Partnership between VAHLE and Panasonic reaches another milestone
VAHLE and Panasonic deepen partnership. Japanese delegation visits innovation center in Austria and headquarters in Kamen.
The partnership between Paul Vahle GmbH & Co KG and Panasonic Corporation has reached another milestone. In a three-day meeting at the highest level, leading representatives of VAHLE and Panasonic held extensive talks on deepening their existing sales cooperation. The high-ranking delegation from the leading Japanese technology company visited the VAHLE Innovation and Development Center in Schwoich, Austria, as well as the headquarters in Kamen.
"The extended cooperation with Panasonic strengthens our partnership and also opens up exciting opportunities for innovation. Together, we are optimistic about a promising future and are ready to explore new horizons," says Dr. Thomas Barthel, CSO of Paul Vahle GmbH & Co. The system supplier for mobile industrial applications and Panasonic have enjoyed a successful sales partnership since 2018. The common goal is to market product solutions more strongly in the regions of Japan, Korea and Taiwan.
"Both companies are thus combining their strengths and have the opportunity to benefit from each other's extensive product portfolio and long-standing local customer relationships," emphasizes Barthel. In addition, the companies maintain an intensive exchange of technologies in order to create mutual added value.
The three-day business meeting began at the innovation hub and development center of VAHLE Automation in Schwoich, Austria. The initial focus was on presenting new innovations and solutions. The Panasonic delegation, consisting of Sadayoshi Okamoto, Category Head of Electrical Conduit Business, Yasushi Futabatake, Masaki Kotake and Shinichiro Yano from Oversea Business and Product Development, were given a comprehensive insight into VAHLE's innovation process and a tour of the plant. They also presented current products and innovations from the portfolio. "An in-depth exchange in the innovation hub created space for groundbreaking ideas and synergistic effects," summarizes Barthel.
The second day focused on the direction for 2024 and beyond. On the one hand, the latest market research results from Japan were discussed. The Panasonic delegation also presented the latest technology solutions and talked about the positioning and direction for the next step in the market segment. At noon, the transfer to Kamen was on the program.
There, the event concluded with a management meeting led by Category Head Sadayoshi Okamoto, where an intensive exchange took place with the VAHLE management, including CEO Achim Dries, CSO Dr. Thomas Barthel and Director Product Management and Marketing Marc Detweiler. Feedback results from the first two days, the cooperation status and future steps were discussed together. One particular focus was on planning joint sales activities for 2024 and the long-term goals of the cooperation between the two companies. The three-day meeting concluded with a company tour, during which the visitors from Japan were given an insight into production and the technological areas.
"The cooperation between VAHLE and Panasonic manifests itself as a promising partnership that not only operates successfully at the sales level, but is also characterized by continuous innovation and close cooperation in the technology sector," summarizes Thomas Barthel.
Further information about VAHLE can be found at