EDAG

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EDAG Engineering Group AG

Company type	AG
Headquarters	Arbon , Switzerland
Number of locations	More than 60 (2023)
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Harald Keller (CEO), Holger Merz (CFO), Georg Denoke (VR President)
Revenue	822 Million Euro (2025)
Number of employees	9100 (2025)
Divisions	vehicle & smart factory engineering
Subsidiaries	EDAG Engineering GmbH EDAG Production Solutions GmbH & Co. KG
Website	www.edag.com

EDAG Engineering Group AG (commonly abbreviated as Edag, stylized as EDAG) is a multinational corporation specializing in engineering services. Since 2015, its headquarters have been situated in Arbon, within the Swiss canton of Thurgau. The EDAG Group ranks among the largest independent engineering partners globally, focusing on vehicle and smart factory solutions.

The company’s holding entity originated in Germany in 1969. Its initial international expansion occurred in 1987 with the establishment of a branch office in Martorell, near Barcelona, Spain. Over time, the corporate structure has undergone multiple transformations, including periods as an Aktiengesellschaft, a joint-stock company, and a Kommanditgesellschaft auf Aktien. The primary operational subsidiary is EDAG Engineering GmbH, headquartered in Wiesbaden, Germany. By late 2018, EDAG operated from approximately 60 locations across 19 countries. Its expertise spans product development, production facility design, plant engineering, limited series manufacturing, module creation, and process optimization.

History

On 1 February 1969, Horst Eckard founded the company Eckard Design in Groß-Zimmern, near Darmstadt. The firm’s inaugural client was automotive manufacturer Ford, based at their facility in Cologne, where Eckard Design also opened its first office. Before the year concluded, the company secured another major client, local automobile producer BMW. By the end of its first year, Eckard Design employed eight individuals, some of whom would later hold significant roles within the firm for decades.

In 1970, a new headquarters was established in Fulda; this central location ensured that no domestic automotive client was more than 300 km away from the company's base. Two years later, additional offices opened in nearby Steinau, and annual revenue surpassed DM 2 million for the first time. In 1973, the firm gained Volkswagen as a client while increasing turnover to DM 3.3 million. The following year saw the reorganization of the company into Eckard Design GbR and its initial acquisition of manufacturing firm FFT based in Mücke. In 1975, vehicle manufacturer Opel joined as a customer, followed by a significant contract with Karmann in 1976. During the late 1970s, collaboration with Audi also intensified.

By 1981, annual revenue exceeded DM 20 million for the first time; subsequently, the Fulda office underwent expansion. In 1983, Eckard Design invested heavily in computer-aided design (CAD) technology to align with client requirements such as those from Audi. Employee numbers reached around 250 by 1984 as office facilities continued to grow. From 1986 onward, prototype construction began at its experimental workshop located in Fulda. The following year marked the start of international operations with the opening of its first foreign branch in Martorell (Barcelona), Spain. On its twentieth anniversary in 1989, turnover surpassed DM 100 million; that same year, it received its first order from Italian luxury carmaker Ferrari.

The early 1990s saw substantial investments aimed at expanding into global automotive markets. In 1992, the company underwent legal restructuring to become an Aktiengesellschaft and adopted the name Edag Engineering + Design AG.Template:Fix/category By 1998, EDAG was distinguished as the first automotive service provider admitted to the Verband der Automobilindustrie (the German Association of the Automotive Industry). In 2004, FFT Flexible Fertigungstechnik GmbH & Co. KG—now known as FFT Produktionssysteme GmbH & Co. KG—was fully integrated into EDAG. In February 2006, Lutz Helmig, founder of Helios-Kliniken and owner of Aton GmbH, acquired EDAG from its nine founding families. The following year saw the establishment of ED Work GmbH & Co. KG, a personnel services provider.Template:Fix/category

Following Aton GmbH's acquisition, on January 11, 2008, EDAG transitioned from a joint-stock company into a Kommanditgesellschaft auf Aktien. This restructuring led to the departure of directors Klaus Blickle and Jürgen Böhm on April 8, 2008; they were succeeded by long-term executives Jörg Ohlsen, Manfred Hahl, and Rainer Bauer. After merging with Rücker GmbH in early 2014, the executive board was restructured and headquarters relocated to Wiesbaden. Since March 2015, operations have been conducted under EDAG Engineering GmbH. With the subsequent listing of EDAG Engineering Group AG on Frankfurt's Prime Standard stock exchange (ISIN: 0303692047), EDAG Engineering GmbH became a subsidiary within this group structure.Template:Fix/category

Historically, automotive-related activities have constituted most of EDAG Group’s revenue—accounting for approximately 62 percent in 2017—with electronics contributing around 20 percent and production solutions making up roughly 18 percent that same year. Market analysts from Edison Group note that while EDAG has been expanding its international footprint recently, it faces intensifying competition globally.

For many years, EDAG has also maintained involvement within aerospace industries. In the early part of the millennium decade, aircraft manufacturer AvCraft commissioned EDAD for wing tooling fabrication for a new final assembly line at Oberpfaffenhofen dedicated to the Fairchild-Dornier 328JET. Additionally, EDAG has served as an intermediary between multiple suppliers and aerospace giant Airbus.

Offices

The company maintains branch offices across five continents, primarily situated in key locations within partner industry hubs.

Selected locations in Germany

Aachen, Eisenach, Fulda, Hamburg, Ingolstadt, Cologne, Leipzig, Munich, Rostock, Ulm, Wolfsburg

Selected locations throughout Europe

• Turin – Template:ITA
• Sant'Agata Bolognese – Template:ITA
• Fiorano Modenese – Template:ITA
• Mladá Boleslav – Template:CZE
• Břeclav – Template:CZE
• Warwickshire – Template:ENG
• Győr – Template:HUN
• Gothenburg – Template:SWE
• Helmond – Template:NED
• Kocaeli – Template:TUR

Global presence

• São Bernardo do Campo (São Paulo) – Template:BRA
• Troy (Detroit) – Template:USA
• Puebla – Template:MEX
• Yokohama – Template:JPN
• Seoul – Template:KOR
• Shah Alam (Kuala Lumpur) – Template:MYS
• Pune (Maharashtra) – Template:IND
• Shanghai – Template:CHN

Automotive industry

EDAG is recognized for its innovative concept vehicles, including the EDAG Biwak estate concept inspired by the Beetle, the EDAG Pontiac Solstice Hardtop, and the EDAG Show Car No. 8 which utilizes Smart mechanical components. The company has also been involved in advancing 3D-printing (additive manufacturing) applications through its "Genesis project," collaborating with organizations such as Fraunhofer, Laser Zentrum Nord, and DMRC Paderborn.

EDAG Show Car No. 8

EDAG Light Car Sharing

Concept Cars and Prototypes

Source: edag.de

• EDAG Scout (1999)
• EDAG 2000 (2000)
• EDAG Keinath GT/C (2001)
• EDAG Keinath GT/C Cabrio (2002)
• EDAG Pontiac Solstice Hardtop
• EDAG Cinema 7D (2003)
• EDAG GenX (2004)
• EDAG/Rinspeed Chopster (2005)
• EDAG Show Car No.8 (2005)
• EDAG Pontiac Solstice Hardtop (2006)
• EDAG Biwak (2006)
• EDAG LUV (2007)
• EDAG Light Car - Open Source (2009)
• EDAG Light Car Sharing (2011)
• EDAG Genesis (2014)
• EDAG Light Cocoon (2015)

External links

• Official site of EDAG Group AG
• Official site of EDAG Engineering GmbH
• Investor Relations page of EDAG Engineering Group AG