Narrowband  |   Broadband  |  2023-11-14

Rohde & Schwarz Closes Challenging Fiscal Year Successfully

Source: Rohde & Schwarz
Curated by: Gert Jan Wolf - Editor-in Chief for The Critical Communications Review

Despite complex global challenges, Rohde & Schwarz has closed the 2022/2023 fiscal year successfully. For the first time in its 90-year history, the technology group topped the three billion euro mark for order intake. This shows that the group is well positioned in growth markets thanks to its focus on security and connectivity. Also in the reporting period, Rohde & Schwarz continued to invest systematically in its own vertical integration and key technologies in order to remain independent, flexible and technologically relevant for its customers.

The 2022/2023 fiscal year (July to June) was marked by geopolitical uncertainty and difficult economic conditions. Nevertheless, Rohde & Schwarz achieved an excellent order intake of well over EUR 3 billion and revenue rose to EUR 2.78 billion. The positive operating result was also in line with expectations. On June 30, 2023, Rohde & Schwarzhad around 13,800 employees worldwide. 

The overall good consolidated financial statements show that Rohde & Schwarz is well positioned in markets with strong growth potential. The group's diversification ensures greater security and stability. 

Broad test and measurement portfolio drives innovation and transformation

The wireless communications T&M market declined, especially on the production side, due to the global economic situation. In this challenging environment, the diversified Rohde & Schwarz T&M portfolio proved highly advantageous and ensured a robust fiscal year. Customers in the aerospace & defense market continued to invest in the group's state-of-the-art T&M technology. The automotive industry is driving the transition to electromobility and the development of autonomous vehicles. This, in turn, is generating high demand for the broad range of solutions that Rohde & Schwarzoffers for demanding measurement tasks. The group also further expanded its established position in the Industrial Electronics, Components, Research & Universities market segment. 

Science and research are already working on 6G, the next wireless communications generation. Rohde & Schwarz has been involved in these efforts from the very start by participating in various programs and initiatives. At Mobile World Congress 2023 in Barcelona, the group teamed up with NVIDIA to give the industry's first hardware-in-the-loop demonstration of a neural receiver. This has laid the foundation for the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in the future 6G technology.

Partner for shaping the digital sovereignty of countries and industry

The ongoing geopolitical developments have led governments and industry to focus more strongly on digital and technological sovereignty. This paradigm shift is also affecting the business of Rohde & Schwarz. With its secure communications and reconnaissance solutions, the technology group was able to win strategically important projects with authorities and customers in the government sector in the reporting period.

In addition, by acquiring Schönhofer Sales & Engineering GmbH (SSE), the group successfully invested in expertise for key technologies such as big data analytics and AI. In August 2023, Rohde & Schwarz and SSE were commissioned, along with other partners, to develop the AI backbone for the European Future Combat Air System (FCAS). 

Demand for network and security technology is increasing in both private and public sectors. The trend toward cloud applications and remote work continued. In the government sector, digitalization is gaining further momentum. Rohde & Schwarz, a key supplier in Germany with solutions to ensure digital sovereignty, is already benefiting from this trend. The group subsidiary LANCOM Systems in particular secured important projects and again achieved profitable growth.