<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="/ueditor/php/upload/image/20250206/1738854109315293.png" title="1738854109315293.png" alt="5.png"/></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">SICK, an international provider of sensor-based automation solutions headquartered in Germany, and the Swiss measurement technology specialist Endress+Hauser are starting their strategic partnership for process automation. Both companies are joining forces to better support their customers and advance new technological solutions for the decarbonization of the process industry. Customers will now benefit from a broader product portfolio distributed from a single source via the global Endress+Hauser Sales Centers. The joint venture &quot;Endress+Hauser SICK GmbH+Co. KG&quot; will strengthen the development and production of analyzer and gas flow meter technologies, expanding the solution offerings. SICK is focusing on its core business of factory and logistics automation to meet the global demand for automation and digitalization even better. &nbsp; Start of the partnership for process customers worldwide &nbsp; After signing the contract in the summer of 2024 and a subsequent phase of preparation and antitrust review, the strategic partnership is now in effect. Around 800 SICK employees in the global Sales and Service Units in 42 countries with a focus on “Cleaner Industries” transfer to Endress+Hauser. In the Endress+Hauser Sales Centers, they market product solutions in the field of analyzer and gas flow meter technologies to additional process customers worldwide, thus reaching new markets and opening new fields of application. For customers, this means that the familiar SICK contacts are available at Endress+Hauser for consulting, sales, and service of process automation solutions. The product portfolio for process automation is now available at&nbsp;endress.com. Both partners place the highest priority on a seamless transition, continuous product availability and unchanged customer service quality. &nbsp; The strategic partnership also includes the operation of a joint venture, which will strengthen and expand the range of process solutions for decarbonization. The &quot;Endress+Hauser SICK GmbH+Co. KG&quot; develops and produces product solutions for analyzer and gas flow meter technologies with around 730 employees from the previous SICK &quot;Cleaner Industries&quot; business. The company’s gas flow meters make it possible to switch to low-emission and non-fossil energy sources, for example, and the process analyzers allow reliable monitoring of emissions. As part of the partnership, the product solutions manufactured there will now be marketed by Endress+Hauser. From March 1, 2025, SICK and Endress+Hauser will each hold 50 percent of the joint venture.&nbsp; &nbsp; &quot;We are pleased that the strategic partnership for process automation is now starting. Together, we can better support customers worldwide and guide them into a sustainable future with leading technological solutions. We are convinced that the transformation of the process industry offers enormous opportunities for growth and development, which we will optimally leverage as strong partners,&quot;&nbsp;says Dr. Mats G?kstorp, Chairman of the Executive Board of SICK AG. &nbsp; “This partnership is a perfect match. It creates new opportunities for growth and development, particularly in the sustainable transformation of the process industry. By joining forces, we offer added value to our customers. Our combined efforts will make us faster and ultimately more successful than if we acted alone. In this case, one and one equals more than two,”&nbsp;says Dr. Peter Selders, CEO of the Endress+Hauser Group.</span></p>