Foreword by the Executive Board

Andreas Pecher, President and CEO of Carl Zeiss AG

Ladies and Gentlemen,
dear Readers,

The past twelve months have shown once again how volatile and uncertain the global markets have become. Geopolitical tensions have further intensified. Trade barriers and conflicts between large economic regions are placing a strain on supply chains and dampening both investor and consumer confidence. These developments have also affected numerous sales markets served by the ZEISS Group.

ZEISS took targeted measures early on to decisively counter these developments. Thanks to their focused implementation, the ZEISS Group concluded fiscal year 2024/25 with solid growth, although there was a mixed picture among the segments. ZEISS was able to generate a total of 11.896 billion euros. This result demonstrates that the level of innovation remains high and that we seize opportunities, even under difficult conditions.

Navigating a challenging market environment with innovative strength

As a technology company, innovation is the main lever for our medium- and long-term success. Our teams drive innovations that set new benchmarks worldwide. Their solutions enable chip manufacturers to produce ever more powerful and energy-efficient microchips. And in other areas, new standards are set or entirely new paths taken with ZEISS products.

At 15 percent of revenue, ZEISS spent a record sum of over 1.7 billion euros on research and development in the past fiscal year. More than 7,300 employees are working hard every day in research and development departments across the ZEISS Group to enhance our innovative strength. This is also reflected in the number of patents we have. Currently, we hold around 13,000 patents worldwide. Moreover, strong partnerships within a large network are vital for shared success.

The transformation into a data- and process-driven organization, which started three years ago, has proved effective in all four segments. The goal is to continue to drive and implement this transformation consistently and sustainably. At the same time, we have launched the ZEISS Agenda 2030. This will provide important momentum so that we can meet the needs of our customers and partners worldwide with greater precision and speed.

Succeeding together as Team ZEISS

As the Executive Board Team, we would like to thank all employees: your dedication as Team ZEISS has shaped the overall positive course of fiscal year 2024/25. Your expertise and motivation lay the foundation for us to stay successful, even in challenging times.

We assume that the overall conditions, especially the uncertain market environment, will not improve in the current fiscal year. This will impact our segments differently, which could mean a decline in revenue. That is why the current outlook is significantly more challenging.

Despite this challenging situation, we are optimistic as we look ahead and have full confidence in our strategic alignment and innovative strength. We take risks seriously and act responsibly so that we continue to be successful. Today and in the future.

Yours, Andreas Pecher

Andreas Pecher
President and CEO of Carl Zeiss AG

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Annual Report of the ZEISS Group 2024/25

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