SGL Carbon SE : 01-25-2012 SGL Group welcomes selection of M .A.I Carbon cluster as one of the winners of the Leading-Edge Cluster initiative

• Munich-Augsburg-Ingolstadt region on the way to becoming a European center of excellence for carbon fiber   technology

Wiesbaden, January 25, 2012. SGL Group - The Carbon Company - is a founding partner of the Leading-Edge Cluster initiative M•A•I Carbon, which was one of five winners in the third round of the Leading-Edge Cluster competition run by Germany's Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

Dr. Gerd Wingefeld, Member of the Board of Management of SGL Group, said: "The promotion of carbon fiber technology within the context of M•A•I Carbon will strengthen a key cross-sector technology for Germany as a center of innovation. Together with the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, we intend to work with all partners in the cluster to develop the manufacturing of series production-ready components from carbon fiber-reinforced plastics and to establish the Munich-Augsburg-Ingolstadt region as a European center of excellence for CFRP lightweight construction".

The Leading-Edge Cluster competition was launched in 2007 with the aim of supporting Germany's most productive regional clusters in their strategic further development to help them become international leaders in their field. Each of the leading-edge clusters chosen will receive up to €40 million in government support over a period of no longer than five years.

72 companies, educational establishments and research facilities as well as supporting organizations from the Munich-Augsburg-Ingolstadt region are involved in the M•A•I Carbon Leading-Edge Cluster initiative, which was formed at the suggestion of Carbon Composites e.V. (CCeV). The founding partners of M•A•I Carbon are Carbon Composites e.V., the companies Audi, BMW, Eurocopter, Premium AEROTEC, SGL Group and Voith as well as the Swabia Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) and the Institute for Carbon Composites (LCC) at TU München (TUM). All partners involved are active in the technological field of high-performance fiber composite materials, and in particular in the area of carbon-fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP). The focus is on developing series-production technologies for the user industries of automotive engineering and aerospace as well as mechanical engineering and systems manufacturing. 

About Carbon Composites e.V.

Carbon Composites e.V. (CCeV) is an association of around 150 companies and research facilities. CCeV links research and economy in the southern regions of the German-speaking world (Germany, Austria, Switzerland). It is headquartered in Augsburg.
CCeV is a network of excellence aimed at promoting the use of fiber composites technologies. CCeV's activities are geared toward the "marketable high-performance fiber composite structures" product group. It focuses on fiber composite structures with plastic matrixes, as are already well-established among the wider public due to their numerous applications, as well as fiber composite structures with ceramic matrixes allowing for higher resistance to heat and wear and tear.

SGL Group is one of the world's leading manufacturers of carbon-based products. It has a comprehensive portfolio ranging from carbon and graphite products to carbon fibers and composites. SGL Group's core competencies are its expertise in high-temperature technology as well as its applications and engineering know-how gained over many years. These competencies enable the Company to make full use of its broad material base. SGL Group's carbon-based materials combine several unique properties such as electrical and thermal conductivity, heat and corrosion resistance as well as high mechanical strength combined with low weight. Due to the paradigm shift in the use of materials as a result of the worldwide shortage of energy and raw materials, there is a growing demand for SGL Group's high-performance materials and products from an increasing number of industries. Products from SGL Group are used predominantly in the steel, aluminum, automotive, chemical and glass/ceramics industries. However, manufacturers in the semiconductor, solar/wind energy, battery, environmental protection, aerospace and defense industries as well as in the nuclear energy industry also figure among the Company's customers.

With 45 production sites in Europe, North America and Asia as well as a service network covering more than 100 countries, SGL Group is a company with a global presence. In 2010, the Company's workforce of around 6,300 generated sales of €1,382 million. The Company's head office is located in Wiesbaden/Germany.

This press release may contain forward-looking statements based on the information currently available to us and on our current projections and assumptions. By nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, as a consequence of which actual developments and results can deviate significantly from these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not to be understood as guarantees. Rather, future developments and results depend on a number of factors; they entail various risks and unanticipated circumstances and are based on assumptions which may prove to be inaccurate. These risks and uncertainties include, for example, unforeseeable changes in political, economic, legal, and business conditions, particularly relating to our main customer industries, such as electric steel production, to the competitive environment, to interest rate and exchange rate fluctuations, to technological developments, and to other risks and unanticipated circumstances. Other risks that in our opinion may arise include price developments, unexpected developments connected with acquisitions and subsidiaries, and unforeseen risks associated with ongoing cost savings programs. SGL Group does not intend or assume any responsibility to revise or otherwise update these forward-looking statements.