Artificial Intelligence
BioNTech Announces First Quarter 2023 Financial Results and Corporate Update
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- COVID-19 vaccine franchise focused on vaccine adaptation readiness ahead of the fall season and advancing next generation vaccine candidates and combinations
- BioNTech and partner OncoC4 plan to start a Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating anti-CTLA-4 antibody BNT316 (ONC-392) as monotherapy in NSCLC patients who progress after PD-1/PD-L1 treatment
- Added new class of precision therapeutics to clinical-stage oncology portfolio, with next-generation Antibody-Drug Conjugate (ADC) candidates
- Presenting clinical data on antibody candidate BNT316 (ONC-392), ADC candidate BNT323 (DB-1303) and CAR-T candidate BNT211 at the 2023 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting
- Broadened clinical-stage infectious disease vaccine pipeline with the start of a First-in-Human clinical trial for the first mRNA-based Tuberculosis vaccine candidates
- Reiterates BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine revenue guidance of approximately €5 billion in 2023
- First quarter1 revenues of €1.3 billion2, net profit of €0.5 billion and fully diluted earnings per share of €2.05 ($2.203)
Conference call and webcast scheduled for May 8, 2023, at 8:00 am EDT (2:00 pm CEST)
MAINZ, Germany, May 8, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BioNTech SE (Nasdaq: BNTX, “BioNTech” or the “Company”) today reported financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2023, and provided an update on its corporate progress.
“In the first quarter of 2023, we expanded our toolkit of cutting-edge technologies to new modalities and added a novel immune checkpoint inhibitor candidate targeting CTLA-4 and two investigational antibody-drug conjugates to our arsenal against cancer. These programs are strategically aligned with our vision to provide meaningful therapeutic benefits for patients with solid tumors along the entire treatment journey,” said Prof. Ugur Sahin, M.D., CEO and Co-Founder of BioNTech. “We are taking significant steps in this direction as we prepare to initiate our first Phase 3 clinical trial in oncology for the novel anti-CTLA-4 antibody in NSCLC patients who have progressed after PD-1/PD-L1 treatment, a patient population with high medical need. We are also making progress in advancing our next generation COVID-19 vaccine candidate while we stand prepared for variant adaptation in case of public health need. For the remainder of 2023, we are focused on advancing our disruptive platforms against solid tumors and accelerating clinical programs in infectious diseases of high global need.”
Financial Review for the First Quarter 2023
| in millions €, except per share data | First Quarter 2023 | First Quarter 2022 |
| Total Revenues2 | 1,277.0 | 6,374.6 |
| Net Profit | 502.2 | 3,698.8 |
| Diluted Earnings per Share | 2.05 | 14.24 |
Total revenues reported were €1,277.0 million2 for the three months ended March 31, 2023, compared to €6,374.6 million2 for the comparative prior year period. The change was mainly due to lower commercial revenues from the supply and sales of the Company’s COVID-19 vaccines worldwide.
Cost of sales were €96.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023, compared to €1,294.1 million for the comparative prior year period. The change was mainly due to decreasing sales from BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine revenues.
Research and development expenses were €334.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023, compared to €285.8 million for the comparative prior year period. The change was mainly due to higher expenses incurred from progressing the clinical studies for pipeline candidates. The increase was further driven by an increased headcount.
General and administrative expenses were €119.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023, compared to €90.8 million for the comparative prior year period. The change was mainly due to increased expenses for IT, purchased external services, as well as an increase in headcount.
Income taxes were accrued in an amount of €205.5 million of tax expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2023, compared to €1,319.3 million of tax expenses for the comparative prior year period. The derived annual effective income tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2023, was 29.0% which is expected to decrease over the 2023 financial year to be in line with BioNTech’s guidance.
Net profit was €502.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023, compared to €3,698.8 million for the comparative prior year period.
Cash and cash equivalents as well as security investments were €12,143.9 million and €671.9 million, respectively, as of March 31, 2023. Subsequent to the end of the reporting period, the payment settling BioNTech’s gross profit share for the fourth quarter of 2022 (as defined by the contract with Pfizer, Inc. (“Pfizer”)) in the amount of €3,961.3 million was received from our collaboration partner as of April 14, 2023. The contractual settlement of the gross profit share under the COVID-19 vaccine program collaboration with Pfizer has a temporal offset of more than one calendar quarter. As Pfizer’s fiscal quarter for subsidiaries outside the United States differs from BioNTech’s financial reporting cycle, it creates an additional time lag between the recognition of revenues and the payment receipt.
Shares outstanding as of March 31, 2023 were 240,990,499.
Cash outflows and share consideration in connection with the planned acquisition of InstaDeep Ltd. (“InstaDeep”) and the upfront payments of the collaboration and license agreements with OncoC4, Inc. (“OncoC4”) and Duality Biologics (Suzhou) Co. Ltd. (“DualityBio”) of approximately €0.8 billion are expected (subject to change and excluding future potential earn-out and milestone payments).
“In the first quarter of 2023, our financial performance has been fully in line with our expectations and we executed according to our capital allocation priorities by growing and advancing our clinical-stage pipeline, announcing multiple significant business development transactions and continuing to pursue our share repurchase program,” said Jens Holstein, CFO of BioNTech. “For the remainder of 2023, we remain focused on fulfilling our goals and continuing to provide value to our patients and shareholders.”
Outlook for the 2023 Financial Year
The Company reiterates its prior financial year outlook:
BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine Revenues for the 2023 Financial Year:
| Estimated BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine revenues for the full 2023 financial year | ~ €5 billion |
This revenue estimate reflects expected revenues related to BioNTech’s share of gross profit from COVID-19 vaccine sales in the collaboration partners’ territories, from direct COVID-19 vaccine sales to customers in BioNTech’s territory and expected revenues generated from products manufactured by BioNTech and sold to collaboration partners, which may be influenced by costs such as inventory write-offs once materialized and shared with the collaboration partner Pfizer.
