The technology company Optics Balzers Jena GmbH has been on the way up for the last three years.

The technology company Optics Balzers Jena GmbH has been on the way up for the last three years.

On 15 March, 2010, Optics Balzers Jena GmbH - formerly mso jena - started with 23 employees and an annual revenue of €2.5Mio. In 2012 the Jena site generated revenues of €4.5Mio, exceeding all expectations. Today Optics Balzers Jena is preparing for the next growth spurt: in the near future the company is going to build an industrial site with its own manufacturing facility in Jena Göschwitz, creating additional jobs.

Dr. Stefan Jakobs, Managing Director of Optics Balzers Jena GmbH, is very satisfied with the company's economic development. "Without the support from the new shareholders of Optics Balzers and the synergies with the Liechtenstein site this would have been impossible! The last three years were no walk in the park, but turned out much better than we expected." Optics Balzers AG, supplier of innovative optical coatings and components, has continued its growth course - a development also bringing benefits for the Jena site. In 2012 - the 3rd financial year since its foundation - the technology company generated revenues of €4.5Mio in Jena, representing almost a redoubling compared to 2010. The application areas of Optics Balzers Jena products mainly concentrate on laser microscopy, laser surgery, fluorescence microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and satellite-based earth observation.

Worldwide presence and innovations as growth drivers

Stefan Jakobs attributes this brilliant result both on the development work carried out in Jena and on the advantages of the merger with a strong partner and investor. The competence centres of Optics Balzers in Liechtenstein and Jena are unique in the width of their product portfolio and their range of offerings. In close cooperation with customers, universities, and scientific institutions new technologies are developed, frequently at the limits of feasibility, resulting in an accordingly high percentage of product innovations. To give an example: in Jena the company develops filters for Raman spectroscopy, a special procedure in bioanalytics. The global sales network has significantly contributed to growth, allowing Optics Balzers Jena to achieve worldwide presence and to benefit from the customer awareness regarding Balzers. Accordingly, the export quota of the manufactured optical components increased to 48% in the financial year 2012, the main target countries being the USA and France. In unison with the rising revenues capacities have constantly been increased bit by bit, and new jobs have been created.

Major investments in new Jena site

Currently Optics Balzers Jena employs 40 expert professionals, half of whom hold university degrees and most of whom are graduates from universities in Jena. The focus of the Jena site is directed towards the market segments laser, space, and biophotonics, with the laser segment being expected to become significantly more important in Jena. Alex Vogt, CEO of Optics Balzers, is already working on the plans for the next growth spurt: "We will stick to our growth course. The board of directors agreed to the construction of a new industrial building with ultra-modern coating and cleaning facilities." The new company seat of Optics Balzers Jena will be built in the municipal district of Göschwitz, in the new business park Jena 21, where a plot of 1 hectare was bought recently. The sod-turning ceremony is expected to take place in September 2013.