Neubiberg, Germany, 3 June 2025 – Symeo GmbH is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Thanks to its patented LPR® (Local Positioning Radar) technology, the company has evolved from a Siemens research project into a leading global supplier of industrial radar sensors. The robust sensor solutions are primarily used in demanding environments such as ports, steelworks, bulk goods logistics, or mining.
The foundation stone was laid in 2001: A sensor technology project at Siemens led to the first patents in the field of radar technology and a pilot customer from the steel industry. Symeo GmbH, based in Neubiberg near Munich, was founded in 2005. Just one year later, the company presented its first standard product: a radar sensor for distance measurement that operates in the 5.8-GHz range. In the early years up to 2010, large-scale automation projects in global ports were made possible for the first time thanks to innovative radar solutions. Especially in environments that are harsh, dirty, or exposed to the elements, radar technology has been a key factor in driving digital transformation. The fact that these projects are still in operation demonstrates the sustainability and reliability of the technology over the past 20 years. Selected projects included equipping the vehicle fleet of Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG, the complex collision avoidance project at voestalpine AG, and countless automated cranes in steelworks around the world.
Additional Patents
Products in the 61- and 24-GHz range were added, as were further patents: Symeo has filed more than 120 patents to date. 2017 saw a further innovation boost with the development of a multi-channel radar (MIMO). The following year, the company became part of Analog Devices and has been part of the indie Inc. group of companies since 2022. In 2023, Symeo presented its first radar sensor in the 120-GHz range. Last year, Symeo presented the concept of a new imaging radar.
The anniversary year 2025 is all about functional safety: Certification of LPR-SAFE, the only industrial radar solution for implementing functional safety in accordance with EN ISO 13849 PLd, is imminent.
“Over the past two decades, our radar technology has helped customers overcome numerous challenges. We have made helicopters land safely, assisted in locating large container vehicles, powered real-time logistics in steelworks, parked bus fleets in large cities, reliably measured distances in Mongolia in the coldest ambient temperatures, prevented countless collisions in heavy industry, equipped around 10,000 locomotives with telemetry technology, facilitated the processing of sludge and the industrial sorting of potatoes, and even located herds of horses. Exciting projects like these inspire us and our partners every day to find solutions for our customers based on new innovations,” says Dr. Peter Gulden, Managing Director of Symeo GmbH. “The future needs digital data in the most challenging environments, and radar technology will play a crucial role in high-resolution imaging and sensor fusion. We are working hard on this and will do our part!”