Revenue guidance is based on various assumptions, including, but not limited to, the expected transition from an advanced purchase agreement environment to commercial market ordering starting in some geographies and an expected regulatory recommendation to adapt the COVID-19 vaccines to address newly circulating variants or sublineages of SARS-CoV-2. The estimated BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine revenues reflect expected deliveries under existing or committed supply contracts and anticipated sales through traditional commercial orders. A re-negotiation of the existing supply contract with the European Commission is ongoing, with the potential for a rephasing of deliveries of doses across multiple years and/or a volume reduction. While a vaccine adaptation is expected to lead to increased demand, fewer primary vaccinations and lowered population-wide levels of boosting are anticipated. Seasonal demand is assumed, moving expected revenue generation significantly to the second half of the year 2023.
Planned 2023 Financial Year Expenses and Capex4:
| R&D expenses5 | €2,400 million – €2,600 million |
| SG&A expenses | €650 million – €750 million |
| Capital expenditures for operating activities6 | €500 million – €600 million |
Estimated 2023 Financial Year Tax Assumptions:
| BioNTech Group estimated annual cash effective income tax rate | ~ 27% |
Operational Review and Pipeline Update for the First Quarter 2023 and Key Post Period-End Events
Oncology Pipeline
BNT316 (ONC-392) is an anti-CTLA-4 monoclonal antibody candidate being developed in collaboration with OncoC4. BNT316 (ONC-392) offers a potentially differentiated safety profile that may allow for higher dosing and longer duration of treatment both as a monotherapy and in combination with other therapies.
- BioNTech and OncoC4 plan to start a Phase 3 clinical trial to evaluate BNT316 (ONC-392) as monotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients who progress on anti-PD-1/PD-L1 antibody-based therapy in 2023.
- BioNTech and OncoC4 plan to present data from an expansion cohort evaluating BNT316 (ONC-392) as monotherapy in NSCLC patients as part of the ongoing Phase 1/2 clinical trial at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting held in Chicago, USA, from June 2-6, 2023.
BNT323 (DB-1303) is a HER2-targeted antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) candidate, being developed in collaboration with DualityBio.
- BNT323 (DB-1303) is currently being evaluated in a Phase 1/2 clinical trial in patients with advanced/unresectable, recurrent, or metastatic HER2-expressing solid tumors. BioNTech and DualityBio expect a data update from the ongoing trial at the 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting.
- In January, BNT323 (DB-1303) received Fast Track designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of patients with HER2-overexpressing advanced, recurrent, or metastatic endometrial carcinoma who have progressed on or after standard systemic treatment.
Autogene cevumeran (BNT122) is an mRNA cancer vaccine candidate based on an individualized neoantigen-specific immunotherapy (iNeST) approach being developed in collaboration with Genentech, a member of the Roche Group.
- A Phase 2 clinical trial of BNT122 in the adjuvant setting in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is planned to open in 2023.
BNT211 is an autologous CLDN6-targeting chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy that is being tested alone and in combination with a CAR-T cell Amplifying RNA Vaccine, or CARVac, encoding CLDN6.
- BioNTech expects a data update from the ongoing Phase 1/2 dose escalation and expansion clinical trial, in patients with CLDN6-positive relapsed or refractory advanced solid tumors at the 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting.
Infectious Diseases Pipeline
Next-generation COVID-19 Vaccine Program BNT162b2 + BNT162b4
- In April, BioNTech reported preclinical data on BNT162b4, the vaccine component encoding conserved non-spike antigen derived T cell epitopes, alone and in combination with BNT162b2, encoding the full spike protein. In the preclinical study, the candidate protected from severe COVID-19 disease and enhanced viral clearance. The findings are in press in the peer-reviewed journal Cell (Arieta C. et al. The T-cell-directed vaccine BNT162b4 encoding conserved non-spike antigens protects animals from severe SARS-CoV-2 infection, Cell (2023), doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2023.04.007.).
- A Phase 1 clinical trial to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of BNT162b4 in combination with BNT162b2 is ongoing.
Tuberculosis Vaccine Program – BNT164
- In April, BioNTech initiated a randomized, controlled, dose-finding Phase 1 clinical trial of BNT164 in partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The clinical trial will evaluate the safety, reactogenicity, and immunogenicity of mRNA vaccine candidates against Tuberculosis.
Shingles Vaccine Program – BNT167
- In February, BioNTech and Pfizer initiated a multicenter, randomized, controlled, dose-selection Phase 1/2 clinical trial of BNT167, the companies’ mRNA vaccine candidate against shingles (also known as herpes zoster). The clinical trial will evaluate the safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of mRNA vaccine candidates against shingles.
Corporate Update for the First Quarter 2023 and Key Post Period-End Events
- In January, BioNTech entered into an agreement to acquire its long-standing strategic collaboration partner InstaDeep, enabling the creation of a fully integrated, enterprise-wide capability that leverages artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies across BioNTech’s therapeutic platforms and operations. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals.
- In January, BioNTech signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of the United Kingdom to establish a multi-year collaboration focused on three strategic pillars: cancer immunotherapies based on mRNA or other drug classes, infectious disease vaccines, and investments into expanding BioNTech’s footprint in the UK as one of the Company’s key markets. The goal of the collaboration is to provide personalized cancer therapies for up to 10,000 patients by the end of 2030, either in clinical trials or as authorized treatments.
