Oerlikon Acquires Scoperta

Although much of the technological development supported by advanced materials remains invisible to the general public, particularly in industrial applications, advanced materials play an increasing key role in the design and development of industrial products and systems. Advanced metal-based materials (nickel, titanium, cobalt, steel, etc.), nanomaterials and other materials with high performance characteristics are increasingly finding their way into automobiles, aircraft, building materials, medical devices, clothing and other industries. These are all vital in providing critical solutions for performance enhancements, efficiency improvements and cost reductions, while often also contributing to environmental sustainability.

OC Oerlikon Corporation AG (Pfäffikon, Switzerland) has announced that they have signed an agreement to acquire Scoperta Inc. (San Deigo, CA), an innovative solution provider in advanced materials development. With this acquisition, Oerlikon gains unique and proprietary process technology and expertise for their Surface Solutions Segment in rapidly designing and developing materials using computational software that enables a fast identification of disruptive material solutions.

Founded in 2005, Scoperta is a leader in modern computational materials development and an expert in translating material science into commercial products. They have a highly skilled engineering and application development team that consists of metallurgists and scientists who have developed an advanced computational materials development approach. Their key competencies lie in their in-depth understanding of material microstructures and material properties and in using the latest metallurgy technology for developing new materials and finished, commercially compelling materials that specifically address the needs of users.

To date, Scoperta has launched various intellectual property-protected disruptive material systems that significantly outpace existing offerings in the market and are primarily for the hardfacing markets such as oil and gas and mining. They are a trusted partner to major industrial companies for the joint development of advanced materials that target hardfacing, thermal spray and additive manufacturing applications.

This acquisition strengthens Oerlikon’s position in the market for metallic and ceramic materials and extends the scope of services to customers in terms of developing individualized materials in significantly reduced development times and costs. Scoperta will benefit from Oerlikon’s extensive access to industrial customers, distribution channels and production supply chain. Both parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price.

“The expertise and team from Scoperta adds great value and complements well with our existing strong materials heritage and competence,” said Dr. Roland Fischer, the chief executive officer of the Oerlikon Group. “With industries seeking solutions to improve performance and sustainability, the need for advanced materials and products is continuously growing. This investment underscores our aim to stay at the forefront of the new era of innovating for advanced materials, which will be used in surface solutions and also in additive manufacturing. In our transition to become a powerhouse in surface solutions and advanced materials, such targeted and selective investments will reinforce our in-house capabilities and provide additional growth opportunities for us.”

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