MONOPOLIES OFFICIALS of the European Union (EU) have given the all-clear for the founding of a defence-optronics joint venture by Daimler-Benz Aerospace (DASA) and the Carl Zeiss Group.

The new venture will be called Zeiss-Eltro Optronic, and will be based at Oberkochen in Germany, with a second site at Ulm. The company ownership is divided equally between the two partners.

With an initial workforce of 250, the partners expect the new company to have a turnover of some DM200 million ($145 million).

The partners signed an agreement in May to found the company, but needed EU clearance to go ahead with the business.

Source: Flight International