- In February, BioNTech completed construction of the Company’s first proprietary plasmid DNA manufacturing facility. The plasmid DNA produced at this state-of-the-art facility in Marburg, Germany is planned to be used globally and serve as the basis for the manufacturing of mRNA- and cell-based products on a clinical or commercial scale.
- In March, BioNTech announced the establishment of an interdisciplinary mRNA Excellence Center to conduct research jointly with scientists from Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel. The Company’s mRNA Excellence Center is expected to provide space for approximately 60 researchers to facilitate collaboration across various fields, including life science, computer science, mathematics, physics, and chemistry.
- In March, BioNTech provided an update on its plans to establish scalable mRNA vaccine production in Africa. The Company announced that six ISO-sized shipping containers for the first BioNTainer, a turnkey manufacturing solution designed to enable scalable mRNA vaccine production in bulk, arrived in Kigali, Rwanda.
- In March, BioNTech entered into an exclusive worldwide licensing and collaboration agreement with OncoC4 to co-develop and commercialize BNT316 (ONC-392), an anti-CTLA-4 monoclonal antibody candidate as monotherapy or combination therapy in various cancer indications.
- In March, BioNTech entered into a new share repurchase program pursuant to which the Company may purchase American Depositary Shares, each representing one ordinary share of the Company, in the amount of up to $0.5 billion during the remainder of 2023.
- In April, BioNTech entered into exclusive license and collaboration agreements with DualityBio to develop, manufacture and commercialize two investigational topoisomerase-1 inhibitor-based ADC assets, BNT323 (DB-1303) and BNT324 (DB-1311).
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG)
BioNTech recognizes its responsibility as a corporate citizen and is committed to supporting its local communities and beyond through donations, sponsorships and volunteer activities. In response to the earthquakes that hit Türkiye and Syria in February, BioNTech contributed to the humanitarian aid in both countries by donating €500,000 to the nonprofit organization ‘Aktionsbündnis Katastrophenhilfe’ (Action Alliance for Disaster Relief). For humanitarian aid in Ukraine, the Company donated €500,000 to the refugee relief ‘UNO-Flüchtlingshilfe’ – the partner of UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Germany.
On March 27, 2023, BioNTech published its third ESG report (Sustainability Report 2022). The report is available in the Investor Relations section of BioNTech’s website.
Upcoming Investor and Analyst Events
- The Annual General Meeting is scheduled for May 25, 2023.
- BioNTech plans to host an Innovation Series Day on November 7, 2023.
Endnotes
The full interim unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements can be found in BioNTech’s Report on Form 6-K, filed today with the SEC and available at https://www.sec.gov.
1 Financial information is prepared and presented in Euros and numbers are rounded to millions and billions of Euros in accordance with standard commercial practice.
2 BioNTech’s profit share is estimated based on preliminary data shared between Pfizer and BioNTech as further described in the Annual Report. Any changes in the estimated share of the collaboration partner’s gross profit will be recognized prospectively.
3 Calculated applying the average foreign exchange rate for the three months ended March 31, 2023, as published by the German Central Bank (Deutsche Bundesbank).
4 Numbers reflect current base case projections and are calculated based on constant currency rates.
5 Numbers include effects identified from additional collaborations or potential M&A transactions to the extent disclosed and will be updated as needed.
6 Numbers exclude potential effects caused by or driven from collaborations or M&A transactions.
Conference Call and Webcast Information
BioNTech invites investors and the general public to join a conference call and webcast with investment analysts today, May 8, 2023 at 8.00 a.m. EDT (2.00 p.m. CEST) to report its financial results and provide a corporate update for the first quarter of 2023.
To access the live conference call via telephone, please register via this link. Once registered, dial-in numbers and a pin number will be provided.
The slide presentation and audio of the webcast will be available via this link.
Participants may also access the slides and the webcast of the conference call via the “Events & Presentations” page of the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website at https://biontech.com/. A replay of the webcast will be available shortly after the conclusion of the call and archived on the Company’s website for 30 days following the call.
About BioNTech
Biopharmaceutical New Technologies (BioNTech) is a next generation immunotherapy company pioneering novel therapies for cancer and other serious diseases. The Company exploits a wide array of computational discovery and therapeutic drug platforms for the rapid development of novel biopharmaceuticals. Its broad portfolio of oncology product candidates includes individualized and off-the-shelf mRNA-based therapies, innovative chimeric antigen receptor T cells, bispecific immune checkpoint modulators, targeted cancer antibodies and small molecules. Based on its deep expertise in mRNA vaccine development and in-house manufacturing capabilities, BioNTech and its collaborators are developing multiple mRNA vaccine candidates for a range of infectious diseases alongside its diverse oncology pipeline. BioNTech has established a broad set of relationships with multiple global pharmaceutical collaborators, including Genmab, Sanofi, Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, Regeneron, Genevant, Fosun Pharma and Pfizer.
