BEYOND SURFACES

A personal insight BRIngIng TogeTheR whAT BelongS TogeTheR With this edition, we are celebrating a small but important anniversary: The first issue of BEYOND SURFACES was published five years ago. Two years earlier, Metco had joined the Oerlikon Group, and this magazine was created to introduce our cus- tomers to the solutions offered by the two brands, Oerlikon Balzers and Oerlikon Metco. Since then, the Oerlikon Group has undergone significant changes. Today, it is a “Powerhouse of Materials and Surface Solutions.” Our newest business unit, Additive Manufacturing, which focuses on the industrialization of additive manufacturing methods, represents an important augmen- tation of the Oerlikon Balzers and Oerlikon Metco portfolio. Innovation and change focusing on our customers As a globally active technology and engineering group, we have a clear goal: We want to become the leading supplier of surface solutions, modern materials and materials processing. To this end, we invest a significant percentage of our sales in research and development every year — in 2019 alone, this amounted to over 120 million Swiss francs. But innova- tion does not mean merely investing in R&D. It also means thinking of things in a completely new way, approaching them differently and being open to change and ready to grow from your own experience. At Oerlikon, when we talk about innovation and change, one question is key: “How can we employ our work, products and solutions to support our customers as they themselves seek to implement innovations, to achieve their sustainability goals and to become market leaders in their respective industries?” This has also led us to the most recent change: Starting at the beginning of 2021, our three brands, Oerlikon Balzers, Oerlikon Metco and Oerlikon Additive Manufacturing, will operate under the umbrella of the newly created Oerlikon Surface Solutions division. This will be led by Markus Tacke as Chief Executive Officer. The new organization brings together what belongs together and represents our active response to changing market conditions and customer needs. First, we want to make it easier for you, our customers, to access the full range of our products and services. And second, we are working together more closely so that we can develop new solutions more quickly in cooperation with our customers and thus respond more flexibly to changes in the markets. Taking on challenges with passion In this issue, I would like to particularly recommend the articles on pages 12–15 and 22, where, in this case, we are taking the magazine title quite literally and are looking “beyond surfaces.” These stories focus on the second pillar of the Oerlikon Group, our synthetic-fiber business. The year 2020 has brought a great deal of change. In a “Special,” we are therefore giving you a unique, insider insight into how our employees around the world have taken on the challenge that the initial months of the Covid-19 pandemic represented for our company with commitment and creativity. Five years ago, the first issue of this customer magazine stated: “BEYOND SURFACES shows you how we tick and what our heart beats for.” Despite everything that is new and all the changes — nothing has changed in this respect. In this new edition as well, you will find insightful reports about how we passionately turn innovations into technologies, and how our customers use them to realize outstanding projects. I wish you an exciting read, and stay healthy! Yours, Roland Fischer CEO Oerlikon Beyond SURFACeS 02|2020 3