OBERKOCHEN/Germany — Microscopy business group presents new structure for its global footprint

Consolidation in Germany leads to loss of 130 jobs and the relocation of a further 150

Structural measures focused primarily on Göttingen

The ZEISS Microscopy business group is intensifying its measures to increase its competitiveness and is streamlining its global structure. The strategy of further intensifying efforts to combine light, electron, X-ray and ion microscopy – we are the world’s only manufacturer to offer this – will be continued consistently and systematically. The Supervisory Boards of Carl Zeiss AG and Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH have endorsed this blueprint for the future for the business group.

The blueprint is focused on strengthening the Microscopy business group within the ZEISS portfolio. Development, production, sales and marketing will be restructured and sites in Germany consolidated. This will involve the relocation of around 150 jobs and the loss of a further 130. Internationally, about 50 jobs will be additionally affected.

“We have already taken some important steps with our program aimed at increasing our competitiveness. However, we have not yet reached our required growth and profitability targets,” says Justus Felix Wehmer who heads the Microscopy business group together with Dr. Markus Weber. “Therefore, we are now implementing the necessary structural measures. The new organizational structure will enable us to make better use of the opportunities and potential offered by our markets.”

The new planned lineup will lead to changes at all of the business group’s sites – in particular at the Göttingen site. Therefore, the Microscopy business group will discontinue its activities – with the exception of production – at this site and transfer them to other locations within Germany. This will also entail job losses. A total of 215 jobs will be affected by the relocation and personnel reductions. Production at the Göttingen site will be continued with around 240 jobs and will be assigned to the Shared Production Unit (SPU) of the ZEISS Group. Other sites will also be impacted by the reductions in personnel: in Oberkochen the restructuring will lead to the loss of 50 jobs in the electron microscopy area.

ZEISS plans to accomplish the structural adjustments as fast as possible and, accordingly, aims to commence and conclude negotiations with the employee representatives as quickly as possible. The company is striving for a solution that will minimize the social impact of the measures. The possibility of layoffs cannot be ruled out.