For more information, please visit www.BioNTech.com
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, including, but not limited to, statements concerning: BioNTech’s expected revenues and net profit related to sales of BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine, referred to as COMIRNATY where approved for use under full or conditional marketing authorization, in territories controlled by BioNTech’s collaboration partners, particularly for those figures that are derived from preliminary estimates provided by BioNTech’s partners; the rate and degree of market acceptance of BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine and, if approved, BioNTech’s investigational medicines; expectations regarding anticipated changes in COVID-19 vaccine demand, including changes to the ordering environment and expected regulatory recommendations to adapt vaccines to address new variants or sublineages; the initiation, timing, progress, results, and cost of BioNTech’s research and development programs, including those relating to additional formulations of BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine, and BioNTech’s current and future preclinical studies and clinical trials, including statements regarding the timing of initiation and completion of studies or trials and related preparatory work and the availability of results; the status and potential outcome of re-negotiations of the existing supply contract with the European Commission; the timing and expected impact of the Company’s planned acquisition of InstaDeep Ltd. and collaboration and licensing agreements with OncoC4, Inc., Duality Biologics (Suzhou) Co. Ltd. and others; the development of sustainable vaccine production and supply solutions, including BioNTainers, and the nature and feasibility of these solutions; and BioNTech’s estimates of commercial and other revenues, cost of sales, research and development expenses, sales and marketing expenses, general and administrative expenses, capital expenditures, income taxes, net profit, cash, cash equivalents and security investments, shares outstanding and cash outflows and share consideration. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “may,” “should,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “aims,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “potential,” “continue,” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. The forward-looking statements in this press release are neither promises nor guarantees, and you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond BioNTech’s control and which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: BioNTech’s pricing and coverage negotiations with governmental authorities, private health insurers and other third-party payors after BioNTech’s initial sales to national governments; the future commercial demand and medical need for initial or booster doses of a COVID-19 vaccine; competition from other COVID-19 vaccines or related to BioNTech’s other product candidates, including those with different mechanisms of action and different manufacturing and distribution constraints, on the basis of, among other things, efficacy, cost, convenience of storage and distribution, breadth of approved use, side-effect profile and durability of immune response; the timing of and BioNTech’s ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approval for BioNTech’s product candidates; the ability of BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccines to prevent COVID-19 caused by emerging virus variants; BioNTech’s and its counterparties’ ability to manage and source necessary energy resources; BioNTech’s ability to identify research opportunities and discover and develop investigational medicines; the ability and willingness of BioNTech’s third-party collaborators to continue research and development activities relating to BioNTech’s development candidates and investigational medicines; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on BioNTech’s development programs, supply chain, collaborators and financial performance; unforeseen safety issues and potential claims that are alleged to arise from the use of BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine and other products and product candidates developed or manufactured by BioNTech; BioNTech’s and its collaborators’ ability to commercialize and market BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine and, if approved, its product candidates; BioNTech’s ability to manage its development and expansion; regulatory developments in the United States and other countries; BioNTech’s ability to effectively scale BioNTech’s production capabilities and manufacture BioNTech’s products, including BioNTech’s target COVID-19 vaccine production levels, and BioNTech’s product candidates; risks relating to the global financial system and markets; and other factors not known to BioNTech at this time. You should review the risks and uncertainties described under the heading “Risk Factors” in BioNTech’s Report on Form 6-K for the period ended March 31, 2023 and in subsequent filings made by BioNTech with the SEC, which are available on the SEC’s website at https://www.sec.gov/. Except as required by law, BioNTech disclaims any intention or responsibility for updating or revising any forward-looking statements contained in this press release in the event of new information, future developments or otherwise. These forward-looking statements are based on BioNTech’s current expectations and speak only as of the date hereof.
CONTACTS
Investor Relations
Victoria Meissner, M.D.
+1 617 528 8293
[email protected]
Media Relations
Jasmina Alatovic
+49 (0)6131 9084 1513
[email protected]
Interim Consolidated Statements of Profit or Loss
| Three months ended March 31, |
||||
| 2023 | 2022 | |||
| (in millions €, except per share data) | (unaudited) | (unaudited) | ||
| Revenues | ||||
| Commercial revenues | 1,276.5 | 6,362.2 | ||
| Research & development revenues | 0,5 | 12.4 | ||
| Total revenues | 1,277.0 | 6,374.6 | ||
| Cost of sales | (96.0) | (1,294.1) | ||
| Research and development expenses | (334.0) | (285.8) | ||
| Sales and marketing expenses | (12.2) | (14.3) | ||
| General and administrative expenses | (119.4) | (90.8) | ||
| Other operating expenses | (118.1) | (71.6) | ||
| Other operating income | 57.1 | 134.7 | ||
| Operating income | 654.4 | 4,752.7 | ||
| Finance income | 82.3 | 272.1 | ||
| Finance expenses | (29.0) | (6.7) | ||
| Profit before tax | 707.7 | 5,018.1 | ||
| Income taxes | (205.5) | (1,319.3) | ||
| Profit for the period | 502.2 | 3,698.8 | ||
| Earnings per share | ||||
