Manz Automation AG and Roth & Rau AG plan cooperation

Manz Automation AG / Alliance

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The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
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Reutlingen/Hohenstein-Ernstthal, January 19, 2009 – Manz Automation AG and
Roth & Rau AG plan to intensify their existing business relationship and to
work together in future in the form of a cooperation in key areas. The two
companies, both of which are listed in the TecDAX index, today reached
basic agreement concerning the conclusion of a corresponding framework
agreement. This is currently being drafted and should be signed in the near
future. In particular, the companies aim to step up their cooperation in
the field of turnkey production lines used to manufacture crystalline
silicon solar cells. By pooling the specific services and products offered
by the respective partners for the production lines, it should be possible
in the medium term for the cooperation partners to cover all process
stages, thus enabling them to offer customers an optimally harmonised
equipment and technology package. The partners to the cooperation will
therefore be able to offer a new concept in the market for turnkey
production lines, thus enabling cost benefits to be exploited and further
growth potential to be tapped.

Additional information:

ISIN: DE000A0JQ5U3
German Securities Identification Number (WKN) of the shares: A0JQ5U
Trading symbol: M5Z
Trading segment: Regulated market (Prime Standard) of the Frankfurt Stock
Exchange

Manz Automation AG
Steigäckerstraße 5
72768 Reutlingen
Germany

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Information and Explaination of the Issuer to this News:

In the medium term, the two companies are planning the market launch of a
new generation of turnkey production lines. These are intended to
facilitate the production of crystalline silicon solar cells with
significantly higher efficiency levels, thus providing solar cell
manufacturers with considerable cost savings potential. The research and
development teams at the two companies will work closely together for this
purpose. Technological support will be provided by the renowned Solar
Research Institute at the University of New South Wales, with which Roth &
Rau AG already signed a corresponding memorandum of understanding in
December 2008.

Dieter Manz, CEO of Manz Automation AG, commented that 'the cooperation
represents a strategically important milestone. By pooling our competencies
in the development of production lines for crystalline silicon solar cells,
we are aligning ourselves even more closely to the needs of our customers,
who have to do justice to market requirements and find ways of effectively
countering increasing pressure on costs. 'Together, the two companies have
19 sales and service locations worldwide. The cooperation will enable even
more extensive customer service and shorter reaction times to be offered in
future. 'The cooperation will allow us to significantly improve the
performance capacity and efficiency of our production lines for the
manufacture of crystalline solar cells, 'added Dieter Manz. 'We believe
that this will enable us to jointly access additional customer groups and
thus to exploit sustainable growth potential for both companies.'

Dr. Dietmar Roth, CEO of Roth & Rau AG, is convinced by the potential
harboured by the cooperation. 'By cooperating with Manz Automation, we will
in future be able to cover the entire production process involved in
manufacturing crystalline silicon solar cells with products offered by the
two partners. The expected synergy effects and optimised liaison processes,
especially in the fields of research and development, sales and service,
will enable us to offer our customers even more efficient and
cost-effective solutions in future.'

Manz Automation AG is to supply quality assurance for the lines. Not only
that, Manz Automation AG will further develop and produce key components
for the entire backend of the lines. These particularly include the newly
developed metallisation process, as well as laser edge isolation and
high-speed cell testers.

Within the framework of the joint turnkey projects, Roth & Rau AG will
focus in terms of the technology involved on front-end processes and will
contribute diffusion and antireflective coating equipment. Moreover, the
company will also supply enamelling furnaces and software for the
management of the entire production lines. Furthermore, Roth & Rau is to
play a leading role in the field of cell technology transfer. For this
purpose, the company is currently enhancing the application group used at
customers on location to accompany the start-up of the production lines.

About Manz Automation AG:
Reutlingen-based Manz Automation AG (ISIN: DE000A0JQ5U3) is one of the
world.s leading technology providers in terms of market shares for systems
for automation, quality assurance and laser process technology for the
photovoltaic industry and for automation and wet chemicals for the LCD
industry. The Manz Group's core competences are in robotics, image
processing, laser technology, wet chemicals as well as control and drive
technology. The Manz Group's key strategic divisions are photovoltaic
(systems.solar), LCD (systems.lcd) and OEM systems (systems.aico) for
automation in various industrial sectors and the life science industry. The
Manz Group has sales and service branches in Germany, Taiwan, the USA,
China, South Korea, India and Spain. In addition, the Manz Group has its
own production facilities in Germany, Slovakia, Hungary, Taiwan and China.
The Manz Group recorded revenues of € 71.2 million in fiscal year 2007 with
an EBIT margin of 14.1%. More than 57% of revenues were generated abroad,
in particular in Asia. The Manz Group recorded revenues of € 159.1 million
and an EBIT margin of 11.8% in the first nine months of fiscal year 2008.


About Roth & Rau AG:
Roth & Rau AG based in Hohenstein-Ernstthal (ISIN DE000A0JCZ51) is by
market share one of the world’s leading suppliers of plasma process systems
for the photovoltaics industry. Furthermore Roth & Rau supplies components
and process systems based on plasma and ion beam technology for other
sectors. Developed by Roth & Rau, these products are manufactured and
distributed worldwide through the company’s photovoltaic and plasma and ion
beam technology divisions. Roth & Rau’s photovoltaic division focuses on
providing antireflective coating facilities as well as fully automated
manufacturing lines (turnkey production lines) for the production of
crystalline silicon solar cells. Another focus is on the production of
equipment for the coating of thin film solar modules. The plasma and ion
beam technology division, which accounted for 6 percent of total sales in
the 2007 financial year, produces plasma sources and ion beam sources as
well as process systems for plasma and ion beam enhanced thin film and
surface processing methods. Customers served by this division include, in
particular, companies in the semiconductor and automotive industries, R&D
departments in various industries including photovoltaics as well as
research institutes and universities. Roth & Rau AG posted sales of EUR 146
million and EBIT of EUR 14 million pursuant to IFRS for the 2007 financial
year and had an average of 190 employees. Sales in the first nine months of
the year amounted to EUR 197 million, with EBIT coming in at EUR 21
million.

 

Contact:
Roth & Rau AG    
Dr. Silvia Roth    
Phone: +49 (0) 3723/6685-333  E-mail: investor@roth-rau.de 

Haubrok Investor Relations GmbH
Simone Gorny
Phone: +49 (0) 211/30126-130
E-mail: s.gorny@haubrok.d


Manz Automation AG
Stefan Sell 
Tel.: +49 (0)7121 – 9000-896
Fax:  +49 (0)7121 – 9000-99
E-Mail: ssell@manz-automation.com


cometis AG
Ulrich Wiehle
Tel.: +49 (0)611 – 205855-11
Fax:  +49 (0)611 – 205855-66 
E-Mail: wiehle@cometis.de


19.01.2009  Financial News transmitted by DGAP
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Language:     English
Issuer:       Manz Automation AG
              Steigäckerstr. 5
              72768 Reutlingen
              Deutschland
Phone:        +49 (0) 7121 9000-0
Fax:          +49 (0) 7121 9000-99
E-mail:       info@manz-automation.com
Internet:     http://www.manz-automation.com
ISIN:         DE000A0JQ5U3
WKN:          A0JQ5U
Listed:       Regulierter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Freiverkehr
              in Berlin, Stuttgart, München, Düsseldorf
 
End of News                                     DGAP News-Service
 
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