Finland's Nokia signs agreement to sell industrial private network business, involving nearly 900 customers

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On October 13, Finland-based communications equipment company Nokia announced that it has signed a final agreement with investment firm AURELIUS to sell its Enterprise Campus Edge (ECE) business, with the transaction expected to be completed in the first half of 2027. The scope of the sale includes enterprise private wireless networks, industrial devices, on-site operational technology edge computing platforms, and industrial software applications. ECE currently serves nearly 900 enterprise customers worldwide, covering industries such as manufacturing, mining, logistics, airports, ports, and power generation.

Under the transaction agreement, the ECE business will be transferred to an independent operation under AURELIUS. The asset scope covers industrial private 4G/5G wireless communication solutions, industrial terminal devices, operational technology edge computing and micro-edge computing systems deployed at enterprise sites, as well as accompanying software applications. The relevant platforms support connecting device assets at industrial sites, collecting and processing operational technology data, and providing local computing and data processing capabilities for industrial automation and artificial intelligence applications.

ECE business customers span multiple industrial sectors, including manufacturing plants, mines, logistics centers, airports, ports, and power generation facilities. The on-site data processing platform provided by this business can run industrial applications within enterprise facilities, involving use cases such as device connectivity, operational data management, industrial automation, and on-site safety management. AURELIUS plans to continue operating the existing industrial private network and edge computing product portfolio after completing the acquisition, and to incorporate industrial AI automation into its future product development direction.

As agreed by both parties, the closing of the transaction is subject to applicable regulatory approval conditions and the completion of necessary employee representative information and consultation procedures in the relevant jurisdictions. Existing ECE employees are expected to transfer with the business at closing in accordance with local laws and relevant procedures. Nokia and AURELIUS are coordinating existing customer services, employee arrangements, and business transition work to maintain service continuity during the transaction period.

In this transaction, PwC Germany served as Nokia's M&A and transaction services advisor, and Roschier served as legal advisor. Nokia Chief Corporate Development Officer Konstanty Owczarek confirmed that the company will reallocate capital and resources in accordance with its established business portfolio adjustment plan; Fabian Steger, Managing Director of AURELIUS Fund IV and V, identified enterprise private 5G and industrial edge computing as key business areas after the acquisition.