Company
The TÜV NORD GROUP continues to grow – innovating for a safer future
The quest for security is a key issue of our time.
Company
The quest for security is a key issue of our time.
“In view of global geopolitical changes, economic imponderables and technological upheavals such as artificial intelligence, the pursuit of security is a central issue of our time. As an international knowledge and testing group, we are pursuing the strategy of deepening our understanding of new technologies with a view to ensuring their safe use, explaining them to the public at large and certifying them for market use. Our know-how is currently in demand all over the world,” said Chairman of the Board of Management Dirk Stenkamp at the Group’s annual press conference at the Hannover Messe trade show. As examples, he highlighted the protection of critical infrastructures from cyber-digital and physical threats alongside the responsible use of artificial intelligence in mobility, industry and energy supply as well as in space: “In this dynamic and international environment, we succeeded once again in improving our year-on-year results in the 2024 financial year.”
Stenkamp emphasized that, in the face of trade barriers, recessionary economic conditions and ongoing military conflicts, what brings people together is a heightened need for safety and security: “Especially in these times, which are widely perceived as uncertain, our more than 15,000 experts are committed to offering their customers the best possible solutions as their contribution to ensuring security, stability and peace in Europe and worldwide.”
Security cornerstones of the digital world: Cybersecurity and artificial intelligence (AI)
In an increasingly digitally connected world, far from merely being questions of technical progress, the integrity and protection of IT systems are also crucial to global stability and security. With their many years of experience and extensive knowledge base, TÜV NORD teams are helping companies and government agencies to set up and operate secure IT systems and AI technologies. Especially in the case of critical infrastructures, but also to ward off possible cyber-attacks on vehicles, vulnerabilities must be minimised and demanding standards met. Dirk Stenkamp: “IT systems are increasingly being targeted by large-scale hacker attacks. We at the TÜV NORD GROUP are supporting the development of standards and regulations for safe AI applications across many industries. This work is founded on the EU-AI Act, which aims to promote the opportunities of AI while minimising risks and complying with ethical standards.” Since the new NIS-2 EU directive came into force in the autumn of 2024, the European Union has imposed enhanced requirements on the cyber resilience of companies operating in systemically important areas. The TÜV NORD GROUP is supporting many of the medium-sized companies which now fall within the scope of the newly amended law in their efforts to plan and implement the necessary security measures.
Business Units (BU) with a focus on technology and customers
As an international group operating in more than 100 countries, the TÜV NORD GROUP reached a number of important operational milestones which allowed it to further strengthen its business in the 2024 financial year. Here are a few examples:
BU Mobility: The mobility division once again expanded its market position in the field of periodic inspections for vehicles. While the overall market declined, TÜV NORD recorded strong growth and carried out 120,000 more periodic inspections than in the previous year. Also instrumental to this success were the increasing use of digital tools and a consistent focus on customer needs.
BU Industry: TÜV NORD invested 1.2 million euros in a heat pump test rig at its Essen site that is head and shoulders above anything offered by the competition and is set to become the leading European testing service provider in this segment. The BU Industry is thus actively supporting the heating and energy transition.
BU Energy & Resources: TÜV NORD was commissioned by wind turbine manufacturer Mingyang Smart Energy to certify the world’s most powerful offshore wind turbine. With an output of 18 megawatts and a rotor diameter of 260 meters, the turbine sets new standards worldwide.
BU Certification: With the new Low Emission Steel Standard (LESS) certification procedure, European industry will from now on be able to label its steel as being produced with lower emissions. TÜV NORD CERT’s expertise is an integral part of the certification system, which became operational on 1 April 2025.
BU Digital & Semiconductor: Methods for the secure use of quantum communication will be of great importance to industry and public users in the future. In cooperation with project partners, TÜVIT is building a research laboratory in Essen to carry out investigations into the principles of future certifications for components associated with quantum key transmission.
BU People & Empowerment: The TÜV NORD Akademie is consistently focused on digital technologies for vocational qualifications. It is prioritising the integration of virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI) into its seminar programme. To this end, a comprehensive range of courses was created in 2024 which combines face-to-face teaching with e-learning and creates completely new products for immersive, location-independent learning.
Positive key figures for 2024
In the year under review, the TÜV NORD GROUP succeeded in improving its key balance sheet figures. Revenue grew to 1.69 (2023: 1.58) billion euros, an increase of 7.0 percent. Operating profit (EBIT) rose by 6.3 percent to 89.8 million euros (2023: 84.5). The return on revenue as a percentage of EBIT was 5.3 percent, unchanged from the previous year. The investments made amounted to almost 100 million euros. Chief Financial Officer Jürgen Himmelsbach: “In spite of the difficult and uncertain macroeconomic situation, we held up well in 2024. We grew solidly and continuously invested in new technologies and in the expansion of our core services. For the current year, we expect stable balance sheet results, even though we won’t be able to completely buck the underlying economic trend: We’re already seeing that customers are holding back on spending.”
New Group strategy focuses on global growth
With its new HORIZON2030 growth strategy, the TÜV NORD GROUP aims to advance outstanding technological achievements and innovations, expand its international business and create more efficient processes. “Digitalisation will have an even greater impact on our private and economic lives in the future. With new IT systems, digital platforms and the exchange of automated data, we’re looking to improve our processes and make them more efficient for the benefit of our customers,” said Ringo Schmelzer, Chief Operating Officer on the Board of Management. “We’re currently including units in more than 50 countries in these developments.”
The TÜV NORD GROUP expects the greatest development opportunities to be in Asia and North America. With the establishment of a subsidiary in the US state of Minnesota in 2024, TÜV NORD subsidiary ALTER intends to leverage its strong European market position in semiconductor assembly and testing and to have its share in the existing growth potential in back-end semiconductor activities in the US, for example for use in space, aviation and medical technology.
Energy transition and security are key goals for TÜV NORD
Worldwide, but especially in Germany, progress has been made in recent years in reducing CO2 emissions and increasing the use of renewable energies. With its broad-based expertise in technology and safety testing, the TÜV NORD GROUP has contributed to the availability and efficiency of energy systems and safe, sustainable mobility and will continue resolutely to pursue its path to carbon neutrality:
Dirk Stenkamp: “If we are going to achieve the climate targets laid down by politicians, planning and investment security will be crucial for the economy. The availability of public funding will be critical, as will the development of efficient processes through consistent digitalisation in the administrations of the Länder and local authorities to accelerate approval processes for renewable energy projects and coordinate the urgently needed infrastructure renewal in the best possible way.”
New corporate mission statement strengthens cohesion
In recent months, the TÜV NORD GROUP has formulated a new mission statement that unites all its employees worldwide and defines everything it does. Dirk Stenkamp: “Our aspiration to create trust in new technologies is exemplified by our colleagues and motivates them to give their all for their customers every single day. That same ambition is also encouraging many talents to join us. In 2024, we recruited 2,100 new people worldwide for our company, and our total workforce exceeded 15,000 for the first time. Together, we are working to create a world in which the acceptance and marketability of technological developments are reinforced alongside security in challenging times.”
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Founded over 150 years ago, we stand for security and trust worldwide. As a knowledge company, we have our sights firmly set on the digital future. Whether engineers, IT security experts or specialists for the mobility of the future: in more than 100 countries, we ensure that our customers become even more successful in the networked world.
