handsets

On 6 March 2003, Siemens opened an office in San Jose. On 7 March 2003, the company announced that it planned to gain 10 per cent of the mainland China market for handsets.

2004: Acquisition of Bonus Energy and investments in Dasan Networks

In 2004, the wind energy company Bonus Energy in Brande, Denmark was acquired, forming Siemens Wind Power division. Also in 2004, Siemens invested in Dasan Networks (South Korea, broadband network equipment) acquiring ~40% of the shares.

2004: Siemens Greek bribery scandal during the Summer Olympics

Siemens Greek bribery scandal occurred during the 2004 Summer Olympics, where the company was accused of deals with Greek government officials.

2004: End of price fixing

The European Commission determined that Siemens and other companies had rigged bids for procurement contracts, fixed prices, allocated projects to each other, sharing markets and exchanging commercially important and confidential information until 2004.

2005: Siemens became embroiled in bribery scandal

Beginning in 2005, Siemens became embroiled in a multi-national bribery scandal, including the Siemens Greek bribery scandal related to the 2004 Summer Olympics.

2005: Spin-off of Siemens Mobile

In 2005, Siemens Mobile was spun off from Siemens.

2005: Sale of Siemens mobile manufacturing business to BenQ

In 2005, Siemens sold the Siemens mobile manufacturing business to BenQ, forming the BenQ-Siemens division.

2006: American investigation initiated due to activities while listed on US stock exchanges

In 2006, American investigation initiated due to Siemens's activities while listed on US stock exchanges, following legal investigations in Germany, initiated by prosecutors in Italy, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland, in 2005.

2006: Siemens Acquisitions in 2006

In 2006, Siemens acquired Bayer Diagnostics, Controlotron, Diagnostic Products Corp., Kadon Electro Mechanical Services Ltd., Kühnle, Kopp & Kausch AG, Opto Control, and VistaScape Security Systems.

January 2007: Siemens fined for price fixing in EU electricity markets

In January 2007, the European Commission fined Siemens €396 million for price fixing in EU electricity markets through a cartel. The commission stated that "between 1988 and 2004, the companies rigged bids for procurement contracts, fixed prices, allocated projects to each other, shared markets and exchanged commercially important and confidential information."

January 2007: Bayer Diagnostics incorporated into Medical Solutions Diagnostics division

On January 1, 2007, Bayer Diagnostics was incorporated into Siemens' Medical Solutions Diagnostics division.

March 2007: Arrest of Siemens board member

In March 2007, a Siemens board member was temporarily arrested and accused of illegally financing AUB, a business-friendly labour association. Offices of AUB and Siemens were searched.

October 2007: Court ruling on bribery in Libya, Russia, and Nigeria

In October 2007, a court in Munich found that Siemens had bribed public officials in Libya, Russia, and Nigeria to secure contracts, leading to a fine of 201 million euros.

December 2007: Nigerian government cancels contract with Siemens

In December 2007, due to the bribery findings, the Nigerian government cancelled a contract with Siemens.

2007: Siemens Acquisitions in 2007

In 2007, Siemens acquired Vai Ingdesi Automation, UGS Corp., Dade Behring, Sidelco, S/D Engineers Inc., and Gesellschaft für Systemforschung und Dienstleistungen im Gesundheitswesen mbH (GSD).

2007: Conviction of Siemens executives for bribing Enel

In 2007, two former Siemens executives were convicted for bribing Italian energy company Enel.

July 2008: Joint venture of Enterprise Communications business with Gores Group

In July 2008, Siemens AG formed a joint venture of the Enterprise Communications business with the Gores Group, with Gores holding a majority interest of 51% and Siemens AG holding a minority interest of 49%.

August 2008: Siemens invests in Arava Power Company

In August 2008, Siemens Project Ventures invested $15 million in the Arava Power Company, acquiring a 40% stake.

December 2008: Settlement in bribery scandal

In December 2008, Siemens settled, paying a combined total of approximately $1.6 billion to the US and Germany in what was, at the time, the largest bribery fine in history. In addition, the company was required to invest $1 billion in developing and maintaining new internal compliance procedures.

2008: Spin-off of Gigaset Communications

In 2008, Gigaset Communications was spun off from Siemens.

2008: Disinvestment of shares in Dasan Networks

In 2008, Nokia Siemens disinvested itself of the shares of Dasan Networks, originally acquired in 2004.

January 2009: Siemens sells stake in Framatome

In January 2009, Siemens sold its 34% stake in Framatome.

April 2009: Fujitsu Siemens Computers becomes Fujitsu Technology Solutions

In April 2009, Fujitsu Siemens Computers was renamed Fujitsu Technology Solutions, after Fujitsu bought out Siemens' share of the company.

June 2009: Nokia Siemens supplies telecom equipment to Iran

In June 2009, news emerged that Nokia Siemens had provided telecommunications equipment with "lawful intercept" capabilities to the Iranian telecom company, allegedly used in the suppression of the 2009 Iranian election protests.

