Optics, optoelectronics and laser giant Jenoptik is aiming to increase its sales turnover to €800 million by 2017 – equivalent to more than a billion dollars at current exchange rates.

The company, headquartered in Jena, Germany, has just announced preliminary sales figures of €585 million for 2012, an increase of 8% on the prior year and confirmation of its earlier forecast.

That increase was largely due to a sharp rise in sales from its metrology division, where revenues jumped nearly 30% year-on-year to €180 million thanks in part to robust demand from the automotive sector.

In contrast, Jenoptik’s lasers and optical systems business segment witnessed a 3% sales decline that was brought about by the slump in the semiconductor industry in the second half of 2012.

“In 2012 we were increasingly successful in winning over major customers from the flat-panel, automotive and life sciences industry. This helped us to better offset the falls in business from the semiconductor industry,” said CEO Michael Mertin, also now the chairman of the Photonics21 industry group.

With some potential for a recovery in the semiconductor market later this year but difficult economic conditions lingering, Jenoptik is anticipating relatively modest sales growth of 5% in 2013 – with that growth likely to result from an increased sales presence in Asia and the Americas.

To read more: http://optics.org/news/4/1/45