Solid sales development in 2025

Currency effects due to the strong Swiss franc, the stagnating German automotive industry and geopolitical and economic uncertainties, including in connection with US customs policy, had a particularly negative impact. Order intake fell short of expectations with a currency-adjusted decline of 2%, or 6% in Swiss francs.

Marc Schaad, CEO of the Kistler Group, is cautiously optimistic about the current financial year: "My first year as CEO was challenging, but we have set an important course - among other things by adapting our regional structures to enable us to react even more flexibly to different market conditions. Despite the strong Swiss franc and ongoing geopolitical and economic uncertainties, we are cautiously optimistic about the 2026 financial year. We plan to continue growing through targeted investments, particularly in Asian markets such as China."

In 2026, Kistler is pressing ahead with preparations for a new, highly automated sensor factory at its headquarters in Winterthur. At the same time, the company is strengthening its presence in the Asian market through targeted investments and the establishment of a new regional headquarters.

Strategically, the Kistler Group is continuing to focus on its core competencies in piezoelectric measurement technology and is concentrating on four core industrial areas: monitoring and controlling manufacturing processes, applications in plastics processing - particularly for medical technology -, condition monitoring of critical infrastructures such as bridges and monitoring of large engines in shipbuilding and stationary energy supply. Significant growth opportunities were already apparent in these fields in 2025: last year, Kistler expanded its portfolio to include a cloud-based software platform for the condition monitoring of bridges. This enables end-to-end structural health monitoring (SHM) and makes it possible to offer integrated solutions (from sensors to data analysis) in combination with dynamic weight measurement (Weigh in Motion, WIM). Bridge operators thus benefit from precise, highly available data on the real behavior of infrastructure and traffic loads, which supports safe and efficient operation.

The regional outlook for 2026 varies. Kistler continues to anticipate stable growth in Asia, particularly in China. The company is planning to establish a new regional Asia headquarters in Kuala Lumpur in order to capitalize on the strong market momentum in the region. In the USA, Kistler has strengthened its management team in particular in order to counter the ongoing geopolitical uncertainties in the best possible way. In Germany, the focus is on developing new applications with the clear aim of compensating for declining sales in the automotive sector.

Overall, the company will continue to invest around nine percent of its turnover in research and development in 2026.

The Kistler Group is also planning to build a Smart Factory at its headquarters in Winterthur in the coming years. "The Smart Factory is a long-term investment for us and a clear commitment to the Winterthur site. It is a central component of our long-term strategy to make the Kistler Group sustainably fit for the future," explains Marc Schaad. "We are currently in an intensive planning and clarification phase in order to create the technical and organizational foundations for a future-proof production and working environment."