The Siemens Stiftung presented the children’s program slated for the Siemens Festival Night in Bayreuth on August 21, 2010. The presentation was made on the occasion of the opening of the Bayreuth Festival 2010. The program, supported by the Siemens Stiftung, is intended to encourage young people to join the multi-generational ranks of tomorrow’s audiences. The Siemens Stiftung and its President Peter Löscher view the foundation’s fostering of culture and the arts as part of its commitment to education and a focal point of its work. “That’s why we’re offering younger generations a venue for experiencing creativ-ity,” noted Michael Rossnagl, who heads the Stiftung’s activities in culture and the arts. A specially designed series of hands-on stations gives youngsters the opportunity to experi-ment with make-up and costumes, try their hand at scenery painting or play various musical instruments. This will help generate enthusiasm for the world of opera at a tender age and show that opera doesn’t mean just sitting still.
In connection with German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s visit to Russia, Siemens President and CEO Peter Löscher today signed memorandums of understanding in Yekaterinburg to supply wind power and railway technologies with a total value of several billion euros. “Green technologies from Siemens will help Russia reach its targets for energy efficiency and climate protection,” said Löscher. Under the agreements, Siemens is to modernize 22 railway switching yards by 2026 and supply Russian Railways (RZD) with 240 regional trains over the next ten years. Siemens is also to install wind turbines with a total capacity of up to 1,250 megawatts in Russia by 2015. In order to manufacture most of the products in Russia, three joint ventures with Russian partners are planned.
Siemens plans to significantly boost its commitment to Africa by making an additional investment of roughly €200 million in the next two years to expand its business and its sales structures on the continent. “Africa offers Siemens vast opportunities for growth. As a green infrastructure pioneer, we’re a natural partner for mastering the continent’s major challenges. Renewable energies, in particular, have a huge potential in Africa,” said Siemens President and CEO Peter Löscher at celebrations marking Siemens’ 150th anniversary in South Africa.
The Siemens Festival Night in Bayreuth – a public viewing event scheduled for August 21, 2010 – will feature not only a live transmission from the Festspielhaus to the Volksfestplatz but also for the first time the screening of a new opera film for children. In the morning, a film version of Tannhäuser and the Singers' Contest at Wartburg that has been specially adapted for youngsters will be shown. In the late afternoon and evening, the opera The Valkyrie will be relayed live from the Festspielhaus for all to enjoy. As in past years, the opera will also be broadcast live on the Internet.
In the third quarter of the current fiscal year, Siemens AG expects continued strong profitability at its Sectors with growth in new orders and revenue again exceeding the corresponding prior-year figures. The last time Siemens posted a plus in both orders and revenue was in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2008. Driving this positive development in the third quarter of 2010 were, among other things, a recovery in the company’s short-cycle businesses and strong demand in the emerging countries, explained CFO Joe Kaeser at the Energy Sector’s Capital Market Days. He added that, due to continuing cost productivity in the third quarter, total Sectors profit was likely to closely approach the results from operations in the strong previous quarter while including no significant one-time effects. In the second quarter of the current fiscal year, Siemens reported total Sectors profit of some €2.1 billion. However, all third quarter projections reflect substantial currency translation effects due to the strength of the U.S. dollar during the quarter.
Siemens is strengthening its compliance organization by focusing on operations-related tasks. As the new Chief Compliance Officer, Josef Winter, who is currently head of Siemens’ activities in Germany, will manage operations-related, sales-related topics. In the newly created position of Chief Counsel Compliance, Klaus Moosmayer, the current Compliance Operating Officer, will be responsible for all legal aspects of compliance. Starting on July 1, 2010, both men will report directly to Siemens Managing Board member Peter Y. Solmssen. “The new setup will enable us not only to maintain our high compliance standards but also to better leverage them in order to increase the competitiveness of our business operations,” said Solmssen. Theo Waigel, the Monitor for Siemens appointed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, expressly endorsed the reorganization.
Today, Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Management Committee of Gazprom JSC, and Peter Loescher, President and CEO Siemens AG have signed a Memorandum of Understanding during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. The parties intend to cooperate in the area of liquefied natural gas (LNG) technology development and will carry out a number of joint development programs.