October 2009: Siemens signs contract to buy Solel Solar Systems

In October 2009, Siemens signed a $418 million contract to acquire Solel Solar Systems, an Israeli company in the solar thermal power business.

2009: Siemens agreement with World Bank after fraud by Russian affiliate

In 2009, Siemens agreed not to bid on World Bank projects for two years and established a $100 million fund at the World Bank to support anti-corruption activities, known as the "Siemens Integrity Initiative," due to fraudulent practices by its Russian affiliate.

December 2010: Siemens sells IT Solutions and Services to Atos, Wegmann Group acquires stake in Krauss-Maffei Wegmann GmbH

In December 2010, Siemens agreed to sell its IT Solutions and Services subsidiary to Atos for €850 million, taking a 15% stake in the enlarged Atos. Additionally, Germany’s Wegmann Group acquired Siemens's 49-percent stake in armored vehicle manufacturer Krauss-Maffei Wegmann GmbH.

2010: Payment to Nigerian government

In 2010, Siemens made a payment of ₦7 billion (US$46.57 million) to the Nigerian government.

March 2011: Decision to list Osram on the stock market

In March 2011, the decision was made to list Osram on the stock market in the autumn, with Siemens planning to retain a long-term interest in the company.

September 2011: Siemens announces exit from nuclear sector

In September 2011, Siemens announced it would exit the nuclear sector following the Fukushima disaster and subsequent changes to German energy policy.

November 2012: Siemens acquires Invensys Rail division and LMS International NV

In November 2012, Siemens acquired the Rail division of Invensys for £1.7 billion and also acquired LMS International NV.

2012: Settlement with Greek government over bribery scandal

In 2012, Siemens reached a settlement with the Greek government for 330 million euros regarding the Greek bribery scandal.

August 2013: Nokia acquires 100% of Nokia Siemens Networks

In August 2013, Nokia acquired 100% of Nokia Siemens Networks, ending Siemens' role in telecommunications.

August 2013: Siemens wins order from Saudi Aramco

In August 2013, Siemens secured a $966.8 million order for power plant components from Saudi Aramco.

2013: Enterprise Communications renamed to Unify

In 2013 the joint venture of Siemens AG with the Gores Group, Enterprise Communications, was renamed to Unify.

2013: Spin-off of Osram

In 2013, the photonics business Osram was spun off from Siemens.

2013: Wind power growth in Britain

In 2014, Siemens announced plans to build a $264 million facility for offshore wind turbines in Paull, England, based on electricity generated from wind in Britain growing by about 38 percent in 2013, representing about 6 percent of total electricity.

May 2014: Rolls-Royce agrees to sell its energy business to Siemens

In May 2014, Rolls-Royce agreed to sell its gas turbine and compressor energy business to Siemens for £1 billion.

June 2014: Siemens and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries bid for Alstom's energy and transportation businesses

In June 2014, Siemens and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries announced their formation of joint ventures to bid for Alstom's troubled energy and transportation businesses.

2014: Siemens announces plans to build offshore wind turbine facility in England

In 2014, Siemens announced plans to build a $264 million facility for offshore wind turbines in Paull, England.

2014: Guilty plea from Siemens executive in Argentine bribery case

In 2014, former Siemens executive Andres Truppel pleaded guilty to channeling nearly $100 million in bribes to Argentine government officials.

2015: Siemens acquires Dresser-Rand Group Inc

In 2015, Siemens acquired U.S. oilfield equipment maker Dresser-Rand Group Inc for $7.6 billion.

November 2016: Siemens acquires Mentor Graphics

In November 2016, Siemens acquired EDA company Mentor Graphics for $4.5 billion.

2016: Expected start of turbine rotor blade production

In 2014, Siemens announced plans to build a $264 million facility for offshore wind turbines in Paull, England, with production of turbine rotor blades expected to begin in 2016.

November 2017: US Department of Justice charges Chinese employees with hacking Siemens

In November 2017, the U.S. Department of Justice charged three Chinese employees of Guangzhou Bo Yu Information Technology Company Limited with hacking into corporate entities, including Siemens AG.

December 2017: Siemens acquires Fast Track Diagnostics

In December 2017, Siemens acquired the medical technology company Fast Track Diagnostics for an undisclosed amount.

2017: Spin-off of Siemens Healthineers

In 2017, Siemens Healthineers was spun off from Siemens.

May 2018: Siemens acquires Enlighted, Inc.

In May 2018, Siemens acquired Enlighted, Inc. for an undisclosed amount.

May 2018: Siemens acquires J2 Innovations

In May 2018, Siemens acquired J2 Innovations for an undisclosed amount.

August 2018: Siemens acquires Mendix

In August 2018, Siemens acquired rapid application development company Mendix for €0.6 billion in cash.

September 2019: Siemens and Orascom Construction sign agreement with Iraqi government

In September 2019, Siemens and Orascom Construction signed an agreement with the Iraqi government to rebuild two power plants.

