Century-old Optics Giant ZEISS Creates Photonics Optics Business Unit!

On May 23, local time, Carl Zeiss AG (ZEISS) announced on its official website that it plans to launch a new strategic business unit, ZEISS Photonics & Optics, on October 1, 2024, aiming to provide global customers with superior optoelectronic and optical products and solutions to customers worldwide.
It was announced that a new business unit focusing on photonics and optics will be formed within the ZEISS Group starting from the fiscal year 2024/25. This business unit will integrate seven specialized divisions within the Group with exceptionally high growth potential and will operate independently.
Business situation after the merger
The merged business unit will include the existing micro-optics, spectroscopy, astronomy and analog projection solutions businesses of the ZEISS Group's Shared Manufacturing Business Unit, as well as the cinematography, mobile imaging, photo and optics for nature observation businesses that were previously part of the Consumer Products Business Unit.
The Consumer Products strategic business unit will be realigned to the ZEISS Photonics and Optics division, covering the cinematography, mobile imaging, photo and optics for hunting and nature observation businesses. At the same time, the micro-optics, spectroscopy, planetarium and analog projection solutions businesses of the ZEISS Group's Shared Production Division will also be integrated into this new strategic business unit. With subsidiaries in Germany, Hungary, the United Kingdom, the United States, India and China, ZEISS Optronics is expected to generate annual revenues of around 200 million euros and employ nearly 900 people.
What these subsidiaries have in common is their focus on serving customers in specific markets and the widespread acclaim they have earned for the ZEISS brand. As a whole, ZEISS Optronics will focus on the development of the independent business units and make a significant contribution to the continued progress of the brand.
According to statistics, more than 20 million people visit ZEISS Planetariums every year, more than 15 million people use ZEISS optics for mobile photography, and movies made with ZEISS lenses attract audiences in theaters and streaming platforms around the world. High-performance ZEISS innovations in the field of micro-optics, such as Jena's multifunctional glass, are widely used in the automotive and smart home industries.
Stefan Müller, CFO of the ZEISS Group, said: "The creation of ZEISS Photonics & Optics provides a more suitable environment for these smaller but specialized companies to grow, with tailor-made management, cultural and commercial support functions. The goal of this new strategic business unit is to ensure that each of these companies can flourish economically and contribute to the further growth of the ZEISS brand."
Andre Kutz, currently Head of Strategic Corporate Development at ZEISS Group, and Dr. Bernhard Ohnesorge, Member of the Board of Management of the ZEISS Group Shared Production Unit, will lead the ZEISS Photonics & Optics Business Unit from the start of the 2024/25 financial year. Both leaders have extensive international experience in strategic development and specialize particularly in the establishment and development of small businesses focused on technological innovation.
This reorganization of Photonics & Optics will not change the products, services or contact details of ZEISS customers.
Current organizational situation
Carl Zeiss AG is a German company specializing in the manufacture of optical and optoelectronic devices. Since company founder Carl Zeiss founded the Precision Mechanics and Optics Workshop in Jena, Germany, in 1846, the Zeiss Group has grown into a leading company with four business divisions: Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology, Research and Quality Technology, Medical Technology and Vision Care/Consumer Optics. Carl Zeiss AG is the holding company responsible for the strategic management of the ZEISS Group, and the company is wholly owned by the Carl Zeiss Stiftung (Carl Zeiss Foundation).
Currently, ZEISS owns all Zeiss Group subsidiaries, the largest of which include Carl ZEISS Meditec AG, Carl ZEISS Vision GmbH, Carl ZEISS SMT GmbH, Carl ZEISS IMT GmbH and Carl ZEISS microlook GmbH.
Latest performance update
In the first half of fiscal year 2023/24, the ZEISS Group achieved double-digit growth despite a challenging market environment. The company continues to drive its investment strategy and is committed to transforming itself into a data- and process-driven organization.
In the first half of the current fiscal year, the ZEISS Group's total revenue amounted to EUR 5,304 million (as of March 31, 2024), an increase of 10% year-on-year. EBIT amounted to €739 million (down €178 million from the previous year). R&D expenditure accounted for 15% of revenues and the number of employees increased to 44,558.
Looking back on the past fiscal year 2022/23, the ZEISS Group surpassed the €10 billion mark in sales for the first time, while at the same time making record investments in research and development, infrastructure, and corporate transformation. Rapid growth was achieved in all four business segments, with particularly strong growth in the semiconductor manufacturing technology market, thanks to high demand for deep ultraviolet (DUV) and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography systems and the first delivery of optics for high-numerical aperture technology to the Dutch lithography giant Asmax (ASML).