German-listed MS Industrie is acquiring a controlling stake in Serbian precision-engineering company IDAS, with its wholly owned MS XTEC subsidiary agreeing to purchase 51% of the manufacturer based in Mol, northern Serbia. Existing shareholder will retain a 49% stake. The purchase price was not disclosed.
IDAS manufactures high-precision metal components, industrial modules and assemblies, particularly for pharmaceutical packaging and process equipment. The Serbian company generated approximately €8.5 million in revenue in 2025 and employs about 190 people. IDAS is expected to be included in MS Industrie’s consolidated accounts.
MS XTEC expands industrial manufacturing network
MS XTEC manufactures components and systems for heavy-duty engines, hybrid and electric powertrains, construction machinery and other industrial applications. The acquisition will bring IDAS into MS Industrie’s European industrial network, adding its precision-machining and manufacturing capabilities to the group’s existing operations.
For IDAS, integration into the German industrial group provides access to a wider customer network while retaining its existing manufacturing operation in Serbia. The transaction gives MS Industrie control of an operating manufacturer with an established workforce, customer base and production capabilities rather than involving the construction of a new production facility.
Acquisition adds a different form of industrial investment
The transaction represents a different structure from the greenfield projects that have featured prominently in Serbia’s foreign direct investment model. Instead of establishing a new factory, a European industrial group is acquiring a majority position in an existing Serbian manufacturer that has already developed its production and engineering capabilities.
Such transactions provide a route for foreign capital to enter Serbian industry through established companies as locally owned manufacturers develop and shareholders consider strategic partnerships or succession arrangements.
IDAS deal reflects deeper manufacturing integration
Serbia has spent more than a decade attracting foreign manufacturing investment through labour availability, competitive operating costs, infrastructure development and investment incentives. The IDAS transaction places emphasis on the manufacturing and engineering capabilities already developed by a Serbian company and its position within international industrial value chains.
The 51% acquisition therefore adds a cross-border ownership transaction to Serbia’s industrial investment activity, alongside the country’s established model of attracting new production facilities. MS Industrie’s purchase of control of IDAS brings an established Serbian precision-engineering manufacturer into a broader European industrial group while the existing shareholder retains 49%.