2019: Siemens supporting Adani Carmichael coal mine

In 2019, Siemens was identified as a key engineering company supporting the controversial Adani Carmichael coal mine in Queensland, Australia.

January 2020: Siemens signs agreement to acquire C&S Electric

In January 2020, Siemens signed an agreement to acquire 99% equity share capital of Indian switchgear manufacturer C&S Electric at €267 million.

April 2020: Creation of Siemens Energy

In April 2020, Siemens Energy was established as an independent company, spun off from the energy division of Siemens.

April 2020: Siemens acquires iMetrex Technologies

In April 2020, Siemens acquired a 77% majority stake in Indian building service provider iMetrex Technologies for an undisclosed sum.

August 2020: Siemens Healthineers AG plans to acquire Varian Medical Systems

In August 2020, Siemens Healthineers AG announced plans to acquire U.S. cancer device and software company Varian Medical Systems in an all-stock deal valued at $16.4 billion.

August 2020: Approval of Siemens acquisition of C&S Electric

In August 2020, the Competition Commission of India approved the takeover of Indian switchgear manufacturer C&S Electric, an agreement signed by Siemens in January 2020.

2020: Plans to increase Britain's wind-generating capacity

In 2014, Siemens announced plans to build a $264 million facility for offshore wind turbines in Paull, England, since there are plans to increase Britain's wind-generating capacity at least threefold by 2020, to 14 gigawatts.

2020: Spin-off of Siemens Energy

In 2020, Siemens Energy was spun off from Siemens.

2020: Siemens supporting Adani Carmichael coal mine

In 2020, Siemens was identified as a key engineering company supporting the controversial Adani Carmichael coal mine in Queensland, Australia.

2020: Germany's renewable energy target

In September 2011, Chief executive Peter Löscher supported the German government's planned Energiewende, stating that Berlin's target of reaching 35% renewable energy sources by 2020 was feasible.

February 2021: Roland Busch replaces Joe Kaeser as CEO

In February 2021, Roland Busch took over from Joe Kaeser as the new CEO of Siemens.

October 2021: Siemens acquires Wattsense

In October 2021, Siemens acquired Wattsense, a building IoT software and hardware company, for an undisclosed amount.

May 2022: Siemens Ceases Operations in Russia

In May 2022, Siemens decided to cease operations in Russia after 170 years due to the war against Ukraine, affecting 3,000 employees and resulting in a US$625 million loss due to sanctions.

July 2022: Siemens Acquires ZONA Technology

In July 2022, Siemens acquired ZONA Technology, an aerospace simulation firm, expanding its capabilities in this specialized field.

September 2022: Siemens R&D employees

As of 30 September 2022, Siemens had approximately 46,900 employees engaged in research and development and held approximately 43,600 patents worldwide.

October 2022: Strategic Partnership with Volta Trucks

In October 2022, Siemens announced a strategic partnership with Volta Trucks, a Swedish electric commercial vehicle manufacturer, to deliver eMobility charging infrastructure.

October 2022: Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement Target

In October 2022, Siemens became a target of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement due to its contract for the EuroAsia Interconnector, connecting the electricity grids of Greece and Cyprus with Israel and its settlements in the West Bank.

June 2023: Siemens Announces Global Investment Plan

In June 2023, Siemens announced a €2 billion global investment plan to expand its manufacturing capacity, including €200 million for a new high-tech plant in Singapore and €140 million to enlarge a facility in Chengdu, China. The strategy aims to foster diversification across Asia, enhance growth in the Chinese market, and decrease dependency on a single country.

June 2023: Siemens Launches Siemens Xcelerator

In June 2023, Siemens launched "Siemens Xcelerator", a new open digital platform with IoT-enabled hardware, software, and digital services. They also announced a partnership with Nvidia to leverage its Omniverse platform.

August 2023: Siemens to Acquire Heliox

In August 2023, Siemens signed an agreement to acquire Heliox, an eBus, eTruck and passenger vehicle fast charging technology company headquartered in Veldhoven.

December 2023: Siemens is the second largest German company by market capitalization

As of December 2023, Siemens is the second largest German company by market capitalization.

December 2023: Siemens Retains Stake in Siemens Energy AG

As of December 2023, Siemens retained a 17.1% stake in Siemens Energy AG, after the energy business was spun off into the separate Siemens Energy AG in 2020.

December 2023: Siemens's Market Capitalization Valued at US$147 Billion

In December 2023, Siemens's shares traded at over US$93 per share, and its market capitalization was valued at US$147 billion. Siemens and SAP were the only German companies of the top 100 most valuable companies by market capitalization worldwide according to an Ernst & Young study.

2023: Principal Divisions of Siemens

As of 2023, the principal divisions of Siemens are Digital Industries, Smart Infrastructure, Mobility, and Financial Services, with Siemens Mobility operating as an independent entity.

March 2024: Siemens Announces New Digital Engineering Facility

In March 2024, Siemens announced the creation of a new £100m digital engineering facility in Wiltshire, UK, aimed at replacing its existing rail infrastructure factory in Chippenham. The new center is expected to open by 2026.