Research and development are the foundation for a company’s business success. And innovations rarely come about by accident, but instead result from a corporate culture that promotes creative research – something Siemens has been deeply committed to since its founding in 1847.

In 2010, Siemens invested €3.8 billion in Research and Development (R&D)(This is equal to 1.5% of the GDP for South Africa in the same year). There are currently over 30 000 employees working in R&D within Siemens worldwide based in more than 30 countries. These employees were responsible for 8 800 inventions in 2010. Siemens currently holds 57 900 active patents..