We released our first quarter results for fiscal 2012 on January 24, 2012. The press conference was broadcast live on the internet.
Siemens held its Annual Shareholders' Meeting at the Olympia Hall in Munich on January 24, 2012.
Despite wintery road conditions, this year's Annual Shareholders' Meeting of Siemens AG was again well attended. Roughly 8,800 shareholders attended the event in the Munich Olympiahalle on Tuesday, compared with some 8,000 last year.
"The uncertainties of the ongoing debt crisis have left their mark on the real economy. Our revenue increased again, while certain project delays burdened profits. Although a recovery is expected in the second half of the year, we must work hard to achieve our goals. With a backlog of more than 100 billion euros, a strong portfolio and a solid financial position, we are a trusted partner."
In the first quarter of its new fiscal year 2012, Siemens achieved increased revenue and laid the cornerstone for future growth, despite the difficult economic environment. Thanks to a strong order backlog, revenue for the first quarter rose two percent compared to the same period a year earlier, while new orders declined five percent year-over-year. Profit was below the prior-year level due to project delays and increased investments. "The uncertainties of the ongoing debt crisis have left their mark on the real economy. Our revenue increased again, while certain project delays burdened profits. Although a recovery is expected in the second half of the year, we must work hard to achieve our goals. With a backlog of more than €100 billion, a strong portfolio and a solid financial position, we are a trusted partner," said Siemens President and CEO Peter Löscher.
To mark the 195th birthday of Werner von Siemens, the Siemens Historical Institute (SHI) is now offering his autobiography in German and English as a so-called iPad app. Eight short stories recreate the adventures of Werner von Siemens, for example in Egypt or the Red Sea, where he was shipwrecked. The individual episodes focus on the inventions and entrepreneurial achievements as well as the exciting life of the electricity pioneer. These entertainingly written memoirs can now be read free of charge on an iPad or at www.siemens.com/recollections.
Cities from the south and the north of Africa deliver the best environmental performance of all major African cities. This is the conclusion of the African Green City Index, a unique study commissioned by Siemens and conducted by the independent research organization Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). During the past months, the EIU analyzed the aims and achievements of 15 major cities in 11 African countries with respect to environmental performance and policies. Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg from the south, Casablanca and Tunis from the north as well as Accra, Ghana, rank above average. "The goal of the African Green City Index is to provide insights into the strengths and weaknesses of each city and start a dialogue about best practices in the area of green policies and infrastructures. With the Environmental Portfolio and the new Sector 'Infrastructure & Cities', Siemens is in the best position to support urban areas in Africa with green infrastructures," said Siegmar Proebstl, CEO Siemens Africa.
In fiscal 2011, Siemens generated 8,600 inventions, nearly 40 per working day – a ten percent increase year-over-year. The number of invention reports per Siemens R&D employee (current R&D workforce: 27,800) has doubled in the last ten years. Initial patent applications filed by the company rose to 4,300, nearly 20 per working day – a 15 percent increase over the previous year. In Europe, Siemens was Number 1 in patent applications for the first time. Twelve extremely successful researchers and developers, who were honored in Munich on November 22 with the company's Inventor of the Year Award, made key contributions to this achievement. Altogether, these researchers generated 730 invention reports and 636 individual patents. "Every day, they've demonstrated pioneering spirit, entrepreneurial thinking and international teamwork – exactly the factors we'll need to continue succeeding on the world markets of tomorrow," said Siemens President and CEO Peter Löscher at the awards ceremony. Löscher also announced that Siemens' R&D investments in fiscal 2012 would exceed the previous year's level (€3.9 billion) by about €500 million.
"With a strong fourth quarter in a turbulent economic environment, we ended fiscal 2011 with record operating results. With our new organization into four Sectors we have aligned our business even more closely with our customers. Siemens has a strong portfolio and stands for stability and confidence in troubled times. We are well positioned for moderate revenue growth in fiscal 2012 and surpassing the €100 billion revenue threshold in the medium term."