Rosenberger, a global leader founded in 1958, designs and manufactures connectivity solutions for diverse industries worldwide. Renowned for innovation and its technological leadership, Rosenberger offers high-performance interconnect solutions with its core competence in high-frequency, high-voltage and fiber-optic technology; supporting mobile communication networks, data centers, test and measurement applications, automotive electronics, as well as high-voltage contact systems, medical electronics, industrial electronics and aerospace engineering. With over 30 locations and more than 14,200 employees worldwide, Rosenberger's commitment to cutting-edge technology and localized services ensures tailored and integrated solutions for evolving customer needs.
Rosenberger Group’s headquarters is located in Fridolfing, Germany
In an exclusive interview with Telecom Review, Eric Küppers, CEO of Rosenberger Group, shared insights on the evolution of the digital era, emphasizing the pivotal role that Rosenberger’s high-performing connectivity solutions can play in driving this global transformation trend forward. Additionally, he offered valuable perspectives, highlighting the facilitation of a 5G-Advanced infrastructure, the networks of smart buildings and hyperscale data centers, as well as edge-computing and sustainable initiatives in the Middle East region.
What is your vision for the increasing importance of data in the future, and how do you anticipate it will affect telecom and data center connectivity infrastructure? Additionally, how does Rosenberger plan to contribute to meeting the demands of this global trend?
We produce more data year-after-year with an explosive growth of data consumption and access. The dramatic surge in information consumption began in 2020, following the pandemic where remote collaboration solutions like Zoom and Microsoft Teams have grown in popularity. The IDC’s new Global DataSphere Forecast, 2021-2025, forecasted that global data production and replication will expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23% during the projection period, reaching 181 zettabytes in 2025. The digital era represents a transformative shift towards a more connected, data-driven, and technologically advanced society. It is marked by seamless connectivity, with individuals, devices, and systems interconnected through the internet and other communication networks. Massive amounts of data are generated, collected, and analyzed at an unprecedented scale, driving insights, innovation, and decision-making across various industries and sectors. This is where Rosenberger comes into play.
- Facilitating 5G-Advanced Infrastructure: From 5G to 5.5G (or 5G-Advanced), we are taking a big step towards the intelligent future. 5G-Advanced is the next generation of 5G network technologies and the foundation of all-scenario digitalization. Rosenberger stands at the forefront of this transformation, empowering telecommunications operators, and infrastructure providers to construct robust and efficient networks capable of meeting the demanding requirements of 5G-Advanced technology, including high-speed data transmission, low latency, and increased capacity. Our Site Solution offerings, designed to ensure optimal total cost of ownership (TCO), encompass a range of solutions such as low-PIM coaxial products, FTTA, PTTA, and HybridTTA site infrastructure solutions, along with the cutting-edge CellMax base station antenna, presenting customers with a convenient one-stop shopping service.
- Empowering Smart Enterprises: Fast-growing vertical industries, such as transportation, healthcare, and intelligent manufacturing factories require customized upgrades or a higher bandwidth of cabling infrastructure and network management software. Rosenberger provides diversified solutions to support building private enterprise networks, and passive fiber-optic broadband networks, including last-mile connectivity of high performance and reliability.
- Enabling Edge Computing and Hyperscale Data Centers: Rosenberger’s Data Center solutions provide robust and efficient connectivity, enabling the seamless integration of IT and IoT devices, ensuring reliable data transmission. Our connectivity solutions can also enable the establishment of small-to-medium data centers, cloud, as well as edge-computing networks by bringing computation closer to the data source and reducing latency for real-time applications.
- Prioritizing Eco-Friendly Practices: At Rosenberger, we are deeply committed to protecting the environment using ecologically friendly products, production methods, and processes. Sustainability and environmental responsibility are core values that underpin everything we do. Currently, 63% of our global electricity is generated by renewable energy sources, and we are actively working towards increasing this to at least 85% by 2028. Additionally, our engineering team prioritizes energy efficiency in our product designs, such as our PerConnect EcoFlexIT system, which incorporates the FTT-ACP (fiber to the active consolidation point) concept to achieve up to 50% energy savings in building cabling projects.
Overall, the future of data and its impact on telecom and data center connectivity infrastructure is characterized by rapid technological innovation, increasing demand for high-speed, low-latency connectivity, and the growing importance of security, reliability, and sustainability. At Rosenberger, we are committed to developing innovative connectivity solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers across different industries. The company invests heavily in research and development (R&D) to design and manufacture cutting-edge connectors, cables, and components that enable high-speed data transmission, reliable signal integrity, and robust performance in diverse applications.
On the left is Marc Käumle, Executive Vice President of Rosenberger’s BA of Interconnect
According to Marc Käumle, from mobile communication infrastructure to data centers to broadband networks to industrial automation systems to medical and healthcare equipment, Rosenberger’s interconnect solution plays a pivotal role in facilitating seamless data and power transmission.
