20th Sep 2005 14:30
Oxford Instruments PLC20 September 2005 20th September 2005 Oxford Instruments plc : Chairman's AGM Statement - 2005 Oxford Instruments is holding its Annual General Meeting today at which theChairman Nigel Keen will make the following statement: "As we have announced recently, our strategic aim is to exploit our technologyto become the leading provider of a new generation of tools and systems for workat the atomic and molecular level in the physical science and biosciencesectors. We will achieve this by building on our capability to createspecialised environments, such as ultra low temperatures and high magneticfields, to provide systems that can observe and manipulate matter at thesmallest scale. Increasingly we intend to provide total solutions for saledirect to end user customers, whilst at the same time, we are actively seekingto grow our customer support revenues." "In line with this strategy, our increased investment in the development ofsignificant new products and marketing initiatives is showing some good earlyresults." "Our new Dynamic Nuclear Polarisation product, 'HyperSense', is on track. ThreeBETA test sites are being established and we have received our first order forthis new device, which we expect to deliver during the first quarter of 2006." "In the area of providing environments for our physical science customers, wehave successfully completed the tests for our 950 MHz magnet. The 950 is theworld's most powerful superconducting NMR magnet and, importantly, is the firstcommercial utilisation of our new high performance superconducting wire, 'RRP'.We have just launched 'Magnets Direct' to provide, for the first time, a routefor our NMR customers to purchase magnets direct from us." "The first of our new generation of tools for use in nanotechnology isundergoing tests and is expected to be launched in the first half of 2006. Thistool provides our customers with a layer by layer process for the deposition ofthin films." "The recent formal go ahead for the ITER international fusion energy programmeprovides us with significant opportunity for the supply of superconducting wirefrom next year onwards." "Our new low cost production plant in Shanghai is getting up to speed. Thisfacility is now capable of producing a range of Oxford Instruments products at avery favourable cost." Current Trading "Order levels and turnover for the first half of the year are in line with theCompany's internal budgets. As we have already indicated at the time of ourpreliminary results in June, pre-tax profits in the first half will be below thesame period last year. We continue to expect that the outcome for the full yearwill be in line with market expectations." IFRS "We will announce details of our transition to International Reporting Standards(IFRS) on 12 October 2005." Enquiries: Oxford Instruments plc Tel 01865 881437Jonathan Flint, Chief ExecutiveMartin Lamaison, Financial Director Hogarth Partnership Limited Tel 020 7357 9477Rachel HirstAndrew Jaques Notes to Editors As a global leader in advanced instrumentation, Oxford Instruments has a broadrange of capabilities which provide the tools, processes and solutions needed toadvance fundamental nanoscience research and its transfer into commercialnanotechnology applications. With a unique set of technologies to enable themanipulation and observation of matter at the smallest scales, OxfordInstruments offers solutions for the fabrication and characterisation ofnanoscale materials, structures and devices, and environments in which toperform fundamental nanoscience. The first technology business to be spun outfrom Oxford University over forty years ago, Oxford Instruments today employsover 1,200 people, operating globally, and is listed on the London StockExchange (OXIG). This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock ExchangeRelated Shares:
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