Annual Report 2010/11 - Sonova

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SUBSTANTIAl INVESTMENTS IN INNoVATIoN
The contribution of new products to growth underlines the
great importance of research and development at Sonova.
Sonova generated 74% of its total sales with hearing
instruments that had been on the market for less than two
years, emphasizing once again the technological lead
over competitors. This can be attributed primarily to the
solid success of the new Spice platform. Phonak has
introduced a complete product portfolio based on the most
powerful chipset in the market in late autumn 2010. With
the broadest CRT portfolio in the industry, Phonak is also
ideally positioned in the Canal Receiver Technology market,
the fastest-growing hearing instrument segment. In
spring 2011, Unitron has also launched its new product
portfolio based on the latest platform technology, setting
the course for growth in the new financial year.
Investment in research and development was CHF 107.8
million, clearly above the previous year’s level of CHF 87.0
million, and driven also by the acquisition activities.
The Group continues to focus on investment in future technologies.
As a consequence, the number of employees
in R&d increased by 9% to 525.
SAlES By PRodUCT GRoUPS
CREATING A HEARING CARE CoMPANy
in CHF m 2010/11 2009/10
Sales Share Growth in local
currencies
In financial year 2009/10 Sonova began reporting on two
business segments: hearing instruments and hearing
implants. The former can be compared more or less with the
results of financial reporting before this date. Sales of
InSound Medical are consolidated with the figures for first
class hearing instruments. The hearing implants segment
primarily reports the results of the Advanced Bionics business
that was acquired in late 2009. Both acquisitions
were consolidated in the overall performance of the Sonova
Group for the first three months of calendar year 2010 in
the previous financial year. The Phonak Acoustic Implants
business, which is also included in the hearing implants
segment, did not generate any sales in 2010/11.
Sales Share
First class hearing instruments 398 25% 10.8% 378 25%
Business class hearing instruments 379 23% 12.4% 353 24%
Economy class hearing instruments 481 30% 7.2% 460 31%
Wireless communication systems 75 5% 5.0% 75 5%
Miscellaneous 213 13% 7.0% 209 13%
Total hearing instruments 1,546 96% 10.1% 1,475 98%
Hearing implants 71 4% 25 2%
Total sales 1,617 100% 13.3% 1,500 100%