Brown, Boveri & Cie

Brown, Boveri & Cie was founded in Baden "Baden (Aargau)") (Switzerland) in 1891 by Charles Eugene Lancelot Brown") and Walter Boveri"), former employees of Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon. Its development is interesting because it was one of the few multinational companies to operate subsidiaries larger than the parent company. Due to the small size of the Swiss domestic market, Brown Boveri established subsidiaries throughout Europe in a relatively short period of time and as a result, faced difficulties in maintaining good administrative control over several of its large operating units.

Brown Boveri's early activities were limited to the manufacture of electrical components such as locomotive engines and power generating equipment for railway systems in Europe. In 1919 the company signed a licensing agreement with the British company Vickers, which gave the latter the right to manufacture and market Brown Boveri products throughout the British Empire and in some areas of Europe. This agreement meant for Brown Boveri the receipt of a significant flow of money and the possibility of considerably increasing its annual income, as well as helping the company to expand into foreign markets at a time in which many protectionist policies hindered international expansions.

In the 1920s, Brown Boveri, already a geographically extensive company with subsidiaries in Italy, Germany, Norway, Austria and the Balkans, suffered its first significant losses due to the devaluations experienced by the French franc and the German mark. At the same time, in the Swiss domestic market, production costs increased while sales remained static, causing additional losses for the company. As a consequence, in 1924 Brown Boveri devalued its capital by 30% in order to cover the losses suffered in that period. In 1927, the agreement with Vickers ceased, which was not renewed.

At the same time, Brown Boveri's various subsidiaries grew rapidly. The industrialization of Europe created a strong demand for electrical equipment for heavy industry. The burgeoning Italian railway industry gave a particularly strong boost to Brown Boveri's subsidiary in that country and the company's factory in Germany developed a much larger turnover than that of the Swiss parent company. In the decades that followed, Brown Boveri grew at a rate faster than technological advances in electrical engineering. The tendency for each subsidiary was to develop individually, as if they were national companies in each country in which they had operations, and their extensive geographic coverage helped insulate the parent company during times of serious crisis, when certain regions were experiencing economic difficulties.

However, this type of segmented development had its drawbacks. After World War II, the Cold War presented great business opportunities for defense contractors involved in the electrical industry, but Brown Boveri subsidiaries were often perceived as foreign companies in many of the countries in which they operated, often making it difficult to award lucrative government contracts involving sensitive and confidential technology. The company, however, stood out in the field of electrical energy generation, including manufacturing generators for nuclear power plants. Electrification efforts carried out in third world countries also provided Brown Boveri with substantial profits. In this sense, it is worth highlighting the opening of large production factories in Argentina (1946), Mexico (1947), Venezuela (1955) and Peru (1963). In 1970, Brown Boveri began an extensive reorganization. The company's subsidiaries were divided into five groups: German, French, Swiss, "medium-sized" (with seven production bases in Europe and Latin America), and Brown Boveri International (the other subsidiaries). Each of these groups was further broken down into five product divisions: electrical generation, electronics, power distribution, traction equipment and industrial equipment.

Fusion

In the early 1990s, ABB acquired Combustion Engineering, a leading American company in the development of nuclear and conventional energy supplies in the North American market. Subsequently, continuing with its expansion plans, it acquired ELSAG Bailey in 1999, a firm that brought together Bailey Controls, Hartmann & Braun, and Fischer & Porter. So far, this has been the largest acquisition in the corporation's history and with it, ABB has become the global automation market leader.

Recent history and notable events

• -

Presence of the ABB Group in the world.

In 1990, a product line called Azipod was launched worldwide, an electric propulsion system for the use of boats.

• - In 2000, ABB signed a contract to supply equipment and services for two North Korean nuclear power plants, under a multinational agreement (KEDO) signed in 1995 by the Governments of the United States, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and the European Union. That same year, the corporation dissolved a joint venture previously formed with France's Alstom called ABB-Alstom Power and sold the conventional generation and rail transportation systems portion to Alstom Power. ABB also sold its nuclear generation business to Westinghouse Electric Company.

• - ABB underwent a restructuring process in 2005 to be able to focus on its main businesses: electricity generation and industrial automation. This restructuring led the company to be structured into five divisions: Power Products, Power Systems, Power Automation, Discrete Automation and Motion and Low Voltage Products.

• - In 2001, the company was launched on the New York Stock Exchange. This same year the company was ranked first in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, a global indicator of the company's social responsibility.

• - In 2005, the company is structured into five divisions: Power Products, Power Systems, Automation Products, Process Automation and Robotics.

• - In 2008, the company participated in the project of the longest underwater connection in the world at the time with HVDC (high voltage direct current) technology. The connection is about 580 km (kilometers) and connects Norway and the Netherlands, allowing the participating countries to take advantage of hydroelectric energy and electrical energy produced by thermal power plants. It is estimated that the interconnection prevented the emission of 1.7 million tons of CO.

• -

Several ABB robots on a production line.