| Basic profit for the period per share | 2.07 | 15.13 | ||
| Diluted profit for the period per share | 2.05 | 14.24 | ||
Interim Consolidated Statements of Financial Position
| March 31, | December 31, | |||
| (in millions €) | 2023 | 2022 | ||
| Assets | (unaudited) | |||
| Non-current assets | ||||
| Intangible assets | 378.6 | 219.7 | ||
| Property, plant and equipment | 639.2 | 609.2 | ||
| Right-of-use assets | 208.4 | 211.9 | ||
| Other financial assets | 516.8 | 80.2 | ||
| Other non-financial assets | 4.4 | 6.5 | ||
| Deferred tax assets | 245.5 | 229.6 | ||
| Total non-current assets | 1,992.9 | 1,357.1 | ||
| Current assets | ||||
| Inventories | 424.1 | 439.6 | ||
| Trade and other receivables | 6,450.5 | 7,145.6 | ||
| Contract assets | 5.7 | — | ||
| Other financial assets | 358.0 | 189.4 | ||
| Other non-financial assets | 171.3 | 271.9 | ||
| Income tax assets | 532.6 | 0.4 | ||
| Cash and cash equivalents | 12,143.9 | 13,875.1 | ||
| Total current assets | 20,086.1 | 21,922.0 | ||
| Total assets | 22,079.0 | 23,279.1 | ||
| Equity and liabilities | ||||
| Equity | ||||
| Share capital | 248.6 | 248.6 | ||
| Capital reserve | 1,547.9 | 1,828.2 | ||
| Treasury shares | (7.6) | (5.3) | ||
| Retained earnings | 19,335.2 | 18,833.0 | ||
| Other reserves | (858.8) | (848.9) | ||
| Total equity | 20,265.3 | 20,055.6 | ||
| Non-current liabilities | ||||
| Lease liabilities, loans and borrowings | 172.4 | 176.2 | ||
| Other financial liabilities | 6.1 | 6.1 | ||
| Income tax liabilities | 10.8 | 10.4 | ||
| Provisions | 8.6 | 8.6 | ||
| Contract liabilities | 45.6 | 48.4 | ||
| Other non-financial liabilities | 14.0 | 17.0 | ||
| Deferred tax liabilities | 5.3 | 6.2 | ||
| Total non-current liabilities | 262.8 | 272.9 | ||
| Current liabilities | ||||
| Lease liabilities, loans and borrowings | 37.4 | 36.0 | ||
| Trade payables | 29.9 | 204.1 | ||
| Other financial liabilities | 435.9 | 785.1 | ||
| Refund liabilities | 80.2 | 24.4 | ||
| Income tax liabilities | 526.3 | 595.9 | ||
| Provisions | 320.4 | 367.2 | ||
| Contract liabilities | 22.0 | 77.1 | ||
| Other non-financial liabilities | 98.8 | 860.8 | ||
| Total current liabilities | 1,550.9 | 2,950.6 | ||
| Total liabilities | 1,813.7 | 3,223.5 | ||
| Total equity and liabilities | 22,079.0 | 23,279.1 |
Interim Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
| Three months ended March 31, |
|||
| 2023 | 2022 | ||
| (in millions €) | (unaudited) | (unaudited) | |
| Operating activities | |||
| Profit for the period | 502.2 | 3,698.8 | |
| Income taxes | 205.5 | 1,319.3 | |
| Profit before tax | 707.7 | 5,018.1 | |
| Adjustments to reconcile profit before tax to net cash flows: | |||
| Depreciation and amortization of property, plant, equipment, intangible assets and right-of-use assets | 31.4 | 27.6 | |
| Share-based payment expenses | 8.6 | 11.2 | |
| Net foreign exchange differences | 53.1 | 6.1 | |
| Loss on disposal of property, plant and equipment | 0.2 | — | |
| Finance income excluding foreign exchange differences | (82.3) | (217.3) | |
| Finance expense excluding foreign exchange differences | 1.2 | 6.7 | |
| Movements in government grants | (3.0) | — | |
| Unrealized net (gain) / loss on derivative instruments at fair value through profit or loss | 76.2 | (1.9) | |
| Working capital adjustments: | |||
| Decrease / (increase) in trade and other receivables, contract assets and other assets | 893.8 | (403.5) | |
| Decrease in inventories | 15.5 | 43.2 | |
| (Decrease) / increase in trade payables, other financial liabilities, other liabilities, contract liabilities, refund liabilities and provisions | (861.6) | 857.5 | |
| Interest received | 53.6 | 0.7 | |
| Interest paid | (1.2) | (6.4) | |
| Income tax paid | (844.9) | (1,290.0) | |
| Share-based payments | (725.7) | (1.8) | |
| Net cash flows from / (used in) operating activities | (677.4) | 4,050.2 | |
| Investing activities | |||
| Purchase of property, plant and equipment | (45.2) | (44.1) | |
| Purchase of intangible assets and right-of-use assets | (9.6) | (16.7) | |
| Investment in other financial assets | (680.6) | (27.0) | |
| Proceeds from maturity of other financial assets | — | 375.2 | |
| Net cash flows from / (used in) investing activities | (735.4) | 287.4 | |
| Financing activities | |||
| Proceeds from issuance of share capital and treasury shares, net of costs | — | 110.5 | |
| Repayment of loans and borrowings | — | (18.8) | |
| Payments related to lease liabilities | (9.3) | (11.4) | |
| Share repurchase program | (282.0) | — | |
| Net cash flows from / (used in) financing activities | (291.3) | 80.3 | |
| Net increase / (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents | (1,704.1) | 4.417,9 | |
| Change in cash and cash equivalents resulting from exchange rate differences | (27.1) | 53,5 | |
| Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the period | 13,875.1 | 1.692,7 | |
| Cash and cash equivalents as of March 31 | 12,143.9 | 6.164,1 | |
Artificial Intelligence
IBM, Government of Canada, Government of Quebec Sign Agreements to Strengthen Canada’s Semiconductor Industry
Up to $187M CAD to be invested to progress expansion of chip packaging capacity and capabilities and to strengthen R&D at IBM Canada’s Bromont plant
BROMONT, QC, April 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — IBM (NYSE: IBM), the Government of Canada, and the Government of Quebec today announced agreements that will strengthen Canada’s semiconductor industry, and further develop the assembly, testing and packaging (ATP) capabilities for semiconductor modules to be used across a wide range of applications including telecommunications, high performance computing, automotive, aerospace & defence, computer networks, and generative AI, at IBM Canada’s plant in Bromont, Quebec. The agreements reflect a combined investment valued at approximately $187M CAD.
“Today’s announcement is a massive win for Canada and our dynamic tech sector. It will create high-paying jobs, invest in innovation, strengthen supply chains, and help make sure the most advanced technologies are Canadian-made. Semiconductors power the world, and we’re putting Canada at the forefront of that opportunity,” said the Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada
In addition to the advancement of packaging capabilities, IBM will be conducting R&D to develop methods for scalable manufacturing and other advanced assembly processes to support the packaging of different chip technologies, to further Canada’s role in the North American semiconductor supply chain and expand and anchor Canada’s capabilities in advanced packaging.
