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Oxsensis acquired by WIKA Group

Harwell site becomes the group’s centre of optical sensing activities.

Harwell based Oxsensis, a spin out from the campuses’ Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, has been acquired by WIKA Group. 

The WIKA Group is a global market leader in developing high-precision instruments for industrial measurements, such as pressure and temperature and has committed to developing the Harwell site into the groups centre of optical sensing activities.  

Oxsensis span out of STFC’s Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, at Harwell Campus in 2003. Since then, it has firmly established itself as a leader in the development of advanced optical instrumentation for use in harsh industrial environments.  Its technology is particularly applicable across a range of industries, including power generation, aerospace, oil and gas. 

 Today, Oxsensis’ products and solutions are used world-wide by customers for monitoring and controlling their critical systems.  From cryogenic aerospace applications to high temperature power generation, Oxsensis continues to innovate in the field of instrumentation. 

Since its founding in 2003,and backed by funding from the UK Innovation & Science Seed Fund, Oxsensis has pioneered a “new breed” of highly accurate, highly stable optical sensors.  

  From its location at Harwell Campus in Oxfordshire, it has partnered with well-known international companies including Rolls-Royce, GE Aviation, Parker Aviation and Airbus, working across a diverse range of industries with various divisional and application. 

Franz-Josef Vogel, Executive Vice President, WIKA, said: “Oxsensis is offering a highly attractive technology which is scalable to a wide range of industrial applications. As we acquire excellent knowhow and experienced staff our plan is to keep and develop the Harwell site as the centre of our optical sensing activities’. 

Dr Elizabeth Kirby, Director of Innovation at STFC, said: Oxsensis’ journey from STFC spin-out through to its acquisition by world market-leader WIKA is excellent news for this pioneering company.  It is also a perfect example of how STFC’s world leading technology teamed with the right business support in the early days and being part of the EnergyTec Cluster on the Harwell research and innovation campus can help a company flourish. 

I look forward to seeing it continue to grow and develop world-leading technologies in this next, exciting step in its journey.”  

Ian Macafee, CEO at Oxsensis, said ‘This new chapter for Oxsensis is built on many years of innovation and persistence, tackling some of the hardest energy-intensive systems challenges that exist. Our technology is well placed to contribute to the Energy Transition in Powergeneration, Aerospace and to enable competitive, leading products in our new Industrial markets.” 

WIKA brings additional industrial and process market opportunities as well as a wealth of manufacturing, supply chain, and commercial expertise and resources to accelerate the exploitation of optical technology as it becomes a mainstream instrumentation choice.  

Read the full announcement here