To fully leverage its growth potential, Comet is continuously striving to become a more high-performing and scalable organization, allowing the company not only to increase its profitability, but also to adapt quickly to changing market conditions and respond more flexibly to future cycles in the semiconductor industry.

We are committed to executing our strategy, focusing on three major thrusts: accelerating growth, enhancing efficiency, and strengthening culture, with the aim of creating lasting value for customers, employees, investors and other stakeholders in the rapidly evolving digital world.

Customer proximity: We are continuing to strengthen our presence close to our customers in the key growth regions of North America and Asia.

In Penang, Malaysia, we are establishing a dedicated regional hub for Comet. The strategic location in the heart of Southeast Asia provides significant advantages, including access to major regional markets, such as China and other rapidly growing Asian economies. The groundbreaking for the new Comet facility in October 2024 marked a significant milestone in this strategic project.

Comet has had a presence in Japan for more than 25 years and we have established a strong foothold in the country’s market for advanced industrial x-ray systems. More recently we have also strengthened our sales and services organization for x-ray modules. As a particularly significant market development, the recent upturn in the Japanese semiconductor industry is unlocking new growth prospects for Comet. In 2024, the Plasma Control Technologies division has therefore been actively establishing its presence in Japan to better serve its customers in this major global economy.

In Hamburg, Germany, X-Ray Systems opened a new application and training center to set new standards in customer experience.

Innovative technologies: We are continuing to expand our product and service portfolio with a focus on the semiconductor and electronics market, innovating with the Synertia® RF power delivery platform, micro- and nanofocus x-ray sources, standardized high-end x-ray systems for the semiconductor industry, and inspection workflow and visualization software based on artificial intelligence.

Expanding Comets’ portfolio for the semiconductor and electronics market, one of the major milestones reached in 2024 by the X-Ray Systems (IXS) division was the market launch of the fab version of the CA20. While the CA20 is an x-ray inspection solution designed specifically for advanced packaging in the semiconductor industry, the CA20 fab version is the fully automated solution for seamless integration into production lines. The X-Ray Modules (IXM) division, meanwhile, is taking major steps to build its portfolio for the semiconductor industry with its FYNE product family of NanoFocus modules. The Comet Plasma Control (PCT) division, operating within its traditional market, has augmented its offering for the semiconductor industry by further expanding its Synertia® portfolio.

Processes and organization: We are committed to continuously improving our operational performance. This includes the optimization of supply chains, the standardization of products, the automation of production processes, and the implementation of lean measures.

As a global company, we recognize the importance of strengthening collaboration and execution across our worldwide operations. We are committed to the continuous improvement and harmonization of our policies, processes, and tools. In addition, we are working to consistently further develop and implement our target operating model and management systems.

Digitalization and automation: At Comet, we understand the crucial role that continuous digital transformation plays in our business. Our digitalization and automation initiatives encompass a wide range of areas, including a smart production environment, product life cycle management, contract management workflow, customer relationship management, and cybersecurity.

In line with our strategic priorities, we invested in our IT organization in 2024, enhancing our technological capabilities. Additionally, we upgraded Comet’s cybersecurity maturity level, demonstrating our commitment to safeguarding our digital assets and upholding the highest standards of data protection.

Learning and development: Any initiative is only as good as the people who drive it forward. Continuous learning, development, and employee empowerment are central to Comet, especially in enhancing collaboration, customer focus, and efficiency. With dedicated training courses, Comet supports employees’ development at different organizational levels and creates shared foundations for excellent collaboration.

In late 2024 Comet launched it’s first global management development program, ASCENT, in order to equip managers with essential competencies to drive performance and support Comet’s ambitious growth. It offers the opportunity to deepen expertise in key areas such as directing teams, managing conflict, driving results, and developing talent.

Earlier in 2024, the “Semiconductor Academy” was made available for employees worldwide on Comet’s online training platform. This training material explains the industry and Comet’s role in it and was developed through collaboration between the divisions and global functions.

Within the divisions, a significant focus was placed on developing sales. In 2024, all three Comet divisions conducted global sales trainings.

Employer attractiveness: Given the shortage of skilled personnel in the labor market, especially R&D specialists and engineers, Comet has intensified its activities to better position itself as an attractive employer.

Contributing to the talent shortage is the fact that potential hires – whether quite young, or more experienced – are overlooking the semiconductor industry as a job market. To address this challenge together with other industry leaders and educational institutions and to promote more diversity in the industry, Comet joined the European Chips Diversity Alliance.

Establishing connections with talented young professionals while they are still students and recruiting them for the company is a top priority. As in previous years, Comet engaged in numerous education and job fairs in 2024. For example, we participated in the SEMI Talent Forum at Swansea University in the UK and the Penang Tech, Engineering & Semicon Career Fair in Penang, Malaysia, in order to attract and recruit young talent interested in the semiconductor industry. Comet also took part in semiconductor trade shows worldwide and presented itself as an employer. At Semicon Europa, two of our own promising talents received the Semicon Europa 20 under 30 Award.

To meet the growing challenges in this area, in 2024 a global talent acquisition team was established at Comet.

Comet is committed to providing an attractive work environment with a value proposition that fosters employee retention. In 2024, Comet implemented a new internal job architecture to ensure global job comparability within the company and in the market. This initiative establishes clear career paths and is intended to enhance Comet’s competitiveness in local labor markets. An employee engagement survey was also conducted last year.

Sustainability mindset: While Comet had previously demonstrated its commitment to contributing to a more sustainable future, the company has taken systematic steps since 2021 to further develop and promote sustainable thinking and work practices through the establishment of a global ESG program (read more in our sustainability report 2024).

One of Comet’s key ways to promote more sustainability in the organization is our eco-design initiative, which we launched in October 2023. In 2024 we worked on the first concrete eco-design projects with dedicated project teams from the divisions and additionally invited a larger number of Comet employees to an eco-design online training course. The goal is to integrate ecological design thinking into all of Comet’s product development processes.