Thales takes over Gemalto for EUR 4.8 bn, becomes world leader in digital identity and security

Anca Alexe 02/04/2019 | 13:33

French group Thales has finalized the acquisition of chipmaker Gemalto in a EUR 4.8 billion transaction, creating a global leader in digital identity and security, with 80,000 employees in 68 countries.

Thales will manage all the technologies involved in the critical decision chain for companies, organisations and governments. By incorporating Gemalto’s talent and technologies, Thales will develop secure solutions to address the major challenges faced by society, such as unmanned air traffic management, data and network cybersecurity, airport security or financial transaction security, according to a statement by the company.

With EUR 1 billion per year for R&D, the group will continue to innovate in its key markets, drawing in particular on its world-class digital expertise in the Internet of Things, Big Data, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.

Gemalto will become one of Thales’s seven global divisions, which will be named Digital Identity and Security. It will interact with all of the group’s civil and defence customers and will strengthen its industrial presence in 68 countries.

Thales recently opened a centre of excellence in engineering in Bucharest, Romania, and it is looking to hire more than 750 engineers over the next three years, to add to its existing 250 employees.