STUTTGART, GERMANY – Dekra and iST Group have formed a joint venture to conduct PCB reliability testing and failure analysis in Taiwan and mainland China.

Under terms of the agreement, Dekra will hold a 51% share in Dekra iST Reliability Services.

Integrated Service Technology's (iST) reliability testing and failure analysis business divisions will form the basis of the operation, which will study printed circuit boards, assemblies, electronic modules and systems with a focus on automotive, IT, telecommunication and LED lighting applications. The JV employs around
110 people and runs laboratories in Hsinchu, Taiwan, as well as Kunshan, China.

"This is a key transaction for Dekra's product testing business in Asia because it allows us to enhance our service offering for customers in strategic markets," says Ivo Rauh, the Dekra SE management board member responsible for the Dekra Industrial business unit. "Our customers will increasingly benefit from our safety know-how, even as early as the R&D stage. The testing services offered by Dekra, the access to international manufacturers and the procedures in place at iST complement each other perfectly."

No other financial terms of the agreement were disclosed.