Sales revenues of the Carl Zeiss Group rose by seven per cent to €2,604 million. The growth posted for EbIT (Earnings before Interest and Taxes) increased by 26 per cent to €394 million. According to Kurz, Zeiss AG is thus continuing the series of successes that has lasted for four years. The company generated around 83 per cent of its revenues outside Germany and grew in Europe and Asia in particular in fiscal year 2006/2007. With a total of € 2.7 billion, incoming orders reached a record level and have risen by seven percent over the excellent figures recorded last year.

Spending on research and development rose to €290 million or eleven per cent of revenues. “We generate almost 60 per cent of our revenues with products that are not more than five years old. In other words, we succeed turning our ideas into market success very quickly,” Kurz explained.

On the balance sheet date (30 September), the Carl Zeiss Group had 12,257 employees across the globe, with 4,292 working outside Germany. This is equivalent to 1,000 (nine per cent) more than last year. During the fiscal year 2006/2007, Carl Zeiss created more than 500 new jobs worldwide, including around 360 in Germany.

The Medical Systems Group, which consists predominantly of the company Carl Zeiss Meditec AG, generated revenues of €638 million (last year: €631 million). The business group achieved a substantial improvement in earnings in the past fiscal year. In terms of revenue, Carl Zeiss Meditec AG is among Europe’s largest stocks specialized solely in the field of medical technology. Since March 2007, it has been listed in the TecDax technology index of the German Stock Exchange.

With revenues of €323 million (last year: €340 million), the Microscopy Group fell short of expectations in the 2006/2007 fiscal year. The decline is attributable to research budget cutbacks by public authorities, as well as to the effects of currency exchanges. The business group is continuing to pursue ambitious goals and is investing in the future; research and development activities have been intensified. With the acquisition of the equipment business of the American diagnostics specialist Clarient, the group has strengthened its activities in the field of clinical diagnostics.

Further business divisions include: the Semiconductor Technology Group (revenues: €1,024 million, up 21 per cent compared to the year before), the Industrial Metrology Group (revenues: €316 million, up 14 per cent) and Consumer Optics/Optronics Group (€245 million; €234 million last year). Carl Zeiss and another investor hold equal shares in the global eyeglass company Carl Zeiss Vision (revenues: €844 million).

Source: Carl Zeiss AG - 12.12.2007 (wp)