Sharpened focus, accelerated pace

With its focused growth strategy, the COMET Group has gained in strength. It has successfully established itself with key accounts as a leading innovation partner, expanded its position in core markets and opened the way to promising new applications. The result has been profitable growth, with a 55% increase in sales since 2012.

The Strategy 2020 picks up from the forward strategy of the previous years, sharpening the focus and quickening the pace with its growth target of about CHF 500 million. In the period to 2020, building on the existing technologies and the pooling of its strengths, the COMET Group plans to grow through new applications and by intensifying the collaboration with key customers. In this, COMET is relying on organic growth, but does not rule out smaller acquisitions if they amplify the Group's strength through new competencies. All segments will contribute to the further profitable growth. The Group's record results in 2016 confirm it is on the right course.

New applications tap into high-growth trends

With its three core technologies of x-ray, radio frequency and ebeam, the COMET Group is instrumental in bringing greater safety and security, mobility, sustainability and efficiency to numerous areas of life. This predestines the Group to support developments associated with the current sweeping social and technological changes, using its leading technologies, products and services. The Group sees particularly high growth potential in the Internet of Things, the trend toward 3D technologies, highly functional materials and resource-conserving, efficient processes. Addressing these current global market and technology trends, it will develop novel applications to enter new, rapidly growing business areas.

For the purpose of developing new applications, the COMET Group will expand its capabilities (such as in software), utilize Group-wide synergies and strengthen collaboration across technologies, including through a platform on which new solutions are developed enterprise-wide for the digitalization of the offering.

“The COMET Group is further advancing its forward strategy with a focus on new applications and close collaboration with partners.”

Ronald Fehlmann, Chief Executive Officer

More proximity to customers and market penetration through close partnerships

The Group views the deepening and expansion of its collaborative partnerships with existing and new key accounts as an important growth driver. The COMET Group will intensify these collaborations by offering newly developed products and systems, by jointly developing new applications, and by cross-selling the technologies and brands. The cross-selling is to be expanded by strengthening the key account management at Group level, too, and increasingly engaging customers across segment boundaries, such as by establishing technology centers. The COMET Group will open its first such center in 2017 in San José. It is to offer open access to all three technologies of the COMET Group and create ideal conditions for developing joint solutions with customers. To shorten product development times, the Group is also investing in new tools and methods for efficient collaboration between the development departments and with key accounts.

“The COMET Group is aligned with global growth trends. We expect our greatest growth in Plasma Control Technologies. In the longer term, ebeam Technologies will grow the most strongly.”

Markus Portmann, Chief Financial Officer

PCT: Strong growth in booming core business

The Group expects vigorous growth for its Plasma Control Technologies business. With its radio frequency power expertise, PCT is perfectly positioned as a strategic partner to its customers in the fabrication of 3D memory chip technologies, in new manufacturing methods for high-growth IoT applications, and in flexible displays. COMET PCT is synonymous with rapid, repeatable production processes and equips its customers to achieve higher manufacturing throughput and yields. Opportunities for strong growth reside in PCT's core market, the semiconductor industry, thanks to the industry's shift to the production of 3D chips. Similarly, chip applications like the IoT, virtual reality, and the digitalization of automobile production will increasingly provide the basis for additional growth. In the past several years PCT has invested heavily in the further development of its high-end solutions and the segment is well-prepared to seize the big growth opportunities arising with existing and new key accounts.

“The planned growth requires further high investment in innovative solutions.”

Michael Kammerer, President, PCT

ebeam: Growth from key accounts, systems business and establishment of new applications

In the long term, the strongest growth for the Group is expected to come from the still emergent ebeam business. First, the innovative “blue” ebeam technology today is increasingly viewed as an attractive alternative to conventional technologies when it comes to sterilizing, inactivating or treating surfaces, even on three-dimensional objects. Second, after its acquisition of system capabilities in the USA, ebeam is the world’s only vertically integrated vendor for low-energy ebeam. Through its direct market access, the COMET Group is ideally positioned to develop new ebeam applications. This includes the enhancement of surfaces and improving the function of pressure-sensitive adhesives and plastic films. The Group sees exciting growth potential for ebeam in the development of innovative applications in close collaboration with highly regarded partners in the food and printing sectors, especially in the printing of food-safe packaging for the food industry. Until 2020, high growth for ebeam is expected to come mainly from the beginning volume production for Tetra Pak and from the systems business.

X-ray technology: Growth through metrology and new applications

Significant growth opportunities also present themselves for the x-ray modules and systems business. The mini- aturization and complexity of components will continue to rise. In many industries, including semiconductors, the measuring (metrology) of internal structures based on high-resolution 3D images will thus gain in importance for process control in production lines. In the x-ray systems business, metrology is therefore in focus as a new and high-growth application. For the x-ray modules business, luggage inspection using new and more powerful technology offers the opportunity to grow through strategic collaboration with a key account. With versatile, IoT-capable iVario™ generators that can be used for many applications, the segment also plans to expand its business in non-destructive testing.

“With its growth engine, the COMET Group creates the foundation for steady innovation and the expansion of business.”

Charles Flükiger, President, EBT

Expansion of the market position through steady improvement and innovation

In order to grow using the intended levers, the Group must continue to invest steadily in expanding its strengths and in innovation. With its growth engine, the COMET Group will systematically advance and monitor innovation projects in the segments and at Group level. The necessary funding for this will be generated through further improvements in operating efficiency, particularly by combining and strengthening the supply chains at the level of the whole Group. All this to further boost the value of the company.

Focusing the strategy

Under its Strategy 2020 the COMET Group is wielding the following growth levers: