PARIS, FRANCE: Groupe Gorgé has submitted a non-binding indicative offer for the acquisition of iXblue, whose activities in maritime, defense, hydrography and drones are complementary to those of its subsidiary ECA Group, which specializes in autonomous robotics.

The two companies have been working together for several years, notably on the Belgian-Dutch program. A merger would be likely to generate very significant synergies.

The Group would not have recourse to a capital increase if it were selected for this transaction. Such acquisition would be carried out by a newly created holding company, which would also own ECA after the contribution of Groupe Gorge and which would have funds provided by an investor and by debt.

As ECA and iXblue have comparable enterprise values, Groupe Gorgé would hold a significant majority stake alongside this financial investor and the management.

Groupe Gorgé will only communicate on the aftermath of this project to the extent necessary and in accordance with the confidentiality required for a process of this type.

Groupe Gorgé is a high-tech industrial group driven by a strong entrepreneurial culture. The Group is present in 3D printing, drones, engineering, and protection systems and employs nearly 1,850 people. The Group generated revenue of €231 million in 2020. www.groupe-gorge.com