TPT November 2009

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Industry News
40 November 2009 ›
Prize for laser technology announced
Simona targets positive EDITBA for financial year
DEVELOPERS and researchers who
work in the field of laser technology can
now apply or be proposed for the Berthold
Leibinger Innovationspreis 2010. The
international prize of the private foundation
Berthold Leibinger Stiftung is granted every
other year for innovations pertaining to the
application or generating of laser light.
At the prize ceremony on 9 July next
year – fifty years after the invention of
the first laser – the €30,000 for the first,
€20,000 for the second and €10,000 or
the third prize will be awarded.
Those eligible to apply or be proposed
for entry include individuals and project
groups worldwide whose main development
efforts and market potential lies in the
THE SIMONA Group had to contend with
a decline in revenue over the course of the
first half of the year. The downturn affecting
its principal sales markets – the chemical
industry and the mechanical engineering
sector – prompted a contraction in
revenue by €50.8mn to €106.3mn. This
corresponds to a year-on-year decline
of 32.3%.
Despite the considerable decline in
sales revenue, SIMONA managed to post
positive earnings for the period under
review. Profit before tax amounted to
€3.5mn (previous year: €13.5mn). This was
made possible by the timely introduction of
a cost-reduction programme that included
not only short-time work but also a critical
assessment of material- and equipment-
related expenses.
As from the date of production start-up
at the end of 2008, the new multifunctional
application or generating of laser light. The
application deadline is 11 December 2009.
Nominees will be invited by the foundation
to make a presentation of their work during
plant in Litvinov, Czech Republic, made a
positive contribution to earnings, as well as
significantly improving SIMONA’s market
position in Eastern Europe.
Compared to 31 December 2008, total
assets increased by €4.7mn to €249.5mn,
while cash resources continued to rise.
SIMONA invested €6.3mn (prev. year:
€12.0mn). In property, plant and equipment
in the first half of 2009.
SIMONA anticipates that the financial
year as a whole will remain challenging.
“The continued weakness in terms of
incoming orders has had an adverse
effect on companies’ propensity to invest,
which is of particular importance to our
business. We anticipate that business
over the course of the second half of
the year will progress sideways, without
benefiting from any major impetus,” said
Wolfgang Moyses, CEO of SIMONA,
the jury session in April next spring. “The
capacity for innovation is the key to the
future. The issues that arise around the
world can be solved only by continual
progress in science and technology,”
Professor Berthold Leibinger, the founder
of Berthold Leibinger Stiftung noted.
With the innovation and research
prizes the non-profit foundation Berthold
Leibinger Stiftung promotes laser
technology research and development
and showcases the results to the public.
Since 2000, the foundation has been
awarding the innovation prize and a
research prize every other year.
Berthold Leibinger Stiftung – Germany
Fax: +49 715630 335205
Email:
Website:
adding, “our revenue target of €200mn
is ambitious, but we remain committed to
generating positive EBITDA for 2009.”
SIMONA AG – Germany
Fax: +49 6752 14211
Email:
Website:
 The prestigious
BLS award