The agreements also allow for collaborations with small and medium-sized Canadian-based enterprises with the intent of fostering the development of a semiconductor ecosystem, now and into the future.
“IBM has long been a leader in semiconductor research and development, pioneering breakthroughs to meet tomorrow’s challenges. With the demand for compute surging in the age of AI, advanced packaging and chiplet technology is becoming critical for the acceleration of AI workloads,” said Darío Gil, IBM Senior Vice President and Director of Research. “As one of the largest chip assembly and testing facilities in North America, IBM’s Bromont facility will play a central role in this future. We are proud to be working with the governments of Canada and Quebec toward those goals and to build a stronger and more balanced semiconductor ecosystem in North America and beyond.”
IBM Canada’s Bromont plant is one of North America’s largest chip assembly and testing facilities, having operated in the region for 52 years. Today, the facility transforms advanced semiconductor components into state-of-the-art microelectronic solutions, playing a key role in IBM’s semiconductor R&D leadership alongside IBM’s facilities at the Albany NanoTech Complex and throughout New York’s Hudson Valley. These agreements will help to further establish a corridor of semiconductor innovation from New York to Bromont.
“Advanced packaging is a crucial component of the semiconductor industry, and IBM Canada’s Bromont plant has led the world in this process for decades,” said Deb Pimentel, president of IBM Canada. “Building upon IBM’s 107-year legacy of technology innovation and R&D in Canada, the Canadian semiconductor industry will now become even stronger, allowing for robust supply chains and giving Canadians steady access to even more innovative technologies and products. This announcement represents just one more example of IBM’s leadership and commitment to the country’s technology and business landscape.”
Chip packaging, the process of connecting integrated circuits on a chip or circuit board, has become more complex as electronic devices have shrunk and the components of chips themselves get smaller and smaller. IBM announced the world’s first 2 nanometer chip technology in 2021 and, as the semiconductor industry moves towards new methods of chip construction, advances in packaging will grow in importance.
“Semiconductors are part of our everyday life. They are in our phones, our cars, and our appliances. Through this investment, we are supporting Canadian innovators, creating good jobs, and solidifying Canada’s semiconductor industry to build a stronger economy. Canada is set to play a larger role in the global semiconductor industry thanks to projects like the one we are announcing today. Because, when we invest in semiconductor and quantum technologies, we invest in economic security.” — The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry
“This investment by IBM in Bromont will ensure that Quebec continues to stand out in the field of microelectronics. An increase in production capacity will solidify Quebec’s position in the strategic microelectronics sector in North America.” — The Honourable Pierre Fitzgibbon, Minister of Economy, Innovation and Energy, Minister responsible for Regional Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Metropolis and the Montreal region
About IBMIBM is a leading provider of global hybrid cloud and AI, and consulting expertise. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. More than 4,000 government and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM’s hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM’s breakthrough innovations in semiconductors, AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and consulting deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM’s legendary commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity and service. Visit www.ibm.com for more information.
Media ContactLorraine BaldwinIBM [email protected]
Willa HahnIBM [email protected]
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Artificial Intelligence
HITACHI ACQUIRES MA MICRO AUTOMATION OF GERMANY IN EFFORT TO ACCELERATE GLOBAL EXPANSION OF ROBOTIC SI BUSINESS IN THE MEDICAL AND OTHER FIELDS
HOLLAND, Mich., April 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Hitachi Ltd. (TSE: 6501, “Hitachi”) has signed a stock purchase agreement on April 26 to acquire all shares of MA micro automation GmbH (“MA micro automation”, headquartered in St. Leon-Rot, Germany) from MAX Management GmbH (a subsidiary of MAX Automation SE). MA micro automation is a leading provider of robotic and automation technology (robotic SI) including high-speed linear handling systems, high-precision assembly lines, and high-speed vision inspection technology for Europe, North America, and Southeast Asia, for EUR 71.5M million. The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2024, pending completion of the customary regulatory filings. After the acquisition is completed, MA micro automation will join JR Automation Technologies, LLC (“JR Automation”), a market leader in providing advanced automation solutions and digital technologies in the robotic system integration business for North America, Europe, and Southeast Asia as a continued effort to expand the company’s global presence.
MA micro automation is a technology leader for automation solutions within micro-assembly. Through its state-of-the-art proprietary high-speed and high-precision automation know-how, combined with unique optical image inspection capabilities, MA micro automation serves high-growth med-tech automation end-markets, covering the production, assembly, and testing medical and optical components including contact lenses, IVD and diabetes diagnostics consumables, and injection molding for medical use. The company was established in 2003 through a carve-out from Siemens*1 and since 2013 has been part of the MAX Automation group.
JR Automation is a leading provider of intelligent automated manufacturing technology solutions, serving customers across the globe in a variety of industries including automotive, life sciences, e-mobility, consumer and industrial products. With over 20 locations between North America, Europe, and Southeast Asia, the leading integrator offers nearly 2 million square feet (185,806 sq. m) of available build and engineering floorspace. This acquisition allows JR Automation to further grow and strengthen both the company’s geographical footprint and their continued commitment on expanding support capabilities within the European region and medical market vertical.
