Purpose and business model

How we generate value and contribute to a world that is good to live in

As a trailblazing, leading tech company in radio frequency power and x-ray technology, we make a growing contribution to a safer, more efficient and sustainable world of manufacturing, communication and mobility.

Our high-tech products and services create value for countless people. Part of this value comes from our setting goals that go beyond shareholder returns. In everything we do, we aim to balance economic, environmental and social aspects in order to thus support a sustainable future and profitable long-term growth.

As a close and trusted partner to our customers, we expect to:

• Develop innovative and sustainable products that support our customers in realizing their strategies
• Leave the smallest possible environmental footprint along the entire value chain
• Provide career opportunities for employees in all our businesses and at all our sites
• Build relationships with suppliers and business partners based on fairness and transparency
• Take a leading role in sustainable development in our industry

Our ESG program serves as a compass for managing our environmental footprint, taking responsibility for our employees and satisfying the highest standards of compliance and governance. Our focus is on the long term.

We strongly believe that in a world of finite resources, innovation improves all our lives.

The resources we draw on

Environmental

• Implement roadmap for efficiency gains and renewable energy use
• Enforce sustainability through supplier selection

As a manufacturing company, we depend on a reliable supply of energy and raw materials. Wherever possible, we procure electricity from renewable sources such as hydropower, solar or wind energy. When purchasing raw materials, we work with suppliers who can provide us with information about the origin of their products and who are interested in long-term business relationships. At our own production sites around the world, we are always working to keep our processes and facilities up to date in order to continuously improve production efficiency and thus reduce material and energy consumption. While we see only low environmental risks in our internal processes, we are exposed to developments in global energy and raw material markets and to disruptions in our supply chains.

Social

• Build customer relationships and cocreation capabilities
• Invest in people, culture and values
• Engage in communities

As a corporate citizen, we are aware of our responsibility in a world with ever more people and limited resources. Qualified and highly committed employees are central to our past and future success. We invest in a corporate culture that – in everything we do – is based on customer orientation, on empowering people and on trustful collaboration.

Governance

• Monitor and train adherence to Code of Conduct and ethical principles
• Embed regulatory standards in day-to-day operations

The individual behavior of each one of us – how we interact with colleagues, customers, suppliers, and all other stakeholders –determines our success as a company. The values and principles of the Code of Conduct form the foundation of our corporate culture and the basis for all our actions and decisions. We strive for best-in-class governance in order to safeguard our excellent reputation. This mitigates the risk of losing customers, suppliers or employees.

Economic

• Maintain access to capital
• Achieve high brand recognition
• Make targeted investments

We invest a high proportion of our profit in targeted long-term and sustainable growth. Access to sufficient equity and debt capital is ensured by our company’s balanced and conservative financial policy. Operating from this position of financial strength, we have consistently delivered value for our stakeholders over the past decades. Our success story is reflected in high awareness of the Comet brand among customers and competitors.

How we create value

As a pioneering and leading tech company in radio frequency power and x-ray technology, we make a growing contribution to a safer, more efficient, and sustainable world of industrial production, communications, and mobility. We are the high-tech company of choice for all those who are actively shaping the future and an employer for all who want to get involved, make a difference, and explore new territory. We are committed to continuously developing our four core competencies of operational excellence, technology leadership, customer relationships and employee engagement. With our forward-looking technologies, we are a preferred partner to the most innovative companies in our markets. We stand for solutions and services that deliver high value-added and sustainable progress. In pursuing our aims, we are guided by our long experience and keen spirit of discovery and innovation.

Led by experience. Driven by curiosity.

The outcome we achieve

Environmental

• Optimized efficiency and reduced greenhouse gas emissions
• Resilient and sustainable supply chain

The thoughtful use of energy and resources, the expansion of renewable energy use, and a constant increase in efficiency throughout the entire value chain – with a focus on suppliers and production – together lead to a reduction in the emissions we cause. The data systematically collected in relation to this formed the basis for our climate roadmap.

Social

• Increased customer loyalty and satisfaction
• Engaged, skilled and diverse workforce
• Strengthened license to operate

Through our activities in the social realm, we create value for our employees, our customers and our communities worldwide. Our employees benefit from progressive working conditions, a high standard of occupational health and safety, and a culture based on trust. This creates the foundation for superior performance and thus a high level of customer satisfaction and loyalty that in many cases endures over years. Finally and importantly, we fulfill our social responsibility by supporting community projects and privately funded initiatives.

