Ravensburger Str. 128–134
88276 Berg/Ravensburg
Germany
P +49 751 89-0
F +49 751 89-1300
Dear employees, esteemed customers, partners, and other stakeholders,
this year marks the 125th anniversary of RAFI’s founding – a milestone of which we can all be truly proud, myself included. Or to put it in the striking words of Mathias Haas, who spoke as a TREND OBSERVER at our anniversary celebration in the summer: “It is rare and precious, like gold dust, for a company to sustain success over such a vast period of time.”
Our strength lies in our resilience and adaptability as well as our innovation and enthusiasm for technology, even – or especially – in difficult economic times.
The past 16 months have been challenging for us in numerous ways: high costs, volatile markets, and geopolitical tensions have presented many companies with major difficulties – and we too have been affected by all these hardships. However, thanks to clear decisions, many small steps in the direction of improvement, and, above all, the adaptability of our employees, we responded to the challenge with resilience and flexibility, putting in place a strong foundation for our future.
A glance at the current and coming months clearly shows that the world around us is in a constant state of flux – but it is precisely this upheaval that creates new opportunities. We intend to seize them with prudence, a sense of responsibility, and the conviction that we can accomplish great things together.
Our focus is on expanding into new regions. To this end, we are leveraging our core expertise in the area of the human-machine interface as a strategic tool to selectively enter new markets and enhance our presence in key regions such as Asia and America. Our global presence provides us with stability and opens up new perspectives. At the same time, we remain committed to our sustainability strategy and continue to engage in social initiatives, reduce our carbon footprint, and take on long-term responsibility.
We place a strong emphasis on emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and robotics. These are more than mere buzzwords, but instead fields that will have a lasting impact on our business.
Artificial intelligence will pave the way for groundbreaking opportunities for us, ranging from smart system support to specific product innovations. We are actively exploring the potential of this technology to generate fresh momentum for our portfolio and bolster our long-term competitiveness. It is essential to us that the end result deliver genuine, tangible added value – both for our company and directly for our customers.
Robotics represents the next logical step for us. We recognize this as a clear opportunity to further enhance our HMI expertise. To do this, we are expanding our knowledge in the area of autonomous and semiautonomous robotics in order to complement our current product portfolio and advance to the next stage of industrial automation. This is necessary because our customers are facing significant challenges: a shortage of skilled workers, heightened expectations for quality and efficiency, and shorter development cycles. Robotics can provide the decisive impetus here. It enables the automation of monotonous tasks, makes processes more agile, and elevates production to a new level of precision. By integrating robotic technologies into our solutions, we ensure a seamless experience for our customers by enabling intuitive operation and automated execution. We see this as a crucial area of responsibility in which to actively shape solutions that are both competitive and, more importantly, future-proof.
Our future viability depends on our ability to continuously improve. Our path is clear: we want to make processes leaner, enhance transparency in our structures, and simplify decision-making.
For us, taking responsibility means making sustainable decisions for the long term – which is something we also expect of every employee. However, it is equally important to consistently follow through on projects that have been initiated and to comply with jointly agreed procedures. By embracing this mindset together, we can steadily grow as a company and accomplish our goals.
Let us continue down this path together as the RAFI family, bringing our employees, customers, and partners with us. By standing united, we can shape a future defined by success, responsibility, and sustainability.
I want to express my gratitude to everyone who has supported us throughout this journey – for your trust and collaboration as well as the passion you bring to the task of advancing progress and taking quality to the next level each and every day.
Dr. Lothar Seybold
CEO of RAFI Group
