Siemens held its Annual Shareholders' Meeting at the Olympia Hall in Munich on January 24, 2012.
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."
We released our financial figures for the fourth quarter and fiscal year 2011 on November 10, 2011. The press conference was broadcast live on the internet.
Siemens ended fiscal 2011 with record operating results and begins the new fiscal year in a position of strength. Total sectors profit climbed by 36 percent to €9.1 billion, income from continuing operations by nearly two-thirds to €7 billion. Revenue and new orders also increased. While revenue from continuing operations grew seven percent to €73.5 billion, new orders rose 16 percent to €85.6 billion. Peter Löscher, President and CEO of Siemens AG stated: "With a strong fourth quarter in a turbulent economic environment, we ended fiscal 2011 with record operating results. With our new organization in 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."
Siemens has won the German Sustainability Award 2011 for its strategy. The jury was impressed with the consistency of Siemens' focus on sustainability as one of its most important growth areas. "For Siemens, sustainability is not only a basic ethical principle, but also a question of market and business potential in global competition. It is thanks to our employees that we have received the German Sustainability Award today: with commitment and enthusiasm, they are putting sustainability at Siemens into practice and ensuring its continuation in the future," said Barbara Kux, Member of the Managing Board of Siemens AG and Chief Sustainability Officer.
Over the next three years, Siemens AG intends – together with its partners – to invest €1 billion in Russia. Peter Löscher, President and CEO of Siemens AG, announced this initiative in Moscow today at the annual meeting of the Foreign Investment Advisory Council chaired by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir V. Putin. As a provider of innovative technologies for power generation and transmission, mobility and solutions for urban infrastructures, Siemens can play a key role in Russia's modernization. The company will therefore systematically expand its presence in the country. For example, plans call for the new construction or expansion of locations for production, research and development (R&D) and services in regions such as Yekaterinburg, Perm, St. Petersburg and Voronezh. About 4,000 specialist jobs will be created overall. "Our far-reaching investments underscore Russia's great importance as a strategic core market for Siemens. By entering into a technology partnership, we're supporting the country's ambitious modernization plans and placing our close cooperation with our Russian partners on a new, even broader basis," said Peter Löscher.