Focus on research and development

Research and development (including capitalized development costs) expenses amounted to EUR 80.8 (87.2) million in the 2019 financial year. This equates to an R&D ratio of 4.7 % (5.1 %), just below the Group’s target range of 5-6 %. The Group is thus pursuing its strategy of prioritizing its highly promising areas of business when it comes to allotting significant resources.
The strong culture of innovation at ElringKlinger is kept alive by creative minds. With 611 (590) employees, the company further increased the number of staff engaged in research and development in fiscal 2019.
ElringKlinger always seeks legal protection for new developments at both product and process level. Its central patent unit deals with the protection of technological knowledge and intellectual property, in addition to applying for patents in Germany and abroad. At 81 (80), the number of patents newly applied for in 2019 was up slightly on the previous year.