“MA micro automation provides engineering, build and support expertise with established capabilities in complex vision applications, high-speed and high-precision automation technologies. When integrated with JR Automation’s uniform global process and digital technologies, this partnership will further enhance our ability to deliver added value and support to all of our customers worldwide and continue to grow our capabilities in the medical market,” says Dave DeGraaf, CEO of JR Automation. “As we integrate this new dimension, impressive talents and abilities of the MA micro automation team we further enhance our ability to serve our customers, creating a more robust and globally balanced offering.”
With this acquisition, Hitachi aims to further enhance its ability to provide a “Total Seamless Solution*2” to connect manufacturer’s factory floors seamlessly and digitally with their front office data, allowing them to achieve total optimization and bringing Industry 4.0 to life. This “Total Seamless Solution” strategy links organizations’ operational activities such as engineering, supply chain, and purchasing to the plant floor and allows for real time, data-driven decision-making that improves the overall business value for customers.
Kazunobu Morita, Vice President and Executive Officer, CEO of Industrial Digital Business Unit, Hitachi, Ltd. says, “We are very pleased to welcome MA micro automation to the Hitachi Group. The team is based in Europe, providing robotic SI to global medical device manufacturing customers with its high technological capabilities and will join forces with JR Automation and Hitachi Automation to strengthen our global competitiveness. Hitachi aims to enhance its ability to provide value to customers and grow alongside them by leveraging its strengths in both OT, IT, including robotic SI, and “Total Seamless Solution” through Lumada*3’s customer co-creation framework.”
Joachim Hardt, CEO MA micro automation GmbH says, “Following the successful establishment and growth of MA micro automation within the attractive automation market for medical technology products, we are now opening a new chapter. Our partnership with Hitachi will not only strengthen our global competitive position, but we will also benefit from joint technological synergies and a global market presence. We look forward to a synergistic partnership with Hitachi and JR Automation.”
Outline of MA micro automation
Name
MA micro automation GmbH
Head Office
St. Leon-Rot, Germany
Representative
Joachim Hardt (CEO)
Outline of Business
Automation solutions within micro-assembly
Total no. of Employees:
Approx. 200 (As of April 2024)
Founded
2003
Revenues (2023)
€ 46.5 million
Website
*1
“Siemens” is a registered trademark or trademark of Siemens Trademark GmbH & Co. KG in the U.S. and other countries.
*2
“Total Seamless Solution” is a registered trademark of Hitachi, Ltd. in the U.S. and Japan.
*3
Lumada: A collective term for solutions, services and technologies based on Hitachi’s advanced digital technologies for creating value from customers’ data accelerating digital innovation. https://www.hitachi.com/products/it/lumada/global/en/index.html
About JR AutomationEstablished in 1980, JR Automation is a leading provider of intelligent automated manufacturing technology solutions that solve customers’ key operational and productivity challenges. JR Automation serves customers across the globe in a variety of industries, including automotive, life sciences, aerospace, and more.
In 2019, JR Automation was acquired by Hitachi, Ltd. In a strategic effort towards offering a seamless connection between the physical and cyber space for industrial manufacturers and distributers worldwide. With this partnership, JR Automation provides customers a unique, single-source solution for complete integration of their physical assets and data information, offering greater speed, flexibility, and efficiencies towards achieving their Industry 4.0 visions. JR Automation employs over 2,000 people at 21 manufacturing facilities in North America, Europe, and Asia. For more information, please visit www.jrautomation.com.
About Hitachi, Ltd.Hitachi drives Social Innovation Business, creating a sustainable society through the use of data and technology. We solve customers’ and society’s challenges with Lumada solutions leveraging IT, OT (Operational Technology) and products. Hitachi operates under the 3 business sectors of “Digital Systems & Services” – supporting our customers’ digital transformation; “Green Energy & Mobility” – contributing to a decarbonized society through energy and railway systems, and “Connective Industries” – connecting products through digital technology to provide solutions in various industries. Driven by Digital, Green, and Innovation, we aim for growth through co-creation with our customers. The company’s revenues as 3 sectors for fiscal year 2023 (ended March 31, 2024) totaled 8,564.3 billion yen, with 573 consolidated subsidiaries and approximately 270,000 employees worldwide. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company’s website at https://www.hitachi.com.
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Artificial Intelligence
$10 million Artificial Intelligence Mathematical Olympiad Prize appoints further advisory committee members
D. Sculley, Kevin Buzzard, Leo de Moura, Lester Mackey and Peter J. Liu appointed to the advisory committee for the Artificial Intelligence Mathematical Olympiad Prize.
LONDON, April 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — XTX Markets’ newly created Artificial Intelligence Mathematical Olympiad Prize (‘AIMO Prize’) is a $10mn challenge fund designed to spur the creation of a publicly shared AI model capable of winning a gold medal in the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO).
XTX Markets is delighted to announce the appointment of five further advisory committee members. This group brings great expertise in machine learning, including D. Sculley, the CEO of Kaggle; Lester Mackey, a Principal Researcher at Microsoft Research and a Macarthur Fellow; and Peter J. Liu, a research scientist at Google DeepMind.
Prolific mathematicians Kevin Buzzard, who achieved a perfect score in the International Mathematical Olympiad, and Leo De Moura who is the Chief Architect for Lean, the automated reasoning tool, also join the advisory group.
They join the existing advisory committee members Terence Tao and Timothy Gowers, both winners of the Fields Medal, as well as Dan Roberts, Geoff Smith and Po-Shen Loh.
The AIMO Advisory Committee will support the development of the AIMO Prize, including advising on appropriate protocols and technical aspects, and designing the various competitions and prizes.
Simon Coyle, Head of Philanthropy at XTX Markets, commented:
“We are thrilled to complete the AIMO Advisory Committee with the appointments of D., Kevin, Leo, Lester and Peter. Together, they have enormous experience in machine learning and automated reasoning and are already bringing expertise and wisdom to the AIMO Prize. We look forward to announcing the winners of the AIMO’s first Progress Prize soon, and then publicly sharing the AI models to support the open and collaborative development of AI.”
