schreef:
The details of Youngman’s ownership in the Phoenix platformOn September 12th, 2011, Saab sent out a press-release regarding a technology license agreement with Youngman in which Youngman was supposed to obtain non-exclusive rights to the 12 modules of the platform for a sum of 70 Million Euro as well as a part of the technology license transfer provide a guarantee for its payment of the license, this payment was only partly performed. Part of the agreement was also that Youngman was supposed to provide bridge funding to Saab Automobile at a sum of 245 million Euro which was never paid either.
In the autumn of 2011 Youngman wanted some form of security for its payments into Saab since Saab was so close to bankruptcy at the time. The unions had already twice been forced to ask Saab to enter bankruptcy in order to pay for the wages owed. The management of Saab decided to take the phoenix platform which was only 65% finished at the time in to 5 segments comprising of 12 modules. An approximate amount of about 130-150 Million Euro’s had been spent on the platform to that date and another 100 Million Euro over a period of 12-14 months was needed in order to complete the development work of the platform itself.
The platform was designed in a special way which is best described as a unique language and in order to use the documentation of the platform, one needs to be able to read that language. On top of that special software was used for the development. In order to make use of the documentation one must have the people who can read the language and one must have the software to continue the development, Youngman was provided with neither. At meetings where engineers from Saab and Youngman met to discuss the systems, the impression of Youngman’s engineers technical skills (who were not used to develop cars, rather only trucks and busses) by the Saab engineering teams were not good as described by one of the engineers present at one of the meetings.
To our knowledge Youngman never paid for nor obtained more than 2 of the 12 modules to the Phoenix platform, the total amount paid by Youngman was a sum of 10 million USD (at the time about 6,5 million Euro). The 2 modules bought by Youngman were drivetrain and another non-significant module. The most important segment of the whole platform is the Body-to-powertrain integration module and this part was NOT obtained by Youngman.
To sum things up, Youngman owns two modules which are completed to 65% only and they have neither the people nor the instruments to utilize the information contained within these modules. On top of that none of the modules are of a significant nature.