Zug, Switzerland, 26 June 2009 – It's official: Belimed Technik GmbH, one of Belimed's total four centres of competence, is one of the 100 most innovative small and medium-sized companies in Germany. So say the results of this year's “Top 100” corporate benchmarking competition - a cross-sectoral business initiative covering the entire country. One key element of the firm's success in this, the 17th year of the renowned contest, was its finely-tuned innovations management. Lothar Späth, former state premier of Baden-Württemberg, will present Belimed with the prestigious “Top 100” seal of approval at an official ceremony in Königswinter's “Gästehaus Petersberg” this Friday evening.

As patron of the SME initiative, he will be recognising the Bavarian company's achievements in the five key categories of “Innovation-friendly Senior Management”, “Climate of Innovation”, “Innovative Processes and Organisation”, “Innovations Marketing” and “Successful Innovations”.

The company develops and produces large-scale washing and disinfection equipment for hospitals, laboratories and the pharmaceutical industry. The “Top 100” judges were impressed by its innovation strategy, supported by senior management, that focuses on innovative improvements as well as radical new ideas. Between 2006 and 2008, Belimed Technik GmbH, with a workforce of 130, helped to increase its Swiss parent company's revenue from €89 million to €130 million. The company's innovation committee, whose members not only include the board of directors and department heads but also its senior managers, is a key source of inspiration. The decisions it makes feed into the work of the in-house core innovation team in the form of suggestions and targets. This team, which consists of directors, marketeers, sales staff, product managers and development staff, is responsible for the operational aspect of the innovation process and it defines the developments and features for future products. Another of the firm's unusual features is that decisions about innovations are taken in close cooperation with customers. “We know that we are taking a big risk by putting customers' ideas into practice – but it strengthens our role as an innovative systems supplier,” explains director Hans-Martin Combé.

To qualify for the award, Belimed had to undergo a stringent, two-stage process devised by the Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration. “Our results show that the 100 top innovators generally tackle challenges head on and are thus well-equipped to deal with the current economic situation, for example. Innovation is a matter of priority at management level for most of these companies,” commented Professor Nikolaus Franke, head of the research team, on the analysis. In the past three years, these award-winners generated two thirds of their revenue from innovations and innovative improvements, compared with 30 per cent in a sample of similarly-structured German SMEs. In addition, Top 100 firms were able to shave some 12 per cent off their costs through process innovations, compared with a paltry 4 per cent on the part of “average SMEs”. As a result, this year's “Top 100” contains 54 German market leaders, 22 of which are global leaders in their field. Hans-Martin Combé is jubilant about the firm's success: “We are now officially classed among the most formidable innovators in the German SME sector. This is a great boost to our credibility and will inspire our employees, partners and, of course, customers with confidence. We could scarcely have hoped for better news in these times of crisis.” Overall, 319 companies entered the “Top 100” competition this year.

About Belimed
Belimed is active worldwide in the field of infection control and has its headquarters in CH-6300 Zug, Switzerland. The Belimed companies develop, manufacture and market specialized equipment and services that are required for the reprocessing of medical instruments and for the research and production of pharmaceutical products. Belimed washer disinfectors and sterilizers are mainly used in hospitals and in the pharmaceutical and bio-tech industry. The Belimed Group counts over 800 employees. With a total of 11 Belimed companies throughout Europe, North America and Asia, and many authorised partners, Belimed is represented worldwide by a strong network in over 50 countries. Further information on Belimed products and services is available at www.belimed.com.

Contact
Belimed AG
Sonja Metzger
Industriestrasse 12
CH-6300 Zug
sonja.metzger@belimed.com
Tel. +41 41 768 96 06
Fax +41 41 768 96 10