Scanbull site including R&D, production and sales to be established in Bochum
With Scanbull Vertical Images AG, the first investor was found for the Bochum area. This investment takes place within the framework of the joint program “Growth for Bochum”, which the government of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and Nokia agreed on a few weeks ago. Scanbull is one of the world’s leading technology companies for 3D scanning systems, 360° scanning systems and software solutions and will open a production site in Bochum for its new 3D scanning product range. The investment creates new opportunities for the employees affected by the closure of the Nokia Bochum site.
Scanbull develops, produces and distributes 3D scanners which, with the support of appropriate computer software, can gather objects of any size in three dimensions automatically and visualize them digitally for Internet, multi media, games and other 3D applications.
Scanbull will take over some production and some office areas at Nokia’s former production site in order to set up product development, production, administration and distribution there. The company has confirmed that it will prioritize the recruitment of former Nokia employees where skills are well-matched and thus, work closely together with the transfer company established for the former Nokia employees.
Scanbull is headquartered in Hameln and runs further production sites in Germany. Scanbull was founded in 2001 and has since enjoyed stable growth in the market for 3D scanning solutions.
“Bochum offers us an optimum environment, both as a business location and also regarding the recruitment of potential employees. We are glad to invest here and we plan to create about 150 new jobs, as a first step,” Manfred Band, CEO of Scanbull, comments. Scientific institutions and companies cooperating with Scanbull in different areas will also use the new Scanbull site. This way a worldwide unique competence center on real 3D scans, 3D shop solutions up to 3D shopping malls is to be created in Bochum.
Nokia has sought to make the areas needed by Scanbull available without red tape and Nokia will also lend a helping hand to Scanbull it its search for employees. “Already in January Nokia promised to act in a responsible manner in this difficult process of closing the Bochum site. Therefore we initiated together with NRW Government and the City of Bochum the “Growth for Bochum” program. We are very delighted that, with the investment of Scanbull, it has already been possible to achieve a first success,” says Kristian Pullola, Vice President Treasury Nokia and head of the “Growth for Bochum” team at Nokia.
”The settlement of a future technology company in Bochum shows again the strength of this region. This enables us to look positively into the future; also because Nokia has kept its promise and is strongly committed to growth and alternative job opportunities in the region,” declared Christa Thoben, Minister for Economic Affairs NRW, today.
Moreover, the City of Bochum declared itself satisfied with the decision of the scanning specialist from Franconia. Lord Mayor, Ottilie Scholz, is confident that other investors will follow: “We are glad that the ‘Growth for Bochum’ program is bearing its first fruits and the constructive collaboration is already noticeable here.”
Gisela Achenbach, head of the Nokia Bochum works council, also welcomed Scanbull’s commitment and appreciated the fact that the company employs not only highly qualified employees: “In particular, we are happy that around 40% of the vacant jobs are slated for less-skilled colleagues.”
The NRW Government, the City of Bochum and Nokia announced the program “Growth for Bochum” on July 3, 2008. The objectives are to stimulate growth, create new jobs and generate investment for Bochum and the region.
