In the 'Digtial Factory' division, strong volume growth continued on a broad basis, which the Group attributes to continued strong performance in the short-cycle businesses. These in turn benefited from a favorable market environment - particularly in the automotive and mechanical engineering industries. The product life cycle management software business also grew strongly, primarily due to the acquisition of Mentor Graphics. In geographical terms, volumes increased in all reporting regions, with strong growth in China. Siemens explained the decline in earnings with higher expenses for personnel restructuring and ongoing expenses for the further development of the Siemens Mindsphere platform as well as charges in connection with the acquisition of Mentor Graphics.