List of the 50 largest measurement and control technology companies Germany [2024]

List of the 5 largest measurement and control technology companies in Germany

Measurement and control technology is a part of automation technology – often in connection with electrical engineering. Our list shows the 5 largest German companies active in this field.

1. Carl Zeiss AG, Oberkochen

Carl Zeiss is a precision-optics industrial group with historical roots in Jena. In addition to photographic technology, industrial optics and medical technology, the company is also involved in measurement technology. Among others, the subsidiary Carl Zeiss Industrielle Messtechnik GmbH in Oberkochen stands for this. Field of activity: coordinate measuring machines, optical and multi-sensor systems as well as metrology software for various industrial sectors.

2. Rohde & Schwarz GmbH & Co. KG, Munich

Rohde & Schwarz was founded in 1933 as a physical and technical development laboratory. Today, the company is an international electronics group with 12,300 employees and a presence in more than 70 countries. Measurement technology in the field of radio and telecommunications is an important business segment. Rohde & Schwarz offers, among other things, measurement solutions for mobile radio and wireless technologies.

3. SICK AG, Waldkirch

SICK started out as a small company near Munich in 1946. It has developed into a globally active producer of sensors for factory, logistics, and automation technology. More than 10,000 employees work at SICK. SICK sensors (photoelectric switches, photoelectric proximity switches, level and pressure sensors, laser scanners, etc.) are used in a wide range of applications.

4. JENOPTIK AG, Jena

JENOPTIK emerged from the GDR combine VEB Carl Zeiss Jena. The company has focused on optics-based technologies. Metrology plays a role in the “Light & Production” segment, among others. Here Jenoptik offers industrial metrology for quality measurement. The “Light & Safety” division also produces systems for speed measurement and vehicle classification.

Update 2023: In terms of sustainability, Jenoptik is one of the leading companies in the Electronic Components sector worldwide according to MSCI. This was announced at the beginning of 2023 and shows the great importance of the topic in the industry.

Update 2024: At the end of 2023, Jenoptik draws a positive interim balance in the implementation of the Agenda 2025 “MORE VALUE”. In 2024, the focus will continue to be on increasing profitability, with an EBITDA margin of 21-22 percent targeted for 2025.

5. DR. JOHANNES HEIDENHAIN GmbH, Traunreut

In 1889, Wilhelm Heidenhain founded a metal etching shop in Berlin. Today, the company manufactures length and angle measuring systems, as well as CNC controls for machine tools. HEIDENHAIN has more than 4,000 employees and owns several subsidiaries, including KL Messtechnik & Service, Heßdorf, and NUMERIK JENA GmbH.

The German measurement and control technology industry

In our incomparable list, we present the top-selling measurement and control technology companies in Germany. Measurement and control technology, as the name suggests, deals with the measurement and regulation of physical quantities such as pressure, mass electric current, temperature or time. The measurement and control technology industry is a weighty industry for Germany. The largest company in the industry is Carl Zeiss AG from Oberkochen in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The company had revenues of over 6.4 billion euros in 2019. Carl Zeiss is one of the most important manufacturers in the field of optics and also apply their know-how and expertise in the fields of industrial metrology and spectrometer systems.

This information will be included in the list

• Company name
• General contact data (address, e-mail address, telephone number, URL)
• Name of the management
• Serial letter suitable for addressing the management (e.g. “Dear Dr. Müller”)
• Sales figures for the years 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016 and 2015 (taken from the annual and consolidated financial statements)
• Employee figures for the years 2021, 2020, 2019 and 2018 (taken from the annual and consolidated financial statements)
• Sector classification & Field of activity

Note: If the sales and employee figures are not included in a company’s own financial statements but in the parent company’s consolidated financial statements, the data from the respective consolidated financial statements are provided.

Picture source: Unsplash (Crystal Kwok), Unsplash (Martin Adams)