The ODU Group is one of the leading international manufacturers of connector systems with headquarters in Germany and locations worldwide. The perfect combination of tradition and technological progress enables us to turn our visionary ideas into customized contact solutions.
Whether in medical or military technology, in industry or in the automotive sector - our solutions are as individual as our customers' requirements.
Join us on a short journey through the ODU plants and take a look behind the scenes. See how an idea becomes a real product. No matter where you are in the world or how unusual your application is.
ODU is managed by Dr. Josef Leitner, Dr. Henner Spelsberg and Robert Klemisch. Together they characterize the ODU motto: With creativity, inventiveness, and innovative strength, we actively shape our company’s future and create value for our customers.
Competence and innovation form the foundation of our product world. Even after more than 80 years of experience in the development of connectors and contact systems, ODU continues to set new standards for secure interfaces in various industries:
High-tech connectors that guarantee maximum reliability in medical applications.
Precise solutions for the combination of various transmission types.
Extreme conditions require the highest safety standards.
Versatile solutions for complex industrial applications.
Future-proof contact technologies for the mobility of the future.
As the saying goes, every beginning holds a special kind of magic. The inventor Otto Dunkel quickly recognized the magic behind an everyday observation – and used it to develop the world’s first spring contact.
Otto Dunkel experienced one of his most profound flashes of inspiration when he observed a man sweeping leaves with a twig broom. This moment was nothing less than the birth of the springwire contact.
Analogous to the individual brushwood branches of the broom, Otto Dunkel divided his new contact into lines, i.e., small, individual springs. Like the twigs in the broom, these also expand on contact.
The result was a revolutionary contact – characterised by consistent contact resistance and pressure. Thanks to the new connector, a major shortcoming of the message transmission equipment in use at the time, namely the unreliable plug-in contacts, had finally been overcome.
Otto Dunkel GmbH receives the patent for producing the „spring‐loaded plug pin“ – inspired by a twig broom – known today as „ODU SPRINGTAC®“.
The ODU‐MAC® Modular Rectangular Connector System takes off and quickly becomes an important pillar of the product range.
The ODU MINI‐SNAP® Circular Connector series celebrates a successful market launch.
The new ODU AMC® Circular Connector System is launched.
ODU unveils its proprietary mass interconnect solution – the ODU‐MAC® Black‐Line.
Reliable, robust solutions for a wide range of applications.
Flexible and customizable for specific requirements.
Connectors with high performance and high contact reliability.
Tailor-made connections for maximum individualization.
Global presence of the Group - from Upper Bavaria to the world
Foundation of ODU Austria GmbH
Direct sales in Taiwan, South East Asia and New Zealand via ODU Hong Kong
Founding of ODU Korea Inc.
ODU opens a new production facility in Sibiu, Romania.
ODU opened a new production facility near Tijuana, Mexico.
Foundation of the subsidiary ODU Japan K.K.
Foundation of the subsidiary ODU Italia S.R.L.
Foundation of the subsidiary ODU Denmark ApS
Founding of the Product Development Center (PDC) in Shanghai, China
Foundation of the subsidiary ODU Romania Manufacturing SRL
Foundation of ODU (Shanghai) Connectors Manufacturing Co, Ltd.
Foundation of the subsidiary ODU Scandinavia AB
Foundation of the subsidiary ODU-France SARL
Foundation of the subsidiary ODU-UK Limited
Foundation of the subsidiary ODU-USA, Inc.
Founded by Otto Dunkel