New Siemens healthcare unit to start in May - sources

MUNICH, Germany (Reuters) - German industrial group Siemens will house its German healthcare operations in a standalone unit in the form of a GmbH legal entity on May 1, two sources with knowledge of the matter said.

Siemens wants to give the investment-hungry unit independence within the group, creating standalone companies in major markets that will be capable of holding their own licences for products such imaging equipment independently of Siemens AG.

The move paves the way for a possible a spin-off of the 12 billion-euro ($13 billion) business, which faces a paradigm shift towards molecular biology and biotechnology.

Siemens, whose core operations are business-to-business, is also increasingly threatened by technology firms like Google and Samsung who give more diagnostics control to consumers through apps and other software.

Chief Executive Joe Kaeser has said the healthcare unit will not be floated this year, and trade unions say he has promised to keep the global headquarters in Germany. The unit employs about 11,000 people in Germany, a quarter of its total staff.

The sources said, however, Siemens may not keep 100 percent ownership of the business, and could use healthcare shares as currency for acquisitions.

($1 = 0.9073 euros)

(Reporting by Irene Preisinger; Writing by Georgina Prodhan, editing by William Hardy)