Saving money or investing - what makes more sense?

Many people would like to invest money - in stocks or maybe even fixed-rate bonds and alternative investments . However, they often have too much respect for investing on the stock exchange and other asset classes that go beyond saving money in the checking account or savings book.

This way they miss out on great profit opportunities. This is because, above all, equity investments in particular have achieved significantly higher long-term returns compared to the interest on savings deposits, even with a low-risk investment strategy. It is wrong to think that only professionals or rich people can invest money on the stock exchange. Of course, the decision and implementation of these investments takes time and initiative - but anyone can muster that.

This article deals with the basic knowledge for investing capital on the stock exchange. General information on finance can be found here: Investing money for beginners.

What is the difference between the bank's investment products and those of the stock exchange?

Banks often offer overnight money and time deposits as ways to invest money. The advantage of these security-oriented investments is that their risk is low : Money in the overnight deposit account or fixed-term deposit account, for example, is covered by the European deposit insurance fund up to an amount of € 100,000.

If, on the other hand, you invest the money in a company on the stock exchange, you run the risk that these companies will become insolvent at a later date and you will lose money.

Bank deposits such as call money accounts and time deposit accounts are therefore something for investors who are more concerned about security. In contrast, thanks to dividends or profits from price increases, they can achieve much higher interest rates and returns on their money on the stock exchange.

What are the best ways to invest money?

There are many different investment products on the stock exchange in which you can invest money. They can be divided into:

1. ETF (Exchange Traded Funds):

Beginners are often recommended ETF , also called index funds. These are equity funds that are not actively managed by a manager, but instead passively invest in an equity index - such as the DAX - and thus replicate a market as a whole. With an ETF, the investor benefits from a positive overall development of the market - and does not work “against” the market like a fund manager.

2. Funds:

On the other hand, if you want to try to beat the average return on the market, you can invest money in an (actively managed) fund . This represents a basket of selected investment forms, so to speak, and is managed by a fund manager.

Depending on which financial investments are bundled in the respective investment fund, it is referred to as an equity fund, mixed fund, real estate fund etc.

3. Shares:

If you prefer to choose your own shares , it makes sense to invest money in individual stocks. Here you have to be careful, however, that you spread the risk on securities of several different companies and achieve a sufficient spread of the risks within the investment.

4. Bonds:

In addition to stocks, money can also be invested in individual bonds. These are not listed company shares, but rather fixed-interest bonds from companies or countries (e.g. federal bonds ). Profits are not generated with dividends or exchange rate fluctuations, but are paid on the borrowed money like a loan.

5. Leverage products:

For speculators who are willing to take higher risks when investing and play more intensely with their luck, leverage products such as derivatives , certificates or futures can be interesting.

This type of investment is particularly risky and many a trader has already lost a fortune with complex financial products. Therefore, when investing, you should deal very intensively with the trading strategies and test them in demo accounts or sample portfolios before investing real money.

How and where can you invest money on the stock exchange?

You cannot simply “shop” for shares or investment funds directly on the stock exchange. Trading these investments is only possible with a share deposit and an associated clearing account. This is, so to speak, an account for money to be invested, while the custody account is a depository for the purchased securities.

Such a depository can be opened in the classic way at a bank in a branch or online. Alternatively, there are online brokers . Before you decide on a provider, you should definitely compare the costs. You can save a lot of money here . Generally, online brokerage fees are generally cheaper.

What about the investment duration on the stock exchange?

Before each investment, you have to ask yourself how long you can invest or lack the money. Based on this, an investment with the appropriate investment duration can be determined.

For example, investors invest between three and seven years in bonds. The rule applies: the more years, the higher the interest.

However, many investments do not have a maximum term, for example shares or most funds. In this case, the investment is terminated by the resale of the securities. If stocks or shares in a fund are worth more at the time of sale than at the time of acquisition, the investor benefits from price increases.

How much money should I invest on the stock exchange?

There are basically no upper limits for shares - if you have a lot of money available and want to invest, the principle applies: the more the better . However, certain minimum investments should be made. There are reasons for this:

1. Costs reduce returns:

High investment amounts reduce the proportionate costs of investing capital, which may arise from order fees.

Because of these costs, investors should not invest less than € 1,000 in a share. Otherwise, the costs are disproportionately high compared to the investment amount and can only be recovered through a high return . So there are usually no mandatory, but logically reasonable, minimum investments in shares.

2.Unilateral investments increase the risks:

If you invest money in individual stocks, you shouldn't put everything on one horse: invest your money in different companies and industries and diversify your capital investment in order to achieve sufficient risk diversification with a well-designed portfolio .

In addition, you should not only invest your money on the stock exchange. With a well thought-out asset allocation , you not only spread the risk across various securities, but across asset classes such as savings accounts , real estate or commodities. Such a balanced portfolio with sufficient diversification naturally requires a lot of money.

