CIO Bulletin

BRUGG eConnect: Your Swiss industry leader for industrial cables

BRUGG eConnect is a new business with a long history. Gottlieb Suhner established BRUGG, one of the world’s top cable makers, more than 120 years ago. Strong client orientation and staff’ high degree of competency are what sets the company apart both then and now. Since 1896, they have relied on innovation and top-notch Swiss craftsmanship.

For industries, wind turbines, and e-mobility, BRUGG’s employees design and produce cables and system solutions. Today, they provide comprehensive solutions as well as products. They specialize in the design of Engineer to Order (ETO) cables. In 2020, BRUGG eConnect produced revenues of 21 million francs.

We got in touch with Patrick Kern, CEO, who will further take us through the company’s journey

Q. What is the purpose of starting BRUGG eConnect AG?

When the BRUGG Group defined its new strategic direction and decided to sell the BRUGG Cables division based on this direction. It was realized that an app division would fit in very well with the new strategic orientation, which is also geared towards the energy transition. The management decided to keep this department in the Group BRUGG. For this reason, this app division was separated from BRUGG Cables in November 2019 and BRUGG eConnect was founded, which focuses on the 3 market segments electromobility, wind energy and industry. Today, BRUGG eConnect has the potential to develop into the strongest division of the Group with planned growth.

Q. How has the company changed as time passed? What has the company contributed to the industry over the years?

BRUGG e Connect was one of the pioneers in the production of fast charging cables, at that time still as part of BRUGG Cables. Initially, we supplied leading market players with our cable. We believed in e-mobility and had decided early on to cover another part of the value chain with our own connector. In October 2019, the first charging system was launched shortly before the foundation of BRUGG eConnect. Since then, we have grown steadily and strongly. Sales doubled from 2020 to 2022, to 41.5 million in the meantime. As demand continues to grow, BRUGG eConnect is investing in new production facilities in Switzerland, Poland, and also in the USA. The planned expansion should double production capacity by 2025. With the new production facilities, we will also be able to make further significant improvements in terms of process optimization, automation, and our own CO2 footprint. In terms of sustainability, the goal of the entire BRUGG Group is to be CO2 neutral by 2030 and to achieve Net Zero by 2050.

Q. What is your strategy for innovation? And do your core values support this?

Innovation is an integral part of our mission. BRUGG eConnect regularly holds strategy seminars with the key people in the company to discuss the latest market trends and challenges facing our customers and end users. This always gives us starting points for innovations, which are then evaluated and further developed according to the Design Thinking approach.

Q. How do you give your best to support the growth of executives and their companies?

Due to the enormous growth, our organization has already had to adapt several times. Something very nice about the entire BRUGG eConnect is that the long-term employees take the initiative and have contributed a lot to the further development, and are further developed through training as well as education and thus also receive opportunities for promotion.

Q. How has innovation helped the company grow over the years?

We are a young company with old roots. Innovation and best quality have always determined our raison d’être. In order to operate a production site in Switzerland, innovations are a decisive factor, because labor costs and all other costs are much higher in Switzerland than in other countries.

Q. Let’s talk about your offerings. What are your products and services and how are they unique?

Charging speed plays a crucial role in the adaptation of electric vehicles. Technological developments are advancing rapidly in terms of the speed of a charge. Today, depending on the car model and charging capacity, it takes between 15 and 30 minutes to charge the batteries at a high power charging station. Our PURWIL High Power Charging Cable with the CCs-2 Classic or Compact plug is ideal for this purpose. This is where we stand out from the competition, as we offer the charging system with the best performance in the uncooled range. New charging stations with cooled charging systems will be able to charge electric vehicles in less than 10 minutes. Our PURWIL High Power Charging Cables 850+, which is cooled with the environmentally friendly water glycol solution, is ideal for this purpose.

In October 2022, BRUGG eConnect unveiled its latest coup: the so-called Megawatt Charging System (MCS) was developed for use with all types of heavy-duty vehicles used in a wide range of industries - specifically also for use with battery-electric trucks. There are now many charging stations for electric passenger cars - but only a few exist for trucks. This is a gap in the market - because every minute counts in the highly competitive logistics market, powerful fast-charging stations are in demand. For example, the batteries of trucks can be charged while they are being loaded with goods.

Based on the new connector specification (MCS), BRUGG eConnect, together with the Swiss engineering group Caovtec, has developed a cooled MCS charging system that enables charging currents for the first time of up to 3,000 kilowatts (kW) - a world first.

In the meantime, interested customers can order the prototype from us for their own test trials.

Short bio of Patrick Kern

Patrick Kern is the CEO of BRUGG eConnect, with over 25 years of experience in the cable industry. In 2018, as the then Head of the Industrial Cable Systems business segment, he already saw the potential of e-mobility and became strongly involved in the development of charging system solutions. In November 2019, he took over the management of the start-up BRUGG eConnect, which is an extension of BRUGG Cables AG.

In this brief time, BRUGG eConnect has become the technology leader in DC fast charging systems. He wants to contribute with his team through innovation to the faster adaptation of electric mobility among the general population, faster charging, and a better charging infrastructure.

Patrick is the BRUGG Group’s prime example of internal development. He started in the company with a commercial apprenticeship and is now CEO of a division that has impressed with its annual growth rates since its founding.