Railways, Vito Pertosa's Angel holding company sells Mermec assets to Siemens
The Apulian company is a world leader in high-tech for the railway industry. The party involved in the transaction recorded revenues of around 430 million in 2025, with 1,700 employees
by Marco Morino
The core business of Mermec, the Apulian jewel of railway technology (signalling systems and diagnostic trains), changes hands. Founded in 1970, Mermec is part of Angel, the holding company led by Vito Pertosa that has established itself as one of the most innovative companies in the railway, aerospace and digital mechatronics fields. Specifically, Mermec's railway diagnostics, data analysis and signalling activities have been acquired by German multinational Siemens and will be integrated into the Siemens Mobility division. The parties agreed not to disclose the financial terms of the transaction. Completion of the deal is subject to customary conditions and is expected by the end of 2026. The Mermec business taken over by Siemens recorded revenues of EUR 430 million with 1,700 employees in 2025.
A note from Mermec clarifies that Angel Star, the company that develops Ertms solutions for railway signalling, the French company Compagnie Des Signaux, and the German company Mermec Deutschland are outside the scope of the acquisition and will create Angel Signaling, a company active in railway signalling owned by Angel holding with 800 employees and an order book of around two billion euros. Angel holding will retain a total of around 1,500 employees after the closing.
For the German group, the Mermec transaction allows an 'expansion of Siemens Mobility's industrial presence in Italia' in railway signalling, in which it is a world leader; a 'significant strengthening of Siemens Mobility's global diagnostics portfolio'; and a 'decisive contribution to the achievement of Siemens' revenue growth targets'.
The Ferrosud site in Matera - it is indicated - 'will become an industrial hub for next-generation diagnostics'. Overall, 'the transaction,' the German company explains, 'will significantly strengthen Siemens' global railway portfolio, with a focus on diagnostics and measurement technologies, further expanding its signalling activities, industrial presence, and market access in Italia'. The Apulian company's activities passing to Siemens 'offer services to its customers in more than 70 countries' around the world, notes Siemens Mobility CEO Michael Peter. In Germany, Siemens builds the Ice high-speed trains for the German railways (Deutsche Bahn).
Vito Pertosa, president of Angel holding, comments: 'I sought out a very solid group in the industry to guarantee a serene future for our employees, who have contributed to making Mermec the reality it is today. Joining Siemens will offer them a global reality, strongly focused on innovation and sustainable growth. The transaction will help me invest in the other companies of my industrial holding'.