Governance

• High standards of conduct
• Full compliance with regulatory standards

Strict adherence to and full compliance with laws, policies and regulatory standards at the local, national and international level is an important asset on which our reputation is based. The ethical conduct of all individuals and partner organizations with whom we work also contributes to this. All internal and external stakeholders can rely on us to treat them fairly and ethically at all times.

Economic

• Sustainable financing of growth strategy
• Higher share of sales from semiconductor market
• Higher returns
• Capability to meet future customer needs

Thanks to our strong positioning, solid financial footing, secure access to capital and the successful implementation of our focus strategy, we are growing our business. Anticipating customer needs and investing in advance are key in helping customers succeed with our leading-edge technologies. Backed by the Group’s sustainable financing, we will continue to fulfill these activities in the long term and thus add value for all stakeholders.

The impact of our actions

We provide stable and fair work for staff at all Comet locations worldwide.

Decent work and economic growth: Our technologies are at the heart of digitalization. As a company with a long teaching tradition, we support dozens of apprentices, trainees and young professionals and help pave their road to success. By doing this, we actively contribute to economic growth, as these young talents become crucial for developing our innovative products that play a vital role in the digitalization of society.

Through innovation we contribute to a sustainable infrastructure.

Industry, innovation and infrastructure: As a critical supplier and partner to the semiconductor/electronics industry as well as to the automotive, aerospace and security market, we are co-creating with our customers to develop the innovative solutions that provide sustainable progress and improve safety, security and quality of life for people everywhere.

We satisfy customer standards through binding supplier standards.

Responsible consumption and production: We reject the ruthless pursuit of profit at the expense of the environment and society. We strive for a balance between economic, environmental, and social goals by training and sensitizing our employees worldwide regarding ecological and social aspects, and by also involving customers, suppliers and other interest groups.

We contribute to emission reduction and the efficient use of energy.

Climate action: We are committed to actively addressing climate change and contributing to the climate goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. To this end, we have developed and are implementing a climate action roadmap.

Following the sale of the ebeam business in 2020, the Comet Group is concentrating on its traditional technology areas of plasma control and x-ray, as well as on expanding its service business, which is based on the growing use of artificial intelligence and machine learning in all areas of life. By focusing on these two technologies, we want to exploit the considerable potential of the digital world.

Comet is focused on four core markets with strong long-term growth. First and foremost, the semiconductor and electronics market offers enormous potential for all three divisions. In addition, the traditional automotive, aerospace and security industries offer attractive opportunities for us, particularly in innovative segments such as battery testing for electric vehicles. Comet’s diversified market focus puts it in an ideal position to benefit from current and future trends in these key industries.

The semiconductor and electronics market is and will remain the central market for Comet - despite its cyclical nature. Forecasts predict high single-digit growth for the semiconductor market until 2030. Demand for sensors and microchips is also rising steadily in traditional industries. We therefore expect to generate over 80% of our sales with high-tech X-ray and plasma control solutions for the semiconductor & electronics market in the coming years.

As a globally active company with Swiss roots, Comet generates more than 99% of its sales in the key regions of Asia, North America and Europe. As an important supplier to the dynamic semiconductor industry, we ensure proximity to our customers with a sensible choice of location. The choice of location also has a significant influence on the selection of our suppliers and the design of efficient supply chains. In view of the trend towards regionalization in semiconductor manufacturing, we must be able to adapt our production network quickly and flexibly.

The semiconductor industry and its suppliers, including Comet, are facing various challenges in connection with climate change. The production of semiconductors consumes significant amounts of electricity, water and process gases, which results in a significant CO₂ footprint. In the automotive, aerospace and security industries, there is also a need to reduce climate-damaging emissions.

In the semiconductor industry, Comet’s core market, producers rely on innovative manufacturing processes and the use of gases with a lower global warming potential in order to reduce their CO₂ footprint. Semiconductor manufacturers are pursuing ambitious environmental strategies, such as the use of 100% renewable energy in the short term, or the goal of reducing emissions to net zero by 2050.

To achieve their climate targets, semiconductor manufacturers are involving their suppliers in efforts to reduce their greenhouse gas footprint. We want to support them in achieving their targets in this regard. But that’s not all: driven by the incentive to make a contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, Comet has launched a comprehensive ESG program, which is being implemented step by step.