Skip to main content

Swarco founder Manfred Swarovski dies

Manfred Swarovski, founder and CEO of Swarco, has passed away at the age of 77. The company’s executive board confirmed that he died on 13 May. Swarco says it has lost a mastermind who managed to bring his group of companies to world renown in the field of road safety and intelligent traffic management over nearly half a century. The company expressed condolences to Swarovski’s wife Elisabeth, sons Alexander, Philipp and Manfred, and to his brothers and sisters. Swarovski had planned his succession by
May 15, 2018 Read time: 2 mins

Manfred Swarovski, founder and CEO of 129 Swarco, has passed away at the age of 77. The company’s executive board confirmed that he died on 13 May.

Swarco says it has lost a mastermind who managed to bring his group of companies to world renown in the field of road safety and intelligent traffic management over nearly half a century.

The company expressed condolences to Swarovski’s wife Elisabeth, sons Alexander, Philipp and Manfred, and to his brothers and sisters.

Swarovski had planned his succession by handing over his responsibilities to executive board members over the past few years. They will run the company operationally in close alignment with the supervisory board, Swarco said.

The company started in 1969 in Austria with a small factory producing reflective glass beads. Today, the international traffic technology organisation employs 3,700 people and generates annual revenue of €675m.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Five names added to the ITS America’s Hall of Fame
    June 3, 2015
    At the 25th Annual Meeting & Expo, five new names have been added to ITS America’s Hall of Fame: Lawrence Burns, Abbas Mohaddes, Jeffery Paniati, William Powers and Joseph Sussman. Burns is a professor of Engineering Practice at the University of Michigan and for 10 years was vice president of research, development and planning for General Motors. He holds a PH.D in civil engineering, an M.S. in engineering/ public policy and a B.S. in mechanical engineering.
  • Artificial intelligence changes Idemia’s image
    May 13, 2021
    Idemia pledges to make life safer for VRUs with new products based around existing technology, Jean-Paul Baldacci tells Adam Hill
  • US transportation 'needs political leadership'
    November 9, 2012
    Long-time industry leader John Worthington reflects on where transportation in the US is heading – and where it should be going. Interview with Jason Barnes. The US’s new transportation bill reflects much of what is wrong in the sector in general and in ITS in particular, according to John Worthington. While a decision is welcome, he says, it does little more than provide certainty of funding for anything other than day-to-day operations. Worthington, former Chairman and CEO of TransCore, is back in the ITS
  • Car to car communications a step closer
    December 14, 2012
    Vehicle manufacturers have targeted 2015 for the first cars to roll off European assembly lines fitted with operational V2X technology. They and their partners in the Car 2 Car Communications Consortium are confident of meeting the target, reports Jon Masters. Around three years from now vehicles should be appearing in showrooms boasting the capability of communicating with each other. Manufacturers will have started fitting the first proprietary car-to-car driver-aid safety devices and deployment of ‘vehic