In 2010, the interconnection between the Xiangjaba hydroelectric power plant in southwest China and Shanghai with UHVDC technology was carried out, transmitting power at a voltage of ±800 kV (kilovolts) and with a capacity of 7,200 MW (megawatts).

• - In 2011, the longest 1000 MW power grid in the world, SAPEI, was built. This power grid connects Sardinia to the Italian peninsula, by means of two submarine cables. The cables were built by Prysmian) and the reversing stations have ABB equipment.

• - Since 2016, the company began a restructuring process into four divisions: Electrification Products (electrification of all points of consumption), Robotics and Motion (robotics and intelligent movement solutions), Industrial Automation (industrial automation) and Power Grids.

• - In 2017, ABB buys GE Industrial Solutions to enter the breakers market in America (development of electrical networks).[10]​.

• - In 2018, ABB signs an agreement with Formula E, becoming a sponsor of the championship and changing its name to ABB FIA Formula E Championship. During this same year, ABB sold 80.1% of the Power Grids division to the Japanese company Hitachi, specialized in production and service systems for energy and automation (substantially the market that works for electrical grids). The business between the two companies was estimated at 9.1 BUSD. ABB maintains 19.9% ​​and retains an exit option to execute over the next three years.

• - In June 2023, ABB agreed to acquire home automation provider Eve Systems.[11]​.

• - In September 2023, ABB announced its collaboration with the Well Done Foundation to monitor methane and greenhouse gas emissions from abandoned wells in the United States.[12]​[13]​.

• - In January 2024, ABB acquired Real Tech, a leading Canadian company specializing in innovative optical sensor technology for real-time water monitoring and analysis.[14]​ It also acquired Meshmind, an R&D engineering company, to expand its AI and software capabilities.[15]​.

• - In May 2024, ABB agreed to acquire Siemens' wiring accessories business in China. This agreement will give access to a distribution network in 230 cities in China.[16]​.

• - In October 2025, ABB agreed to sell its industrial robotics business to Softbank Group for $5.4 billion, ahead of plans to spin off the division as an independent company in 2026.[17]​.

• - In December 2025, it was announced that ABB had completed the acquisition of Gamesa Electric's power electronics business in Spain, owned by Siemens Gamesa, initially announced in December 2024. The acquired portfolio includes energy conversion products such as wind converters for double-fed induction generators (DFIG), industrial battery energy storage systems (BESS) and utility-scale solar inverters. Financial terms were not disclosed.[18]​.

Brown, Boveri & Cie

Brown, Boveri & Cie was founded in Baden "Baden (Aargau)") (Switzerland) in 1891 by Charles Eugene Lancelot Brown") and Walter Boveri"), former employees of Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon. Its development is interesting because it was one of the few multinational companies to operate subsidiaries larger than the parent company. Due to the small size of the Swiss domestic market, Brown Boveri established subsidiaries throughout Europe in a relatively short period of time and as a result, faced difficulties in maintaining good administrative control over several of its large operating units.

Brown Boveri's early activities were limited to the manufacture of electrical components such as locomotive engines and power generating equipment for railway systems in Europe. In 1919 the company signed a licensing agreement with the British company Vickers, which gave the latter the right to manufacture and market Brown Boveri products throughout the British Empire and in some areas of Europe. This agreement meant for Brown Boveri the receipt of a significant flow of money and the possibility of considerably increasing its annual income, as well as helping the company to expand into foreign markets at a time in which many protectionist policies hindered international expansions.

In the 1920s, Brown Boveri, already a geographically extensive company with subsidiaries in Italy, Germany, Norway, Austria and the Balkans, suffered its first significant losses due to the devaluations experienced by the French franc and the German mark. At the same time, in the Swiss domestic market, production costs increased while sales remained static, causing additional losses for the company. As a consequence, in 1924 Brown Boveri devalued its capital by 30% in order to cover the losses suffered in that period. In 1927, the agreement with Vickers ceased, which was not renewed.

At the same time, Brown Boveri's various subsidiaries grew rapidly. The industrialization of Europe created a strong demand for electrical equipment for heavy industry. The burgeoning Italian railway industry gave a particularly strong boost to Brown Boveri's subsidiary in that country and the company's factory in Germany developed a much larger turnover than that of the Swiss parent company. In the decades that followed, Brown Boveri grew at a rate faster than technological advances in electrical engineering. The tendency for each subsidiary was to develop individually, as if they were national companies in each country in which they had operations, and their extensive geographic coverage helped insulate the parent company during times of serious crisis, when certain regions were experiencing economic difficulties.