3.The more time, the better:

Only invest as much money as you really have at your disposal . Bear in mind that short investment periods often do not compensate for price falls “in time”, making a loss on sale more likely. The situation is different for longer investment periods . So if you want to invest money in a particular purchase, property, or children's education over the next few years, you shouldn't invest the money in stocks.

Can you invest on the stock exchange with little money?

If you want to get started with a small investment, it makes sense to invest money in equity funds or ETFs. The reason for this is that these financial products are already scattered across different equity stocks. ETFs are also particularly inexpensive.

Investors can also invest smaller amounts in stocks, funds, ETFs, etc. if they regularly deposit money into a savings plan , for example monthly . With small amounts starting at € 10 a month, it is possible for private investors to build up assets on the stock exchange .

Another advantage of savings plans is that you don't have to pay attention to the ideal timing to invest. Since you spread your money over a long period of time, the shares are purchased at an average price. Although this is above the cheapest price within a certain period, it is also below the most expensive ( "cost average effect" ).

All in all, there are various options - also for private investors - to invest money on the stock exchange. A solid basic knowledge of the investor with regard to the individual investment products is the first step to long-term success.

The VW group has specified the planning for its battery cell factory in Salzgitter and increased the financing again. 

Volkswagen is investing a further 450 million euros in the plant, where a joint venture with the Swedish partner Northvolt is to produce cells for electric cars from the beginning of 2024. The money is to flow into the construction of the buildings and plant infrastructure. The plants will then be rented to the joint venture, VW announced on Friday. So far, a total of over one billion euros has been earmarked for the project.

There is already a pilot line and a research center for battery cells in Salzgitter. With Northvolt, the Wolfsburg-based company wants to set up production in three lines. The aim of the own factory is also to reduce the dependency on suppliers from Asia when equipping electric cars. Work on the plant is scheduled to start in early 2021, and the building application has already been submitted.

VW wants to gain experience:

At the end of September 2020, VW had started manufacturing the first cells for prototypes in Salzgitter. The pilot line is primarily used for further technical coordination - but the experience should also flow into the large-scale joint venture with Northvolt. According to the group, the project will create more than 1,000 jobs in the medium term. The majority of the employees at the Salzgitter site are currently still employed in the production of internal combustion engines

Roche’s COVID-19 antibody test receives FDA Emergency Use Authorization and is available in markets accepting the CE mark

The serology test has a specificity greater than 99.8% and sensitivity of 100% (14 Days post-PCR confirmation) 

The high specificity of the test is crucial to determine reliably if a person has been exposed to the virus and if the patient has developed antibodies 

Roche will provide high double-digit millions of tests already in May for countries accepting the CE mark and in the U.S. under Emergency Use Authorization, further ramping up capacities

The test is available on Roche’s cobas e analysers which are widely available around the world

Basel, 03 May 2020 - Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA)1 for its new Elecsys® AntiSARS-CoV-2 antibody test. The test is designed to help determine if a patient has been exposed to the SARSCoV-2 virus and if the patient has developed antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. Roche has already started shipping the new antibody test to leading laboratories globally and will ramp up production capacity to high double-digit millions per month to serve healthcare systems in countries accepting the CE mark2 as well as the U.S. 

“Thanks to the enormous efforts of our dedicated colleagues we are now able to deliver a high-quality antibody test in high quantities, so we can support healthcare systems around the world with an important tool to better manage the COVID-19 health crisis,” said Severin Schwan, CEO Roche Group. ”I am in particular pleased about the high specificity and sensitivity of our test, which is crucial to support health care systems around the world with a reliable tool to better manage the COVID-19 health crisis.” 

“Our best scientists have worked 24/7 over the last few weeks and months to develop a highly reliable antibody test to help fight this pandemic,” said Thomas Schinecker, CEO Roche Diagnostics. “Roche is committed to helping laboratories deliver fast, accurate, and reliable results to healthcare professionals and their patients.” 

Roche’s SARS-CoV2 antibody test, which has a specificity greater than 99.8% and 100% sensitivity3 (14 Days post-PCR confirmation), can help assess patients’ immune response to the virus. As more is understood about immunity to SARS-CoV-2, the test may help to assess who has built up immunity to the virus. 

With extensive global manufacturing capabilities, Roche will be able to deliver high double-digit millions of tests per month. Hospitals and reference laboratories can run the test on Roche’s cobas e analysers, which are widely available around the world.

For countries with specific regulatory requirements, local approval timelines apply. In addition there may be other country-specific regulations, such as import requirements, which will determine when the test becomes available locally. Roche will work closely with the respective regional representatives to ensure we appropriately support local registration efforts. 

