Connect Group

What Connect Group does

Connect Group N.V. is a Belgian-headquartered Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) provider founded in 1987 in Kampenhout, offering vertically integrated manufacturing across PCB assembly, cable and wire harness assembly, module building, and subsystem integration. The company operates a network of 11 production and sales sites across Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, the Czech Republic, Romania, Mexico, and China, with approximately 2,700 employees and a forthcoming US plant in Atlanta, Georgia. Its proprietary "TiaS (Technology is a Service)" model bundles design, prototyping (Connect Technology Center / Proto Portal), production, testing, and lifecycle management into a single contracted workflow.

Connect Group's customer base is concentrated in regulated, mission-critical verticals — railway, healthcare, automotive and off-road, defense and avionics, infrastructure, and industrial — supported by an unusually dense certification portfolio (ISO 9001, ISO 13485, IATF 16949, AS EN 9100, IRIS/ISO TS22163, EN 17460, EN 15085-2, UL, IPC/WHMA-A-620). 100% workmanship traceability across production is a core selling point for medical and avionics customers. Named Tier-1 relationships include Thales Belgium (defense), Alstom (railway), and ebm-papst (industrial, via the 2021 IKOR acquisition that established the company's Americas and APAC footprint).

The business model is B2B custom manufacturing on a quote-based, multi-year contract cadence: revenue is generated from manufacturing fees, component supply, and value-added services. The Western European Customer Focus Centers provide local-language sales and engineering, while production is concentrated in lower-cost Eastern European facilities (notably the 30,200 m² Oradea plant with 1,400 employees) supplemented by Mexico and China sites serving the Americas and Asia-Pacific. The company is publicly listed on the London Stock Exchange (ticker CNCT) and was ranked #19 in Europe and #77 globally in the EMS & ODM Global 100.

Name

Connect Group

Legal name

Connect Group N.V.

Website

https://connectgroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Connect Group is a Belgian-headquartered, publicly listed Electronics Manufacturing Services provider operating 11 facilities across Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific, delivering PCB assembly, cable assembly, and module building to regulated enterprise customers in railway, medical, automotive, defense, and industrial verticals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electronics Manufacturing Services

NAICS

Electronic Connector Manufacturing (334417), Current-Carrying Wiring Device Manufacturing (335931), Other Communications Equipment Manufacturing (334290), Wiring Device Manufacturing (33593)

SIC

Electronic Components & Accessories (3670), Electronic Connectors (3678), Communications Equipment, Nec (3669), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

PCB Assembly (PCBA/EMS) (HDAHAOAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Connectors & Interconnect Components (Industrial connectors, terminals, sockets, backplane) (IMAGAJAC), Data, Communications & Fiber Optic Cable (IMADAMAD), Data/Apps Connectivity & Adapters (Connectors, Drivers, SDKs) (HDAEAIAK)

Keywords

• Electronics manufacturing services
• PCB assembly
• Cable assembly
• Module building
• Contract manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Kampenhout

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Electronics Manufacturing Services: Full-service EMS provider converting customer products into technological and commercial success through cable assembly, PCB assembly, module building, and subsystem integration. Revenue generated from manufacturing fees, component supply, and value-added services across regulated industries.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Connect Group is an Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) provider that converts customer electronic product designs into finished products through PCB assembly, cable and wire harness assembly, and module building. The company operates 11 production sites across Europe, Asia, and the Americas under its TiaS (Technology is a Service) vertically integrated model, delivering services from design and prototyping through volume production for regulated industries including railway, healthcare, automotive, defense, infrastructure, and industrial sectors.

