Segula Technologies establishes a presence in South Africa and Brazil

 
Cape Town, South Africa (©Marlin Clark)

Segula Technologies is opening its first office in South Africa, in the Constantia district of Cape Town, the country’s ‘mother city’. This office is set to become a ‘regional hub’ for the group’s activities in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in the energy sector. All types of energy are involved, from gas and oil to solar and wind power, including nuclear (particularly French nuclear technology), hydrogen and energy storage (batteries). In these various fields, the group plans to collaborate with global players.

Segula Technologies is launching its activities in South Africa by signing a memorandum of understanding with AllWeld, a South African industrial services and production company with 60 years of experience in the energy and industrial sectors. The aim is to combine AllWeld’s production capabilities and in-depth knowledge of the local industry with the scale of Segula Technologies, an internationally active group.

In addition, South Africa’s neighbouring countries offer promising prospects in the hydrogen sector, particularly Namibia and Zambia. In the rail sector, Segula is collaborating with leading companies on major projects in the fields of rolling stock, signalling and advanced rail systems. As for the automotive industry, South Africa is the continent’s leading manufacturer in this field, home to 8 major manufacturers. Already present in this market, the group intends to continue its momentum.

Segula is also exploring opportunities in the mining sector.

“The opening of Segula Technologies’ office in Cape Town marks an important step in its international expansion. South Africa, with its advanced industrial ecosystem and skilled talent pool, is emerging as a regional hub to support the continent’s transformation. Acting as a bridge between the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa, it offers a strategic time zone, controlled service costs and English as the working language, thereby facilitating the management of international projects. Segula is deploying its expertise in the energy, rail, automotive and soon mining sectors. Our goal is to recruit more than 100 employees by 2028 in order to build a local and agile engineering capacity focused on the future of the continent,” explains Jean-Christophe Godet, Managing Director of Segula South Africa.

A new office in a technology park in Brazil

Already well established in Brazil, Segula Technologies is now opening an engineering office in São José dos Campos (State of São Paulo) within the Parque de Inovação Tecnológica (PIT), a technology park dedicated to innovation in Brazil and a strategic location for the aerospace sector, which brings together leading companies, research centres and academic institutions in strategic sectors such as aerospace, defence and energy. At the same time, Segula is becoming a member of the Brazilian Aerospace Cluster.

The new group office aims to promote synergies with key players in the Brazilian aerospace sector, starting with the main local aircraft and equipment manufacturers. It is expected to employ 150 engineers by 2030.

Thanks to its team specialising in aeronautics in Brazil and the expertise of the group, which is present in 30 countries, Segula Technologies recruits and trains the skills needed to support the most demanding civil and military programmes by working throughout the entire life cycle of aircraft, helicopters and drones, thanks to a comprehensive offering ranging from design to maintenance services, including engineering, industrial performance, tooling and production support.

The group is committed to more sustainable aviation through advanced research programmes on lightweight structures, eco-design, life cycle analysis and low-carbon technologies. It has recently carried out work on hydrogen propulsion systems, such as hydrogen fuel cells.

Segula Technologies has expertise in composite materials, which the group uses in several sectors. In the aerospace sector, in particular, composites are used to manufacture and lighten trim parts such as casings, certain parts of seats and furniture. In the railway and automotive sectors, composites are also widely used to design structural parts such as chassis or components designed to support heavy loads, as well as parts for the exterior trim of a vehicle, while making the entire structure lighter. New materials are regularly being developed, particularly thanks to nanotechnology.

‘Brazil is playing an increasingly central role within the group. We aim to recruit 300 professionals by 2026. These developments reflect the trust our customers place in us and the excellent work of our teams,’ says Aldemir Rodrigues, CEO of Segula Brazil.

‘This investment reflects the fact that Brazil, with São José dos Campos, has become one of the world’s largest aerospace design and manufacturing hubs. As demonstrated at the Paris Air Show, the Brazilian aerospace industry is at the forefront in many areas, and establishing a presence in São José is a necessity for a global company like Segula,’ said Richard Demoucelle, Vice President of Segula’s Aerospace Division.

‘With the arrival of Segula Technologies, our cluster is achieving its goal of attracting more and more companies capable of providing high-quality services and serving the global market,’ concludes Kenzo Takatori, head of the Brazilian Aerospace Cluster.