During 2001, an ABB entity pled guilty for bid rigging; the firm has also had three US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act bribing resolutions against it; in 2004, 2010, and 2022.

[citation needed] During 1995, ABB agreed to merge its rail engineering unit with that of Daimler-Benz of Germany; the goal of this arrangement was to create the world's largest maker of locomotives and railway cars.

[21] A few months following the start of the 1997 Asian financial crisis, ABB announced plans to accelerate its expansion in Asia as well as to improve the productivity and profitability of its Western operations.

[24] During 1999, as a final step in the integration of the companies formerly known as ASEA and BBC, the directors unanimously approved a plan to create a unified, single class of shares in the group.

[citation needed] That same year, ABB completed its purchase of Elsag Bailey Process Automation, a Netherlands-based maker of industrial control systems, in exchange for $2.1 billion.

[30][31] At the same time, ABB's board announced it would seek the return of money "paid in excess of obligations to Goran Lindahl and to Percy Barnevik," two former chief executive officers of the group.

[41] In November 2008, ABB acquired Ber-Mac Electrical and Instrumentation to expand its presence in Western Canada's oil and gas industries.

[43] During July 2010, ABB in Cary, North Carolina received a $4.2 million grant from the US federal government to develop energy storing magnets.

[45] On 1 July of that year, the company announced its acquisition of Epyon B.V. of the Netherlands, an early leader in the European EV-charging infrastructure and maintenance markets.

[47] On 30 January 2012, the company announced the acquisition of Thomas & Betts, a North American specialist in low voltage products for industrial, construction and utility applications, in a $3.9 billion cash transaction.

[citation needed] On 6 July 2017, ABB announced it had completed its acquisition of Bernecker + Rainer Industrie-Elektronik (B&R), the largest independent provider of product and software-based open-architecture for industrial automation.

[65][66] In January 2024, ABB acquired Real Tech, a prominent Canadian company specializing in innovative optical sensor technology for real-time water monitoring and testing.

[69] In 1990, ABB launched Azipod, a family of electric propulsion systems that extends below the hulls of large ships, providing both thrust and steering functions.

Supplying electricity to berthed ships from the shore enables vessels to shut down their engines while in port, significantly reducing noise, vibrations and carbon emissions.

[75][76][77] Jean-Luc Favre, head of Rail ISI, discussed the promising role of improved electric transport technology in ABB.

The business has strong exposure to a range of rapidly growing segments, including renewables, e-mobility, data centers and smart buildings.

[citation needed] Its offerings include electric vehicle chargers, modular substations, distribution automation; products to protect people, installations and electronic equipment from overcurrents such as enclosures, cable systems and low-voltage circuit breakers; measuring and sensing devices, control products, switches and wiring accessories.

[citation needed] The acquisition of GE Industrial Solutions, which was completed in June 2018, further strengthened ABB's #2 global position in electrification.

[55] ABB's Motion business area provides a range of electrical motors, generators, drives and services, as well as integrated digital powertrain solutions.

[81] In September 2023, it was announced ABB Motion had acquired a minority stake in the Burlington-headquartered wind turbine analytics software company, WindESCo.

The Robotics & Discrete Automation business has been positioned to capture the opportunities associated with the "factory of the future" by providing services for flexible manufacturing and smart machinery.

[citation needed] The Power Grids business area offered components for the transmission and distribution of electricity, and incorporated ABB's manufacturing network for transformers, switchgear, circuit breakers, and associated high voltage equipment such as digital protective relays.

In July 2021, ABB confirmed the sale of its mechanical power transmission business, Dodge, to American company RBC Bearings Incorporated for $2.9bn.

[97] In 1995, ABB Derby built 16 four-car Class 325 electric freight multiple units for the Royal Mail to replace their ageing fleet of parcels carriages.

[98] During the mid-1990s, in a bid to expand their international portfolio, both the Derby and York plants completed a number of ABB Eurotram light rail vehicles for the Strasbourg tramway in France.

[100] The last trains to roll off the production line at ABB York were an order for 41 four-carriage Class 365 electric multiple units for Connex South Eastern and West Anglia Great Northern services between 1994 and 1995.

In the meantime, ABB Chairman Peter Voser was appointed interim CEO on 17 April 2019, succeeding Ulrich Spiesshofer, who stepped down after five-and-a-half years.

The largest single stake in the firm is held by the Swedish investment company Investor AB, controlled by the Wallenberg family, which holds 12.9%.

[110] In December 2022, ABB was charged by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) in a bribery scheme in South Africa.

[111] ABB paid more than $37 million in bribes to a high-ranking Eskom official to influence contracts awarded by the state-owned electric utility company for work on the Kusile Power Station project between 2014 and 2017.