Further information on the AIMO Prize
There will be a grand prize of $5mn for the first publicly shared AI model to enter an AIMO approved competition and perform at a standard equivalent to a gold medal in the IMO. There will also be a series of progress prizes, totalling up to $5mn, for publicly shared AI models that achieve key milestones towards the grand prize.
The first AIMO approved competition opened to participants in April 2024 on the Kaggle competition platform. The first progress prize focuses on problems pitched at junior and high-school level maths competitions. There is a total prize pot of $1.048m for the first progress prize, of which at least $254k will be awarded in July 2024, There will be a presentation of progress held in Bath, England in July 2024, as part of the 65th IMO.
For more information on the AIMO Prize visit: https://aimoprize.com/ or the competition page on Kaggle: https://www.kaggle.com/competitions/ai-mathematical-olympiad-prize/
Advisory Committee member profiles:
D. Sculley
D. is the CEO at Kaggle. Prior to joining Kaggle, he was a director at Google Brain, leading research teams working on robust, responsible, reliable and efficient ML and AI. In his career in ML, he has worked on nearly every aspect of machine learning, and has led both product and research teams including those on some of the most challenging business problems. Some of his well-known work involves ML technical debt, ML education, ML robustness, production-critical ML, and ML for scientific applications such as protein design.
Kevin Buzzard
Kevin a professor of pure mathematics at Imperial College London, specialising in algebraic number theory. As well as his research and teaching, he has a wide range of interests, including being Deputy Head of Pure Mathematics, Co-Director of a CDT and the department’s outreach champion. He is currently focusing on formal proof verification, including being an active participant in the Lean community. From October 2024, he will be leading a project to formalise a 21st century proof of Fermat’s Last Theorem. Before joining Imperial, some 20 years ago, he was a Junior Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge, where he had previously been named ‘Senior Wrangler’ (the highest scoring undergraduate mathematician). He was also a participant in the International Mathematical Olympiad, winning gold with a perfect score in 1987. He has been a visitor at the IAS in Princeton, a visiting lecturer at Harvard, has won several prizes both for research and teaching, and has given lectures all over the world.
Leo de Moura
Leo is a Senior Principal Applied Scientist in the Automated Reasoning Group at AWS. In his spare time, he dedicates himself to serving as the Chief Architect of the Lean FRO, a non-profit organization that he proudly co-founded alongside Sebastian Ullrich. He is also honoured to hold a position on the Board of Directors at the Lean FRO, where he actively contributes to its growth and development. Before joining AWS in 2023, he was a Senior Principal Researcher in the RiSE group at Microsoft Research, where he worked for 17 years starting in 2006. Prior to that, he worked as a Computer Scientist at SRI International. His research areas are automated reasoning, theorem proving, decision procedures, SAT and SMT. He is the main architect of several automated reasoning tools: Lean, Z3, Yices 1.0 and SAL. Leo’s work in automated reasoning has been acknowledged with a series of prestigious awards, including the CAV, Haifa, and Herbrand awards, as well as the Programming Languages Software Award by the ACM. Leo’s work has also been reported in the New York Times and many popular science magazines such as Wired, Quanta, and Nature News.
Lester Mackey
Lester Mackey is a Principal Researcher at Microsoft Research, where he develops machine learning methods, models, and theory for large-scale learning tasks driven by applications from climate forecasting, healthcare, and the social good. Lester moved to Microsoft from Stanford University, where he was an assistant professor of Statistics and, by courtesy, of Computer Science. He earned his PhD in Computer Science and MA in Statistics from UC Berkeley and his BSE in Computer Science from Princeton University. He co-organized the second place team in the Netflix Prize competition for collaborative filtering; won the Prize4Life ALS disease progression prediction challenge; won prizes for temperature and precipitation forecasting in the yearlong real-time Subseasonal Climate Forecast Rodeo; and received best paper, outstanding paper, and best student paper awards from the ACM Conference on Programming Language Design and Implementation, the Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems, and the International Conference on Machine Learning. He is a 2023 MacArthur Fellow, a Fellow of the Institute of Mathematical Statistics, an elected member of the COPSS Leadership Academy, and the recipient of the 2023 Ethel Newbold Prize.
Peter J. Liu
Peter J. Liu is a Research Scientist at Google DeepMind in the San Francisco Bay area, doing machine learning research with a specialisation in language models since 2015 starting in the Google Brain team. He has published and served as area chair in top machine learning and NLP conferences such as ICLR, ICML, NEURIPS, ACL and EMNLP. He also has extensive production experience, including launching the first deep learning model for Gmail Anti-Spam, and using neural network models to detect financial fraud for top banks. He has degrees in Mathematics and Computer Science from the University of Toronto.
About XTX Markets:
XTX Markets is a leading financial technology firm which partners with counterparties, exchanges and e-trading venues globally to provide liquidity in the Equity, FX, Fixed Income and Commodity markets. XTX has over 200 employees based in London, Paris, New York, Mumbai, Yerevan and Singapore. XTX is consistently a top 5 liquidity provider globally in FX (Euromoney 2018-present) and is also the largest European equities (systematic internaliser) liquidity provider (Rosenblatt FY: 2020-2023).
The company’s corporate philanthropy focuses on STEM education and maximum impact giving (alongside an employee matching programme). Since 2017, XTX has donated over £100mn to charities and good causes, establishing it as a major donor in the UK and globally.
In a changing world XTX Markets is at the forefront of making financial markets fairer and more efficient for all.
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