Corporate | 9 February 2010 07:28
SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES AG / Strategic Company Decision/Preliminary Results
09.02.2010 07:28
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Press Release
SINGULUS Reports Preliminary Figures for 2009 and Enhances Strategy for
Solar Equipment
- Preliminary financial figures for 2009 meeting expectations
- New Solar products are introduced to the market
- SINGULUS offers complete systems for cell production
- Forecast growth for Blu-ray at 60 % for 2010
Kahl am Main, February 09, 2010 - According to preliminary figures the
SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES Group (SINGULUS) achieved sales in the amount of
approx. EUR 116.4 million in the business year 2009. SINGULUS is therefore
within the range of its own forecast. In 2009 the earnings before interest
and taxes (EBIT) were characterized by the general market weakness in both
segments Optical Disc and Solar. Additional burdens resulted from charges
for restructurings in the amount of EUR 37.4 million announced in November.
The order intake for the full-year 2009 came to EUR 80.9 million, which was
significantly below the level of the prior year and hence reflects the
global financial and economic crisis. The order backlog as of December 31,
2009 in the amount of EUR 34.7 million was also negatively affected by
these trends.
SINGULUS will publish the full report for the business year 2009 in
Frankfurt on March 26, 2010.
The overall economic situation is expected to improve in the coming months
of the business year 2010. The forecast growth rates for both markets of
our core activities Blu-ray and Solar give rise to optimism.
Optical Disc segment with Blu-ray on the upturn
The Blu-ray disc increasingly reaches consumers worldwide:
The new Blu-ray format continued to develop favorably and established
itself as a standard for movies in high-definition quality. The first and
foremost reason is apparent: Large flat-screen TVs with widths exceeding
one meter show Blu-ray movies with considerably higher resolution of
details and substantially clearer contrasts than the same movies on a DVD.
Since 2005 SINGULUS has been delivering its first production systems for
Blu-ray to major international customers. In 2009 SINGULUS succeeded in
developing new regions for the Blu-ray production machines. For example the
first BLULINE II system was sold in Japan and an additional one in Brazil.
Up to now, SINGULUS has delivered more than 70 Blu-ray production machines
to customers around the world. Except for SONY almost all Blu-ray
manufacturers are today producing discs on equipment made by SINGULUS.
As a favorable trend the demand for the new format of the third generation
continues to grow worldwide. In particular during the important 'Christmas
business' the largest sales market, the US, recorded significantly higher
sales figures for Blu-ray discs and players than in the comparable period
in 2008. According to the Digital Entertainment Group USA, the growth rate
in the US in the 4th quarter 2009 amounted to 35 % compared with the same
quarter one year ago. Consumers purchased 7 million Blu-ray players in
2009, thereof 4.5 million in the 4th quarter 2009 alone and 55.1 million
Blu-ray discs. For 2010 the market research institute Future Source
projects a growth rate of 60 %.
The latest technologic developments enable additional new applications for
the Blu-ray format in the future. For this, amongst others, Blu-ray discs
for the new 3D movie and television technology in HD-quality with more than
100 gigabyte storage capacity are required.
Due to these trends we expect substantial growth impulses for our Blu-ray
machine activities in 2010.
SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES enhances strategy in the Solar segment
In the future SINGULUS will considerably expand its activities in the Solar
segments and intensify its market activities. Accordingly, new equipment
for the photovoltaics industry will be introduced to the market. Roland
Lacher, Chief Executive Officer, comments: 'In particular during times of
price pressures in the photovoltaics market, we see increased interest for
new machine concepts and new production technology to enable cell producers
to reduce their costs.'
SINGULUS is cooperating with leading cell manufacturers targeting both
improved cell concepts with higher efficiency and production technology
with lower production costs.
The company's target is to position itself at the forefront for the
introduction of new technologies with respect to silicon as well as
thin-film solar technology.
Transition towards supplier of complete production systems for the solar
cell production
In the future due to the available technologies, know-how and personal
capabilities SINGULUS and STANGL will not only supply individual machines
and equipment to the solar market but will also actively market complete
systems with process know-how. This decision holds especially true for the
area silicon solar, in which the company will cover the so-called Front-End
market. SINGULUS and STANGL already possess the necessary expertise for
wet-chemical and AR-coating processes.
Dr.-Ing. Stefan Rinck adds: 'In the future we will also offer systems for
the complete cell production process and in particular intensify our
efforts to integrate individual production steps and to reduce the
complexity of the production process. Our unique process technology
know-how for wet-chemical and vacuum coating processes as well as for
automation technology enables us to become a competitive supplier of highly
efficient manufacturing systems very soon. This enhancement of the business
model towards systems was also successful in the Optical Disc market some
years ago. An analog strategy will also pave the way for success in the
business field of photovoltaics.'
SINGULUS also developed several new production concepts for the thin-film
solar technology segment and will launch these in 2010. In the area of
thin-film solar technology we already achieved an excellent market position
with STANGL equipment for CIS and CdTe applications. New developments such
as the application of the ILGAR technology or ovens for selenization and
diffusion will strengthen this position in the future.
SINGULUS thus offers modern plant systems for silicon and thin-film solar
technology, which will provide cell manufacturers a significant potential
to improve cell efficiency with simultaneous cost reductions for the
production.
The enhancement of the strategy - to become OEM supplier as well as system
provider - will offer the company new and additional opportunities.
SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES AG, Hanauer Landstraße 103,
D-63796 Kahl/Main, ISIN: DE0007238909, WKN: 723890
For further information please contact:
Maren Schuster, Investor Relations,
SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES AG, Tel.: + 49 (0) 160 96 09 02 79, or
Bernhard Krause, Corporate Communications,
SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES AG, Tel.: + 49 (0) 170 920 29 24
Contact:
SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES AG, Hanauer Landstraße 103,
D-63796 Kahl/Main, ISIN: DE0007238909, WKN: 723890
Contact:
Maren Schuster, Investor Relations,
Tel.: + 49 (0) 6188 440 612,
Bernhard Krause, Corporate Communications,
Tel.: + 49 (0) 6181 98280 20 / +49 (0) 170 9202924
09.02.2010 Ad hoc announcement, Financial News and Media Release distributed by DGAP.
Media archive at www.dgap-medientreff.de and www.dgap.de
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Language: English
Company: SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES AG
Hanauer Landstrasse 103
63796 Kahl am Main
Deutschland
Phone: +49 (0)1709202924
Fax: +49 (0)6188 440-110
E-mail: bernhard.krause@go-metacom.de
Internet: www.singulus.de
ISIN: DE0007238909
WKN: 723890
Listed: Regulierter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Freiverkehr
in Berlin, München, Düsseldorf, Stuttgart, Hamburg
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