What is Rosenberger's perspective on the overall global market outlook, particularly in relation to the Middle East region?
For decades, Rosenberger has been a leading player in the global connectivity solutions market, serving various industries worldwide, including automotive, telecommunications, data communications, industrial, medical, and consumer electronics. Our strong industrial presence and commitment to global sustainability have been instrumental in driving market expansion, particularly in Europe and the Asia Pacific.
Furthermore, we are closely monitoring the global shift towards resilient and sustainable value chains, which presents opportunities for downstream industries in the Middle East and Africa. These regions are experiencing significant infrastructure and construction investments, leading to an increased demand for mobile infrastructure, FTTx networks, scalable data centers, and a rise in consumer electronics manufacturing.
Recognizing the strategic significance of the Middle East in the Eurasian vision and its role in connecting the economies of Europe and Asia, in 2023, we strategically strengthened our local teams across the entire Eurasian region, including the Middle East and Africa. This move aimed to provide professional support and services to our customers with improved lead time.
As investment in digital infrastructure continues to grow and economic digitization advances in the Middle East, we have re-established efficient business teams to better meet the needs of regional customers. Our regional teams collaborate closely with our headquarters in Germany and customer service teams worldwide, supported by production and supply bases in over 30 locations. Our commitment remains focused on enhancing customer satisfaction and implementing our global growth strategy— ‘Think Global, Act Local.’
What growth strategy does the Rosenberger Group employ, and what are its plans for expanding into the Middle East and Africa markets?
Our mission is to be acknowledged among the technology and innovation elite of our sector. The most modern manufacturing technology, the highest possible levels of efficiency in production, and continuous development are our core competencies and guarantee not just fast delivery and strict adherence to delivery dates, but also facilitate the highest demands on product quality. On a corporate, strategic level, we aim to keep our growth momentum at a steady rate, while maintaining cost efficiency efforts with increased vertical integration and operation efficiencies in all our production facilities, to increase profitability.
Despite the increased global competition, localization initiatives, and disruptions in the supply chain, our growth challenge needs to not only defend our current global market share but also increase it. The surge of digital transformation, smart cities, and data consumption worldwide will reportedly enable the electronic equipment and telecom equipment manufacturing markets to grow by a CAGR of around 9% and 6.9% respectively until 2030. This will not only stimulate our R&D capabilities to innovate more and release more innovative and competitive products but also enhance our operational efficiency.
In 2021, Rosenberger established its first manufacturing subsidiary on the African continent— Rosenberger Tunisia— specializing in telecommunications, automotive connectors, and cable assemblies. Committed to meeting the highest quality standards, Rosenberger Tunisia produces reliable products to fulfill customer requirements. Our team continually evaluates opportunities to expand facilities in the region to meet the growing demand.
The second from the right is Olaf Scale, Regional CEO of Rosenberger Asia Pacific, MEA
Olaf Scale, regional CEO of Rosenberger Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa regions, highlighted that the challenge also adds to the strategic value of Rosenberger’s expansion and re-establishment in the Middle East and Africa market, which is considered to be an untapped growth territory for the company. Recognizing the critical role of brand positioning in driving market growth, we have onboarded a dedicated new team to spearhead our efforts in the Middle East and Africa. Our strategy involves expanding and fortifying our local sales presence in key cities across the region, starting with Dubai in the UAE.
Which key products do you intend to emphasize as part of your expansion plan into the Middle East and Africa?
While it's true that global, high-tech companies depend on the precision and reliability of Rosenberger's high-quality products, we strategically invest in continuously developing new products. This investment focuses on leveraging the most advanced manufacturing and business processes, whilst also prioritizing resource conservation and environmental protection. When targeting the Middle East and Africa markets, our initial focus will be on the following product segments:
High Performing Rosenberger Site Solutions
The ongoing exponential demand for wireless networks means mobile operators are under constant pressure to increase capacity. Faced with the prohibitive costs of building new sites, the preferable solution is to improve existing ones. This invariably entails working within limited physical space. At the same time, with the addition of more antennas and connections, keeping Passive Intermodulation (PIM) as low as possible is a prerequisite. Fit-for-purpose connectors, fully optimized for these challenging environments, now play an increasingly pivotal role in ensuring the high-performance transmission of Radio Frequency (RF) signals between base stations or remote radio heads and antennas. Selecting the right connectivity products and solutions (between the BBU/CU/DU, RRU/AAU and antenna) is an essential element to achieve the best network performance.
