Rohde & Schwarz achieves record annual revenues of 2.04 billion Euros
Test company Rohde & Schwarz surpassed the two billion euro ($2.33 billion) mark for revenue for the first time in its most recent fiscal year (July 2017-June 2018), reflecting growth of 6.7% year-over-year.
Although Rohde & Schwarz is privately held and does not regularly report its earnings, the company does give intermittent updates, and it says it is “on course for growth.”
R&S said reported that during its most recent fiscal year, incoming orders grew by 7.4% to about $2.5 billion. Rohde also grew in terms of the number of its employees during that time period, from around 10,500 to 11,500.
“The company’s decision to focus on key, high-growth markets of the future with its four strategic pillars – test and measurement, broadcast and media, aerospace/defense/security, and networks and cybersecurity – is paying off,” Rohde & Schwarz said in its financial update. It went on to add that it is “playing an active role in the advancement of future technologies such as the internet of things and the fifth generation of mobile communications,” citing test solutions such as its 5G signal generators and analyzers, over-the-air measurement offerings and a production tester for series production of 5G modules.
Because 5G is “one of the technical prerequisites for autonomous vehicles,” R&S said, it is benefiting from a “very pleasing trend in the automotive market,” because “substantial [research and development] expenditures for driver assistance systems and autonomous driving translate into rising demand for test and measurement solutions.”
Rohde & Schwarz noted that it recently formed a new Networks and Cybersecurity division, by increasing its stake in Lancom Systems to 100%; Lancom is a German network solutions manufacturer that serves the enterprise and public sectors, and has been combined with R&S’ cybersecurity business.
“This acquisition brings the group a big step closer to its goal of positioning itself as a leading European provider of secure network solutions for business customers and the public sector,” the company said.
Rohde & Schwarz also referenced success in its businesses serving the aerospace/defense, broadcast television and air traffic control markets, including drone detection in commercial airspace. The company said that it has “aligned all of its business fields to meet future challenges. By focusing on the high-growth market segments of communications, information and security, its leading-edge product portfolio and its strong business performance, the company is looking ahead to the coming years with confidence.”
