The Materna IT group, which specialises in IT consultancy and digitalisation projects, further demonstrated its financial strength last year with a 21.5 per cent increase in group turnover (20 per cent organic growth) to a total of 673 million euros. EBIT also showed a positive trend. In addition to its financial performance, Materna was able to further strengthen its market position. With a record increase of more than 630 employees, the group now has around 4,400 staff worldwide, underlining the company’s appeal as an employer.
“Our growth is stable and significantly exceeds the industry average. We aim to sustain this positive trend in the long term,” explains Michael Hagedorn, CEO of the Materna Group. “With the launch of our GRIP2 corporate strategy at the end of last year, we have set ourselves ambitious targets which we are pursuing with determination.”
The aim is to increase turnover to one billion euros by 2027 and to further consolidate and expand Materna’s market-leading position through the use of artificial intelligence (AI). As a trusted partner, Materna provides guidance to its clients – both businesses and public authorities – in adapting AI across all specialist areas. “Our goal is continuous growth with a clear focus on our employees,” emphasises Hagedorn. “As a family-run business, it is important that every individual has the opportunity for personal development. This strengthens our ability to develop innovative solutions for our customers together.”
Innovative strength through AI: Materna sets new standards with Aleph Alpha and Bundesbots
Particularly noteworthy is Materna’s rapid success in the field of AI, where the company has already launched numerous projects with renowned partners. The recently established Platinum partnership with Aleph Alpha highlights Materna’s innovative strength, with Aleph Alpha’s language models being utilised for the development of AI applications. These applications are implemented for the public and private sectors with the help of the Materna Generative AI Factory.
The trend towards the digitalisation of public administration remains strong. Driving forces such as the e-file, the digitalisation of specialist procedures and the modernisation of registers contributed significantly to the 30 per cent year-on-year growth in the Public Sector division. “Digital technologies are the key to efficient and modern administration,” explains Michael Hagedorn. “It is gratifying to see how we can support public authorities in successfully shaping the path to digital administration, both internally and in their dealings with their customers. AI is now enhancing this process even further.”
One key project is the Federal Services Consolidation, in which Materna is implementing AI-powered chatbots, known as ‘Bundesbots’. These complement existing communication channels and enable the automated provision of information and services from the federal administration, as well as the automated response to enquiries.
Materna expands mobile solutions for digital transformation
With the growing demand for innovative solutions in the wake of digital transformation, Materna is increasingly focusing on the development and provision of mobile applications for public authorities and businesses. With SecurePIM from Materna Virtual Solution, the group offers a successful and well-established solution for securing ultra-mobile communication on iOS and Android. By integrating the app developer Brace Enterprise into the newly created Mobile Solutions department, the Materna Group has further strengthened its development capabilities in order to offer a broad range of services and bespoke solutions for its customers’ digital transformation.
SAP consultancy business remains a key pillar
The Materna Group’s consultancy business in the field of SAP-based enterprise solutions for industrial clients, delivered by cbs Corporate Business Solutions, recorded revenue growth of around 21 per cent last year. This growth is being driven by the digital transformation in the manufacturing industry, which is aiming to introduce globally standardised and flexible business process platforms. With the acquisition of projekt0708, a specialist in human capital management, cbs has expanded its offering to include human resources (HR) solutions, such as the SAP SuccessFactors cloud solution. The Materna Group is thus strengthening its comprehensive portfolio in the areas of employee experience and HR.
ServiceNow and agineo are driving growth in Enterprise Service Management
In the field of Enterprise Service Management, partnerships with BMC, OpenText and ServiceNow are driving business growth, with ServiceNow standing out as the main revenue driver. As a comprehensive platform, the technology provider offers IT departments detailed solutions for IT service management and supports a wide range of business functions and specialist processes. agineo, a subsidiary of the Materna Group specialising in the agile implementation of service processes using ServiceNow technologies, recorded impressive growth of 50 per cent last year and has established itself as a market leader in Germany.
A key factor in this growth was the successful deployment of ServiceNow in the public sector, which was further strengthened by the successful launch of the business unit’s internationalisation. Uwe Scariot, the Materna Group board member responsible for this area, therefore emphasises the aim of intensifying cooperation with ServiceNow: “ServiceNow is evolving into a central platform that connects seamlessly via interfaces with software from, for example, SAP, Salesforce, Microsoft and Oracle. With the ServiceNow AI solution Now Assist, which integrates other market-leading AI systems, organisations can make their business processes significantly more efficient. Materna brings in-depth expertise in both ServiceNow and a range of specialist areas, including the public sector, logistics, human resources and various security solutions, thereby ideally complementing ServiceNow as the ‘platform of platforms’. This makes us ideal partners.”
Materna Radar Cyber Security adapts to dynamic market conditions and focuses on innovation
Cyber security also remains an important growth area for the Materna Group, which offers comprehensive end-to-end solutions in this field. “In light of new regulatory requirements, sophisticated attackers and the use of AI, innovative and rapidly adaptable solutions are in demand,” explains Uwe Scariot. Materna Radar Cyber Security is responding to this with a strengthened management team and a focus on innovation to meet dynamic market conditions. “We are expanding our offering by utilising standard products and technologies and deepening our partnerships with leading technology providers such as Elastic to meet growing demands,” says Uwe Scariot.
Investments in innovation strengthen market position
In 2023, the Materna Group invested around 40 million euros in innovation, with a significant portion going towards staff training in key technologies such as ultra-mobile communication and cyber security. In addition, the Group strengthened its core competencies in the HR sector through the acquisition of projekt0708. “We are strengthening our position in strategic core areas in a highly targeted manner. Thanks to our robust capital structure, the Materna Group is able to finance all transactions from its own resources, independently of the capital market, which ensures a high degree of financial flexibility even in changing market conditions,” says René Rüdinger, CFO of the Materna Group.
The successful business performance supports the continuation of GRIP2. “We are focused on rigorously implementing our corporate strategy. The aim is to make the best possible use of market opportunities through continuous innovation, the expansion into new markets and the effective utilisation of synergies within the Materna Group,” explains Michael Hagedorn.
Materna sets a new milestone with its innovative headquarters in Dortmund
This strategic direction is also supported by the forthcoming infrastructure expansions. The construction of the new corporate headquarters in Dortmund is in its final phase of completion. With an investment of 120 million euros and more than 1,800 modern workstations, the new headquarters meets the highest energy standards and incorporates advanced e-mobility concepts for staff. Further highlights include the spacious visitor centre, a landscaped staircase and a ‘green centre’, as well as a sky lounge with a roof terrace. The move to the Phoenix-West Innovation and Technology Park is scheduled for June 2024, marking another milestone in Materna’s corporate history.