Product overview

Connect Group is an Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) provider offering an integrated portfolio of manufacturing services across the product lifecycle. The core offerings include PCB Assembly, Cable Assembly, and Module Building, supported by the Connect Technology Center (CTC) for design and prototyping services. Products are delivered through a network of 11 production facilities across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Additional services include the Proto Portal for fast PCBA prototyping and Stocksale for accessing component overstocks. The company operates under a TiaS (Technology is a Service) model, vertically integrating knowledge across all phases of production from design through finished product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CTC (Connect Technology Center): Technology center providing design & development, fast prototyping, production services, and testing services for electronic products.
• Proto Portal

Products and services

• PCB Assembly Printed circuit board assembly services ranging from prototype to series production with 100% workmanship traceability, IPC-A-610 Class II and III standards, and comprehensive testing including AOI, ICT, functional testing, boundary scan, and HASS/HALT.
• Cable Assembly Cable and wire harness assembly from simple cables to complex wiring harnesses with both manual and automated solutions including ultrasonic welding, molding, and braiding capabilities.
• Module Building Integration of cables, electronics and mechanics into complete modules and systems, including rack and cabinet assembly, with full project management and supply chain services.
• Connect Technology Center (CTC) Technology services hub offering Design & Development, Fast Prototyping, Production Services, and Testing, with expertise in industrial controllers, IoT devices, automotive lighting, RF/wireless communication, and embedded cybersecurity.
• Proto Portal (Fast Prototyping) Online electronic prototyping platform enabling customers to upload project data, receive instant quotes, choose component alternatives and batch sizes, with rapid 15-day delivery options via Luminovo integration.
• Stocksale Supply chain service providing access to component overstocks, allowing customers to request available components and submit bids or requests for offers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Ranked #19 in Europe and #77 globally in EMS & ODM Global 100
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• IKORcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2021Connect Group acquired IKOR (electronic circuits EMS for technology companies in Spain, Mexico, and China) in April 2021. The acquisition significantly expanded Connect Group's portfolio and geographical reach, extending global presence across Europe, the Americas, and Asia. ebm-papst (previous owner) retains a minority stake in IKOR shares following the transaction.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• NOTE AB: Swedish mid-tier EMS provider serving industrial, medtech, and defense customers across Northern Europe. Closely comparable to Connect Group in scale, vertical mix, and quality-led positioning.
• Cicor Technologies: Swiss-headquartered EMS and microelectronics provider with operations across Europe, Asia and the Americas serving medical, industrial, and aerospace markets. Comparable vertically integrated EMS with similar regulated-industry certifications.
• Lacroix Electronics: French EMS provider (Lacroix Group subsidiary) with manufacturing in France, Tunisia, Poland and Germany serving automotive, industrial, and aerospace customers. Comparable European mid-tier EMS with multi-country European footprint.
• GPV International: Danish-headquartered EMS provider with European and Asian operations serving industrial, cleantech and medical customers. Comparable mid-tier EMS with box-build and cable assembly capabilities.
• Inission AB: Swedish EMS provider delivering industrial PCBA, cable harness, and box-build assembly across the Nordics. Similar profile in size and breadth of services to a vertically integrated mid-tier EMS.
• Hanza AB: Nordic EMS provider (~1,500 employees) with manufacturing in Sweden, Estonia, Lithuania, Poland and Germany. Comparable in tier, full-service EMS offer (cables, PCBA, box build), and industrial customer base.
• Scanfil plc: Finnish EMS supplier with ~3,500 employees and operations in Europe, Asia, and North America serving industrial, automotive, and medtech customers. Direct multi-vertical peer with similar global footprint model.
• Katek SE: German-headquartered EMS provider with focus on regulated industries including renewable energy, e-mobility, and industrial automation. Comparable mid-tier European EMS with strong DACH customer base overlap.

Broad incumbents

• Flex Ltd: Global Tier-1 EMS (formerly Flextronics) with ~100x Connect Group's scale and broader service portfolio. Competes for the same enterprise contracts in regulated verticals but at fundamentally different scale and global reach.
• Jabil: Global Tier-1 EMS with automotive, healthcare and industrial exposure. Broader and larger incumbent offering similar end-to-end PCBA, cable and module assembly across regulated industries.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/54520

Compliance10 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Connect Group