Kobelco prepares to build on investment to increase European market share

The new European HQ in the Netherlands features a large purpose-built area for machine demonstrations (Image: KHL Group)

During a recent press event in Lelystad, Kobelco Construction Machinery Europe BV discussed its strategy to increase its European market share across mini excavators and heavy equipment from around 6–7% to more than 10%.

In demolition, the OEM has even bigger ambitions, aiming for the top spot to mirror its success in Japan where its purpose-built demolition machines are manufactured.

It plans to achieve these goals through significant investment in facilities and a product strategy focused on specialisation.

“The three main pillars in our strategy are based on being essential through a focus on specialist applications and our new headquarters in Lelystad; being sustainable with a focus on after market development and the partnership with our dealers; and being attractive to new and existing talent, as well as focusing on health and safety,” said Kobelco’s European managing director Takemichi Hirakawa.

Officially opened at the end of January 2026, the new facilities have been built over the past three years on 30,000 sqm of reclaimed land in the new town of Lelystad. They are centrally located some 20 minutes’ drive from Kobelco’s old offices in Almere, and within easy reach of the port of Amsterdam and Schiphol airport.

The modern buildings stretch out over 17,500 sqm to include offices, meeting rooms, warehouses, workshops, a tech centre and a showroom. Known as ‘the swimming pool’, a deep sandpit in the middle courtyard has been reinforced with concrete to allow for machine demonstrations and digging without hitting the high water table typical of the low-lying Dutch landscape here.

There is a new 12,000 sqm warehouse which stores around €16 million worth of parts for excavators and crawler cranes and other inventory. This is more than three times the capacity at the old site in Almere, explained Talal Qudsi, director of the aftersales business unit, during the tour of the facility.

A number of machines were shown at the press event in June (Image: KHL Group)

Using a modern warehouse management system, it is set up for fast order fulfilment, with those placed before 3pm shipped out the same day, and there is plenty of room to grow.

Excavators and other solutions destined for customers are, however, not kept here, but at large storage facilities at the port, which has space for some 1,000 machines.

The company was keen to emphasise that every machine, whether designed for demolition, dismantling, recycling, lifting or forestry, is built at Kobelco’s factories in Japan before being shipped directly to customers.

During the press event, Michel Wierts, business director (UK, ROI, Benelux, Denmark, Czech Rep, Slovakia and Hungary), outlined Kobelco’s dealership network and market penetration across Europe. 

He noted that the OEM is committed to ongoing growth and to making the necessary adjustments, such as in Denmark where a second dealer, Bay Christensen A/S, was appointed in 2025 to increase sales and supply services for the heavy equipment market.

Taking the K-Dive

In his presentation, Olivier Rasmont, who is general manager, product engineering and marketing department, discussed Kobelco’s K-Dive operating system for excavators, which allows operators to control machines remotely sitting in a cockpit that resembles a cab.

The system, demonstrated at Bauma 2025, can manage multiple machines simultaneously and provides a realistic operator experience, complete with the sounds and vibrations of a live site. It was developed in cooperation with Leica Geosystems and Xwatch Safety Solutions.

Rasmont spoke about how K-Dive technology can help address the global shortage of skilled operators and how it is particularly advantageous in hazardous applications such as demolition, toxic waste treatment and similar challenging working conditions.

Kobelco collaborates with Leica Geosystems and Xwatch on its K-Dive technology (Image: Kobelco)

K-Dive is now being integrated into more machines, on models from the 15/18 tonne SK140SR excavator and above. Specifications such as LC/NLC, single boom/2PB/SD etc. are also under consideration, he noted.

In terms of connectivity, the cockpit requires access to the internet and local Wi‑Fi plus connected cameras set up to provide site overview before operation can be started.

Multiple cockpits can work next to each other providing easy communication between operators and full project overview for supervisors.

The initial deployment milestone will be in Ukraine before commercial launch in late 2027. The first K-Dive unit, funded by the Japanese government, is now on its way to Kyiv where it will work on a clearance project that is expected to be operational by the end of the year.

Further units may be deployed to Ukraine next year, while on-site trials are currently underway with customers in Europe.