Schaltbau Holding AG: The Schaltbau forward-looking forum: after the energy revolution we are seeing the mobility revolution – with fundamental changes and new perspectives for business and society

20.09.2019 / 07:51
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Munich, 20 September2019. Yesterday, 19 September 2019, to mark its 90th anniversary, Schaltbau Holding AG invited selected guests to the 'Ketterer Kunsthaus' in Munich to witness an exclusive forward-looking forum titled 'Mobility and Energy in the Age of Urbanisation and Digitalisation'. The ensuing discussion of experts made it clear that a fundamental social change is imminent - a revolution in terms of both energy and mobility.

Numerous prominent experts from the worlds of commerce, science and the media, including the environment and transportation expert Dr Axel Friedrich and the deputy head of the Fraunhofer Institute for Energy Economics and Energy System Technology Prof. Kurt Rohrig, took part in a plenary discussion on the present and the future of the energy and mobility sectors. Over 100 customers, investors and partners as well as representatives from the worlds of politics and the media took up the invitation of the internationally leading technology company for mobility and energy. The experienced live presenter Désirée Duray moderated the lively discussion.

At the beginning of the forward-looking forum, the visionary and renowned futurist Matthias Horx outlined the mobility and energy concepts that are likely to determine our lives in the year 2039. He sees 'connectivity' as 'the magic word of the digital age' and one of the crucial factors that will determine the success of future strategies. 'Energy is not scarce. Quite the opposite. Nature in the form of wind, sun, biomass and many other sources provides us with energy in abundance. The key point is rather how to properly distribute, store and interconnect these various forms of energy.' Buffer storage facilities will play a major role in this endeavour, in which, apart from their own consumption, people will make their excess electricity available to third parties, e.g. for charging car batteries.

Matthias Horx also proposes connecting various modes of transport. 'The young generation is no longer interested in owning a car. They are far more fascinated by the fact of travelling itself. In this concept, cars, buses and railways need to be rethought as a unified mobility experience.' On this point he fully agreed with the environment and transport expert Dr Axel Friedrich, who is also calling for a radical rethinking of energy and transportation issues with respect to climate protection and emission reduction: 'The automotive industry has relied on the fossil fuels of diesel and petrol for far too long. In these times of imminent transformation we will have to change our behaviour and there will be both winners and losers in the corporate world. The announcement by the Federal Minister of Transport to make more money available for e-cars, cycle paths and railway networks shows that the explosive nature of environmental issues has now been brought home to policymakers. That is a first step, but a lot more needs to be done!'

Prof. Kurt Rohrig, deputy head of the Fraunhofer Institute for Energy Economics and Energy System Technology, stated: 'The providers of renewable energy and wind power in particular are becoming an increasingly important component in our energy supply system. In 2018, 35 per cent of our gross electricity production was generated using renewable sources, approximately half of which (17 per cent) came from on- and offshore wind farms. Direct current is one of the key technological trendsetters for the energy strategies of the future, particularly in respect of the energy-intensive markets such as e-mobility and Industry 4.0'.

The experts all agreed on one fundamental point. Dr Albrecht Köhler, Spokesman of the Executive Board of Schaltbau Holding AG, summed up: 'The successful implementation of future energy and mobility strategies requires the support of policymakers. They need to create the necessary framework conditions and coordinate the fundamental transformation. Only together can the worlds of politics, science, commerce and society as a whole jointly take the deciding steps towards the energy and mobility transformation.'

'We are profiting from the dynamic developments in the fields of energy and mobility. Our core markets are currently booming. We are witnessing strong growth in the pace of new topics, as after the energy revolution we are now also experiencing a mobility revolution. This fact is also partially reflected in the willingness of transport operators to invest as well as the increasing use of decentralised energy concepts and energy storage systems,' emphasised Dr Albrecht Köhler.

As special guest at the event, EU Günther Oettinger stated that it is important to proceed with a sense of proportion in these times of change, and to collaborate much more closely beyond national borders. In the end, only the solutions that benefit mankind as a whole will prevail, he said, and advocated pragmatic realism.

In line with its current slogan 'Smart Solutions for Power and Mobility', in its anniversary year the internationally leading provider of components and systems for transportation technology and industry is firmly positioned as an experienced, reliable, innovative partner for key technologies. In addition to its traditional core business in the railway industry, Schaltbau is also focusing on profitable markets of the future such as e-mobility, new energy and the DC industry and pursuing a highly promising growth strategy across all its segments. With its core brands Schaltbau, Bode, Pintsch and SBRS, the Schaltbau Group is firmly on track towards gathering new, sustainable strength.

Schaltbau's impressive corporate history began in 1929 as the company was established in Munich as a manufacturer of electrical switches for train heating systems. Today, the Munich-based Schaltbau Group is among the world's leading suppliers of technologies for rolling stock, rail infrastructure, road vehicles and other industrial applications. On the occasion of its 90th anniversary, Schaltbau Holding AG celebrated its corporate development with a festive event that took place right after the forward-looking forum at the Ketterer Kunsthaus in Munich.

Dr Eberhard Sasse, President of the chamber of industry and commerce for Munich and Upper Bavaria (right) on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the Schaltbau Group hands a certificate of honour to Dr Albrecht Köhler, Spokesman of the Executive Board of Schaltbau Holding AG

Envision the opportunities of the energy and mobility revolution (from left to right):

• Dr Hans Fechner, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Schaltbau Holding AG
• Dr Albrecht Köhler, Spokesman of the Executive Board of Schaltbau Holding AG
• Live presenter Désirée Duray
• EU Commissioner Günther Oettinger

Contact Wolfgang Güssgen Head of Investor Relations & Corporate Communications Schaltbau Holding AG Hollerithstrasse 5 81829 Munich Germany T [phone]
[e-mail]
www.schaltbaugroup.com

About Schaltbau
With annual revenue in the region of EUR 500 million and around 3,000 employees, the Schaltbau Group is an internationally leading supplier of components and systems in the field of transportation technology and the capital goods industry. With Schaltbau, Bode, Pintsch and SBRS as their core brands, Schaltbau Group companies develop a wide range of high-quality technologies and customer-specific solutions for rolling stock, rail infrastructure, road vehicles and a range of other industrial applications.

Disclaimer
This corporate news contains statements regarding future developments based on information currently available to us. As a result of risks and uncertainties, actual outcomes could differ from the forward-looking statements made. Schaltbau Holding AG does not intend to update these forward-looking statements.

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