01/03/2023 - Press release COPA-DATA CEE/ME reports strong growth in Mid and Central Europe and the Middle East

In Central and Eastern Europe and the Middle East, Salzburg-based software manufacturer COPA-DATA benefits from the persistent mega-trends of automation, digitalization, and sustainability. In 2022, revenues of the COPA-DATA CEE/ME subsidiary across more than 30 countries in the region rose by more than 20 percent to a record-beating approx. 6.4 million euros. Over the same period, the company was recognized with several awards and became carbon neutral. Digitalization and sustainability will continue to be the main focus of product innovation and solution sales to maintain this growth through 2023.

Sustainable digitalization spurs growth

More and more manufacturers, energy suppliers and infrastructure operators use the zenon software platform to monitor and control their equipment with ease and maximum transparency. This software platform from Salzburg-based COPA-DATA enables organizations to build holistic control and management systems for machines, plant sections, and control systems from various manufacturers, facilitating efficient, flexible, and resilient plant operations.

Solid revenue increase

“In 2022, we topped the results of 2021, our hitherto most successful fiscal year,” said Johannes Petrowisch, General Manager at COPA-DATA CEE/ME. “Revenue grew by more than 20 percent or 1.12 million euros to nearly 6.4 million euros.”

With this, the sales subsidiary significantly contributed to the strategic goal of doubling COPA-DATA group revenues within five years by the end of 2026. The international consulting firm i5invest valued the company at more than one billion US dollars in 2022, based on the technology value of the zenon software platform. It classified the business as the only “unicorn” in the state of Salzburg. “We are very proud of this rating as it emphasizes COPA-DATA’s innovation leadership in the field of industrial automation. However, despite this unicorn status, I would like to stress that COPA-DATA will continue to remain an independent family business,” Johannes Petrowisch commented.

Sustainability spurs growth

To facilitate continued growth, COPA-DATA continues to increase its staff. The company has invested in an additional office building, which opened in 2022. It provides 120 state-of-the-art workspaces at the headquarters in Salzburg, Austria. The building boasts top energy efficiency and sustainability ratings, thanks, in part, to its zenon-based building automation and energy data management system. This sustainability agenda was also reflected in COPA-DATA CEE/ME’s planting of 200 trees in five countries during the last year.

“Sustainability is among our main concerns as a carbon-neutral company,” Johannes Petrowisch emphasized. “We owe our growth in 2022 to zenon’s ability to enable our customers to utilize digitalization in their transformations toward more sustainable production.”

A healthy mix of countries and industries

Within the COPA-DATA CEE/ME sales area, Austria was the biggest market, accounting for 60 percent of revenue. The remaining contribution was equally made by Eastern Europe and the Middle East. The end of pandemic-driven uncertainties in these regions led to above-average growth in 2022.

Across the entire sales region, the industry focus lies in Energy & Infrastructure, which accounts for about 50 percent of business. One third of the business is in manufacturing. System integrators account for around half of the licenses sold in 2022. The rest went to end users, OEMs and machine manufacturers. The business also welcomed another ten companies to the COPA-DATA CEE/ME2022 partner network in 2022.

Bright prospects for 2023

“Our growth rate shows no signs of slowing,” Petrowisch said. “In 2023, we expect another year of two-digit growth in revenue.” To support this sustained growth, COPA-DATA CEE/ME plans to expand its staff count in Salzburg, Poland and Saudi Arabia. External recognition in 2022 reflects the company’s strong position to attract talent. COPA-DATA was elected Salzburg’s best family business. And it won third place in the "Excellent Apprenticeship Company" competition, competing against about 250 applicants, awarded by the Salzburg Chamber of Commerce.
COPA-DATA expects to launch the next release of its software platform, zenon 11, in mid-2022. Functionally, key advances will include additional support for the Linux operation system, web-based user interfaces and the IoT. COPA-DATA will place emphasis on enhancing the location-independent operation of distributed assets and on digitalization as an enabler toward more sustainability in energy supply and production.