Expenses for research and development (R&D) remained high in 2009. The Dräger Group’s total R&D expendi- ture amounted to EUR 149.4 million, which corresponds to 7.8 percent of net sales (2008: EUR 142.0 million; 7.4 percent of net sales). Around EUR 23 million, or 15.4 percent of these expenses were for services obtained from external research partners. The development depart- ments of the medical and safety divisions employ 941 people worldwide and 51 people work at Drägerwerk AG & Co. KGaA’s research and development (basic research) department in Lübeck (balance sheet date December 31, 2009).
The basic research department’s main task is to inves- tigate new technologies and develop technical solutions for potential applications. Theses technologies are trans- ferred to product development only once they have reached a sufficiently high level of maturity, which reduces the development risk.
All research and development departments cooperate inter- nationally with universities, research institutes and other innovative companies. In this way, Dräger is able to bene- fit from technologies developed and financed by other sectors. The transparent and lean innovation and develop- ment processes ensure high efficiency and facilitate the inclusion of the latest research findings and cutting-edge
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technologies that meet the high quality standards in the product development.
The comprehensive innovation process includes the pro- curement, quality assurance and production departments along side of the R&D and marketing departments. Pro- curement for example, is responsible for the early involve- ment of strategic suppliers in the development process. This strategy and also the pooling of available resources for product development projects have contributed to the success in 2009.
These platform-based developments have entered the market as promising and attractive products and will con- tinue to contribute to Dräger’s financial success in the coming years.
MEDICAL DIVISION
Medical division’s R&D projects involve system solutions for points of care in hospitals and transport solutions for continuous therapy and therapy control.
With the “Infinity Acute Care System”, Dräger has devel- oped a product family of integrated workstations in
the operating rooms and intensive care units that struc- ture workflows in hospitals more efficiently and to a better standard. On the way towards completion of the Infinity products series during the period under review, Dräger made major progress: twelve new anesthesia, ven- tilation and patient monitoring products, six of which from the Infinity product family. This is a record for the medical division:
– The “Primus Infinity Empowered” anesthesia device with integrated RFID technology (radio frequency identifica- tion) optimizes the clinical processes during anesthesia induction, in the operating room and recovery room. – The “Zeus Infinity Empowered” anesthesia workstation
offers the highest standard of ventilation while com- bining the function of an infusion pump with IT systems, automated part functions and the latest medical cockpit technology of the Infinity product range.
– The “Infinity Evita V500 SW 2.0” intensive care ventila- tor is tailored to the specific requirements of the US market.
– The “Infinity Acute Care System VG1” is a patient moni- toring system for Infinity products. The system compris- es of the main monitoring unit M540, the optional med-
R&D costs in € million 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Medical division 79.9 89.3 89.1 104.71 107.8
in % of net sales 7.2 7.2 7.4 8.41 8.5
Safety division 27.4 28.3 31.2 34.6 39.3
in % of net sales 4.9 4.8 4.9 4.9 5.8
Drägerwerk AG & Co. KGaA 1.0 0.4 1.6 2.7 2.3
Dräger Group 108.3 118.0 121.9 142.0 149.4
in % of net sales 6.6 6.6 6.7 7.4 7.8
Headcount 791 896 949 1,058 992
1Due to restructuring in the medical division in 2009, some cost centers were assigned to other functional areas. The prior-year figures were adjusted to improve comparability.
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BUSINESS PERFORMANCE MARKET ENVIRONMENT
ical cockpits C500 and C700, the docking station M500 and the power supply and communications unit PS250. – The first portable patient monitor Infinity M300, which
was successfully launched in 2008, was improved to comply with the WPA2 safety standard, in line with the increasingly strict data protection laws around the world.
– The “Isolette 8000” incubator was another new product introduced by the medical division. It ensures opti- mized supply processes and care for neonatals and pre- mature infants.
The “Oxylog 3000 plus” emergency ventilation device, “Opera” state-of-the-art ceiling supply system, “Gemina Duo” wall-mounted supply unit, “Polaris” operating light (see pages 36 et seq.) based on up-to-date LED tech- nology, the highly innovative “Smart Pilot View” anes- thesia support system, and many other new accessories and consumables round off the ranges of the newly launched Dräger products.
In 2009, the organizational structure of the medical divi- sion improved greatly by implementing an efficient devel- opment project management and by introducing a performance measurement system for a continuous and transparent project progress management.
SAFET Y DIVISION
Key R&D projects at the safety division include the devel- opment and integration of sensors in miniaturized devices and in networked instruments for personal protec- tion and contamination monitoring.
In the field of personal protection, integrated products consisting of a combination of respiratory protection masks, breathing protection apparatus, protective cloth- ing and sensors are being developed. Dräger’s devel- opers use suitable technologies for data communication between sensors on the same network and voice and data
communication between firefighters and the command center in the new generations of devices.
In the period under review, a total of 15 new products and 36 improved products were ready to be launched in the market. These include:
– Expansion of “Dräger DrugTest 5000” to detect the sub- stance Methadone, used during drug rehabilitation – The ”Dräger NATO AFU 100” NBC air protection system – New XXS ozone, hydrogen and nitrogen monoxide sensors – The personal gas monitoring devices “Dräger Pac 3500”
and “Dräger Pac 5500”
– An integrated telemetry unit for the state-of-the-art self-contained “Dräger PSS 7000” breathing apparatus – The high-temperature firefighter helmet systems
“Dräger HPS 4300” and “Dräger HPS 6200”
– The “Dräger X-Plore 1300 EN” was included in the port- folio of FFP respiratory protection half masks.
BASIC FEATURES OF THE REMUNERATION SYSTEM| PERSONNEL 102