Rosenberger offers comprehensive high-performing site infrastructure solutions
Rosenberger is committed to developing and supplying the most reliable fiber optic, RF, coax, power and data cabling infrastructures to meet today and tomorrow’s mobile network requirements. Rosenberger provides and up-to-date site connectivity solution which covers both macro cell sites and small cell sites. Rosenberger will help the telecom vendor and operators to realize its target: high capacity, large bandwidth, security and reliability, low latency, and high quality with effective cost. Globally present, the Rosenberger Site Solution offers extensive local support, establishing Rosenberger as a partner instead of a supplier.
Our CellMax high-gain antennas increase base station range and usable network capacity by minimizing interference, improving load-balancing and eliminating PIM, allowing carriers to get the most value from their investment in network and spectrum. They improve KPIs such as drop call rate, call set-up success rate, data throughput, total traffic and more. The increased antenna efficiency— and hence, higher gain— enables significant improvements in urban, rural, and cell-Edge coverage. In an urban environment, the cell Edge is often located indoors and in the center of a cell’s geographical coverage area. At rural sites, it can be at the cell’s maximum range. This improved efficiency has an impact on both uplink and downlink speeds. CellMax high-efficiency antennas are based on a unique, patented technology that allows for 2dB-3dB (56%-100%) higher gain compared to antennas based on traditional technology. This offers up to a 44% geographical coverage increase— equivalent to adding 30% more sites compared to traditional antennas.
Rosenberger Data Center Cabling Solutions
For more than 30 years, Rosenberger has been a trusted provider of highly reliable data center cabling solutions across diverse industries including finance, telecommunications, government organizations, and manufacturing, among others. From medium-sized businesses to Fortune 500 companies, these enterprises rely on Rosenberger's Data Center Cabling Solutions for outstanding performance, reliability, and security in critical data center applications. The introduction of Rosenberger's Pre-Connect trunk system has been pivotal in shaping cabling architecture, reflecting decades of industry-leading expertise in pioneering data center solutions.
As a trailblazer in data center infrastructure cabling, Rosenberger led the industry with the launch of 400G data center cabling solutions in 2019 and continues to innovate with intelligent cabling solutions (including low loss, ultra-low loss, and ultra-high density options) to expedite the deployment of 400G/800G networks.
With the proliferation of technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), big data, and cloud computing, the demand for computational power has surged exponentially, presenting both opportunities and significant challenges for data centers. Rosenberger remains at the forefront of the industry, maintaining world-class standards in areas such as data center cooling requirements, space utilization, and construction efficiency.
Contactless Data and Power Transmission – RoProxCon
Due to increasing automation, more and more electromechanical systems used in industrial plants are being connected to one another. Cables and plug contacts are often under considerable stress, causing cables to deteriorate or even break, and overused plug contacts to fail, resulting in machine downtime. The advantage of contactless transmission is that inflexible electromechanical couplings are no longer required, while radio technology offers a high degree of additional flexibility. For example, at times when systems need to be changed. Previously, however, wireless transmissions using Bluetooth, WLAN, wireless IO-Link, ZigBee, etc. have not always met all the requirements.
RoProxCon is an innovative connection system that bridges construction-related air gaps with high interference immunity. This transmission, realized by radio transceivers in the mmWave range, offers advantages in applications where there are high requirements for low maintenance and freedom-from-wear. With RoProxCon, existing applications can be improved whilst also facilitating the creation of new solutions for previously unrealizable scenarios.
Rosenberger SPE: An Infinite Number of Applications
Single Pair Ethernet (SPE) sets new standards in intelligent communication architecture. Using Power over Dataline (PoDL), parallel high-performance data and power transmission is supported via just one Ethernet wire pair. Originally developed for automotive applications, SPE now delivers the perfect balance of speed, distance, and power delivery for a wide variety of IoT projects. Based on familiar Ethernet and TCP/IP protocols, SPE extends the reach of Ethernet everywhere— including to sensors in the most remote corners of the plant or out in the field. PoDL ensures sufficient wattage output is readily available for powering numerous IoT components and sensors.
Driven by the growing networking demands of IoT and Industry 4.0, the combination of high transmission performance and compact size makes single-pair Ethernet the ideal solution for wired communication infrastructure.
As the world embraces the digital era, Rosenberger's high-performing connectors and solutions are poised to play a pivotal role in driving this global trend forward. In the Middle East and Africa, Rosenberger sees vast growth potential, establishing local sales teams and strategic partnerships. Key products for expansion include site infrastructure solutions, enterprise network solutions, data center cabling solutions, and contactless data and power transmission technologies. These solutions not only meet the evolving needs of customers but also embody Rosenberger's commitment to precision, reliability, and endless pursuit of innovation.
Looking ahead, Rosenberger remains steadfast in its mission to be acknowledged among the technology and innovation elite of the industry. With a relentless focus on research and development, operational efficiency, and customer satisfaction, Rosenberger is poised to shape the future of connectivity solutions and drive sustainable growth in the Middle East, Africa, and beyond.
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