Just months after striking up a strategic relationship that would deliver energy management and automation platforms to major infrastructure projects, Mitsubishi Electric Automation Inc. has announced a 19.9% equity investment in its partner ICONICS, a maker of manufacturing intelligence, HMI, and process control software.
The original partnership, announced in June, outlined a plan in which ICONICS’ supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) software would be integrated with Mitsubishi Electric’s controllers and engineering technology, providing a single user interface between the hardware and visualization applications.
The duo claimed to have started pilot projects in Asia in which they were testing the integrated system. The Mitsubishi Electric investment in ICONICS suggests that the effort is on the right track.
As part of the new deal, Mitsubishi Electric said it will continue to work with ICONICS to develop and market energy management and control solutions for factory and process automation applications in key emerging markets, such as China, Southeast Asia, India and Brazil. These countries are rapidly developing infrastructure for ground and air transportation, water and wastewater treatment, and building facilities.