However, this type of segmented development had its drawbacks. After World War II, the Cold War presented great business opportunities for defense contractors involved in the electrical industry, but Brown Boveri subsidiaries were often perceived as foreign companies in many of the countries in which they operated, often making it difficult to award lucrative government contracts involving sensitive and confidential technology. The company, however, stood out in the field of electrical energy generation, including manufacturing generators for nuclear power plants. Electrification efforts carried out in third world countries also provided Brown Boveri with substantial profits. In this sense, it is worth highlighting the opening of large production factories in Argentina (1946), Mexico (1947), Venezuela (1955) and Peru (1963). In 1970, Brown Boveri began an extensive reorganization. The company's subsidiaries were divided into five groups: German, French, Swiss, "medium-sized" (with seven production bases in Europe and Latin America), and Brown Boveri International (the other subsidiaries). Each of these groups was further broken down into five product divisions: electrical generation, electronics, power distribution, traction equipment and industrial equipment.

Fusion

In the early 1990s, ABB acquired Combustion Engineering, a leading American company in the development of nuclear and conventional energy supplies in the North American market. Subsequently, continuing with its expansion plans, it acquired ELSAG Bailey in 1999, a firm that brought together Bailey Controls, Hartmann & Braun, and Fischer & Porter. So far, this has been the largest acquisition in the corporation's history and with it, ABB has become the global automation market leader.

Recent history and notable events

• -

Presence of the ABB Group in the world.

In 1990, a product line called Azipod was launched worldwide, an electric propulsion system for the use of boats.

• - In 2000, ABB signed a contract to supply equipment and services for two North Korean nuclear power plants, under a multinational agreement (KEDO) signed in 1995 by the Governments of the United States, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and the European Union. That same year, the corporation dissolved a joint venture previously formed with France's Alstom called ABB-Alstom Power and sold the conventional generation and rail transportation systems portion to Alstom Power. ABB also sold its nuclear generation business to Westinghouse Electric Company.

• - ABB underwent a restructuring process in 2005 to be able to focus on its main businesses: electricity generation and industrial automation. This restructuring led the company to be structured into five divisions: Power Products, Power Systems, Power Automation, Discrete Automation and Motion and Low Voltage Products.

• - In 2001, the company was launched on the New York Stock Exchange. This same year the company was ranked first in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, a global indicator of the company's social responsibility.

• - In 2005, the company is structured into five divisions: Power Products, Power Systems, Automation Products, Process Automation and Robotics.

• - In 2008, the company participated in the project of the longest underwater connection in the world at the time with HVDC (high voltage direct current) technology. The connection is about 580 km (kilometers) and connects Norway and the Netherlands, allowing the participating countries to take advantage of hydroelectric energy and electrical energy produced by thermal power plants. It is estimated that the interconnection prevented the emission of 1.7 million tons of CO.

• -

Several ABB robots on a production line.

In 2010, the interconnection between the Xiangjaba hydroelectric power plant in southwest China and Shanghai with UHVDC technology was carried out, transmitting power at a voltage of ±800 kV (kilovolts) and with a capacity of 7,200 MW (megawatts).

• - In 2011, the longest 1000 MW power grid in the world, SAPEI, was built. This power grid connects Sardinia to the Italian peninsula, by means of two submarine cables. The cables were built by Prysmian) and the reversing stations have ABB equipment.

• - Since 2016, the company began a restructuring process into four divisions: Electrification Products (electrification of all points of consumption), Robotics and Motion (robotics and intelligent movement solutions), Industrial Automation (industrial automation) and Power Grids.

• - In 2017, ABB buys GE Industrial Solutions to enter the breakers market in America (development of electrical networks).[10]​.

• - In 2018, ABB signs an agreement with Formula E, becoming a sponsor of the championship and changing its name to ABB FIA Formula E Championship. During this same year, ABB sold 80.1% of the Power Grids division to the Japanese company Hitachi, specialized in production and service systems for energy and automation (substantially the market that works for electrical grids). The business between the two companies was estimated at 9.1 BUSD. ABB maintains 19.9% ​​and retains an exit option to execute over the next three years.

• - In June 2023, ABB agreed to acquire home automation provider Eve Systems.[11]​.

• - In September 2023, ABB announced its collaboration with the Well Done Foundation to monitor methane and greenhouse gas emissions from abandoned wells in the United States.[12]​[13]​.

• - In January 2024, ABB acquired Real Tech, a leading Canadian company specializing in innovative optical sensor technology for real-time water monitoring and analysis.[14]​ It also acquired Meshmind, an R&D engineering company, to expand its AI and software capabilities.[15]​.

• - In May 2024, ABB agreed to acquire Siemens' wiring accessories business in China. This agreement will give access to a distribution network in 230 cities in China.[16]​.

• - In October 2025, ABB agreed to sell its industrial robotics business to Softbank Group for $5.4 billion, ahead of plans to spin off the division as an independent company in 2026.[17]​.

• - In December 2025, it was announced that ABB had completed the acquisition of Gamesa Electric's power electronics business in Spain, owned by Siemens Gamesa, initially announced in December 2024. The acquired portfolio includes energy conversion products such as wind converters for double-fed induction generators (DFIG), industrial battery energy storage systems (BESS) and utility-scale solar inverters. Financial terms were not disclosed.[18]​.