SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES AG will remain focused on its core businesses for the following years although it identifies the challenges to achieve positive full-year results for 2012. The company said it continued to to expand its activities in all three core segments. In the Optical Disc division activities focus on the growth of the service activities as well as on the machine market for Blu-ray. Market research firm GfK reported last week at IFA that the volume sales of Blu-ray players in Germany increased by 25 percent compared with the previous year. According to data released by Screen Digest on August 30, 2012, Germany has grown into the biggest market for 3D Blu-ray discs. Although the UK remains the largest overall market for physical media, it is expected that German consumers will buy 1.37 million new 3D Blu-ray discs and therefore trump the UK market. Singulus continues to see good market opportunities for Blu-ray machines and expects machine sales along with service activities to generate earnings for the company in the next couple of years.

SINGULUS also positions itself increasingly as a important technology supplier for the upcoming investment cycle in the photovoltaics sector. New, select key technologies will be further advanced and presented to the professional attendees at the upcoming trade fair of the 27th EU PVSEC in Frankfurt. Amongst others, this includes the rear side coating of silicon solar cells, new wet-chemical processes for crystalline high-performance cells as well as coating machines for CIGS thin-film modules. SINGULUS sees good opportunities to successfully acquire new photovoltaic projects and to receive corresponding orders in the 2nd half of 2012 and in the business year 2013.

SINGULUS is also a supplier in the area of vacuum coating machines for MRAM wafer, write/read heads and other semiconductor applications. The company says it is ready to offer industrial production equipment for MRAM wafers.

For the business year 2012, the order intake in the Semiconductor business exceeds a total amount of €20 million. Correspondingly, more machines were sold in the first half of 2012 than in the previous three business years together. For the first time, SINGULUS is projecting positive segmental earnings for the current business year. Due to the inquiries from potential customers and the promising talks about concrete projects, the company is anticipating to receive additional orders in the coming months.

SINGULUS is also reviewing acquisition opportunities, which can be integrated into the existing segments and present core competencies.

"The next couple of weeks provide the possibility for us to receive additional orders, which can still make a positive earnings contribution," Singulus said. "Against the background of the Euro-crisis and the uncertain global economy we regard it increasingly more challenging to achieve our expressed expectation of positive full-year results for 2012, however. Nevertheless, we expect all company divisions from Semiconductor to Solar and Optical Disc to develop favorably again in the future."