The geopolitical situation in the world continues to be challenging, and therefore I am particularly pleased that sales showed organic growth of 4.3 percent in the quarter. In organic terms, growth was driven by Asia and Western Europe, while growth in other regions was weaker.

The number of instruments sold increased by more than 40 percent. A significant portion of this consisted of partial deliveries of a major order totalling 1,200 instruments to India, with an estimated final delivery in the first half of 2024. This order is of strategic value but puts pressure on margins in the period. We, on the other hand, are growing the installed base and recurring sales of consumables with higher margins.

In Western Europe, this sales growth was driven by the veterinary segment, which more than doubled year-on-year thanks to the launch of a new veterinary instrument in the summer of 2023.

OEM sales of consumables fell in the quarter compared to the previous year. This is mainly due to a large delivery in the comparative quarter of 2022. For the full year, sales are at the same level as in 2022, and overall, this business continues to develop positively.