In response to the ongoing challenging market situation in the photovoltaic sector, Meyer Burger Technology Ltd (SIX Swiss Exchange: MBTN) is accelerating and expanding its current consolidation and optimisation programme. Since the beginning of 2012, the company has consolidated sales and service operations, simplified its organisational structure and restructured production. The overall number of permanent employees has been reduced by 19%, which is more than the 15% announced in March 2012, to 2,272 employees (FTE). The synergies and improvements which have already been achieved throughout the entire organisational structure must be further intensified and expedited. The market situation has made a further adaptation in capacities necessary. With around 2,000 employees (FTE) in future, the Meyer Burger Group will possess the necessary structure which will enable it to respond quickly and flexibly to changes in the market in a cost-efficient and customer-oriented fashion.
Following primary measures planned:
Roth and Rau AG in Hohenstein-Ernstthal (Germany) will carry out further restructuring measures which are expected to result in the reduction of 50 employees. The ongoing development of future-oriented technologies, specifically in the area of heterojunction technology, is not impacted by these measures. At other locations worldwide, measures for optimisation and adjustments in capacities are being undertaken which could lead to a reduction in personnel of around 200 employees. At this point in time, it is not possible to break down which individual Group companies or countries will be impacted.
The goal of these further restructuring measures is to increase efficiency and reduce operating costs by around CHF 30 million.
Focus on technology leadership
Despite the challenging market, Meyer Burger’s momentum remains undiminished in its research and development activities for photovoltaic technology as it continues to increase its technological edge and the process integration between wafer, cell and module technologies. A recent example is the successful market introduction of heterojunction technology which offers a significant surface advantage with its module performance of 180W/m2 (in comparison to the standard 140W/m2). With a cell performance efficiency of 21%, this technology generates record setting 303 watt modules.
As a system integrator from wafer to PV module, the Meyer Burger Group has a unique product and solution portfolio from which the optimal configuration for customers can be selected and implemented. With its focus on the photovoltaic value chain, Meyer Burger enables its customers to combine the advantages of the individual production steps, to reduce the overall cost of ownership and at the same time to increase the overall performance and efficiency of cells and modules.
