MUNICH, Germany (Reuters) - German industrial group Siemens
Siemens wants to give the investment-hungry unit independence within the group, creating standalone companies in major markets that will be capable of holding their own licences for products such imaging equipment independently of Siemens AG.
The move paves the way for a possible a spin-off of the 12 billion-euro ($13 billion) business, which faces a paradigm shift towards molecular biology and biotechnology.
Siemens, whose core operations are business-to-business, is also increasingly threatened by technology firms like Google
Chief Executive Joe Kaeser has said the healthcare unit will not be floated this year, and trade unions say he has promised to keep the global headquarters in Germany. The unit employs about 11,000 people in Germany, a quarter of its total staff.
The sources said, however, Siemens may not keep 100 percent ownership of the business, and could use healthcare shares as currency for acquisitions.
($1 = 0.9073 euros)
(Reporting by Irene Preisinger; Writing by Georgina Prodhan, editing by William Hardy)