About antibody testing :

An antibody test, also called a serology test, is used to determine whether a person might have gained immunity against a pathogen or not. The human body makes antibodies in response to many illnesses. In the current situation of the COVID-19 pandemic, antibody tests need to be able to specifically detect antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 with no cross-reactivity to other similar coronaviruses, which could generate a false positive result and thus wrongly indicate potential immunity. A false positive result happens when a person receives a positive test result, when they should have received a negative result. False positives are particularly critical when we do not know how many people in a given population have had COVID-19. As of 24 April 2020, no study has evaluated whether the presence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 confers immunity to subsequent infection by this virus in humans4 . 

About Elecsys Anti-SARS-CoV-2 serology test :

Elecsys® Anti-SARS-CoV-2 is an immunoassay for the in-vitro qualitative detection of antibodies (including IgG) to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in human serum and plasma. Through a blood sample, the test, which is based on an in-solution double-antigen sandwich format, can detect antibodies to the new coronavirus causing COVID-19, which could signal whether a person has already been infected and potentially developed immunity to the virus. Based on the measurement of a total of 5272 samples, the Elecsys® Anti-SARS-CoV-2 assay has 99.81% specificity and shows no cross-reactivity to the four human coronaviruses causing common cold. This means it can lower the chance of false positives due to the detection of similar antibodies that may be present in an individual, but are specific for coronaviruses other than SARS-CoV-2. Elecsys® Anti-SARS-CoV-2 detected antibodies with 100% sensitivity in samples taken 14 days after a PCR-confirmed infection. The importance of specificity and sensitivity of a particular test will be dependent on its purpose and disease prevalence within a given population. Hospitals and reference laboratories can run the test on Roche’s cobas e analysers, which are widely available around the world. These fully automated systems can provide SARS-CoV-2 test results in approximately 18 minutes for one single test, with a test throughput of up to 300 tests/hour, depending on the analyser. 

About Roche :

Roche is a global pioneer in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics focused on advancing science to improve people’s lives. The combined strengths of pharmaceuticals and diagnostics under one roof have made Roche the leader in personalised healthcare – a strategy that aims to fit the right treatment to each patient in the best way possible. 

Roche is the world’s largest biotech company, with truly differentiated medicines in oncology, immunology, 3/3 infectious diseases, ophthalmology and diseases of the central nervous system. Roche is also the world leader in in vitro diagnostics and tissue-based cancer diagnostics, and a frontrunner in diabetes management.

Founded in 1896, Roche continues to search for better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat diseases and make a sustainable contribution to society. The company also aims to improve patient access to medical innovations by working with all relevant stakeholders. More than thirty medicines developed by Roche are included in the World Health Organization Model Lists of Essential Medicines, among them life-saving antibiotics, antimalarials and cancer medicines. Moreover, for the eleventh consecutive year, Roche has been recognised as one of the most sustainable companies in the Pharmaceuticals Industry by the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI). 

The Roche Group, headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, is active in over 100 countries and in 2019 employed about 98,000 people worldwide. In 2019, Roche invested CHF 11.7 billion in R&D and posted sales of CHF 61.5 billion. Genentech, in the United States, is a wholly owned member of the Roche Group. Roche is the majority shareholder in Chugai Pharmaceutical, Japan.

All trademarks used or mentioned in this release are protected by law. 

References:

 [1] The Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) authority allows FDA to help strengthen the nation’s public health protections against CBRN threats by facilitating the availability and use of medical countermeasures needed during public health emergencies https://www.fda.gov/home

 [2] CE-IVD marking is granted through completion of a comprehensive technical validation and self declaration under the European Directive for In Vitro Diagnostic Medical Devices. 

[3] Full specifications of Roche’s Elecsys® Anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody test and immunoassay systems, including throughput, can be found on our diagnostics.roche website 

[4] https://www.who.int/news-room/commentaries/detail/immunity-passports-in-the-context-of-covid-19 Roche Group Media Relations Phone: +41 61 688 8888 / e-mail: media.relations@roche.com - Nicolas Dunant (Head) - Patrick Barth - Daniel Grotzky - Karsten Kleine - Nathalie Meetz - Barbara von Schnurbein

Reference:https://ml-eu.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/ae18f85f-08bb-40ae-b143-0ead2ebb1258

Time is ticking: until there is a vaccine against Covid-19, the world is trying to control the further spread of the coronavirus. The US pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson is also working flat out on its own vaccine.

It should be there in early 2021, the vaccine that the whole world is eagerly awaiting. According to Johnson & Johnson, the drug should be ready for widespread use by then. The test series will begin with people in September. Overall, Johnson & Johnson plans to produce more than a billion units of the Covid-19 vaccine.

"The world is facing an urgent public health crisis and we are committed to doing our part to make a Covid-19 vaccine available and affordable worldwide as soon as possible," said Alex Gorsky, Chief Executive Officer of Johnson & Johnson.

The pharmaceutical company is cooperating with Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) for research on the vaccine. Together, they are investing $ 1 billion to develop a coronavirus vaccine. Clinical phase 1 in humans is scheduled to begin in September 2020 at the latest. After filing with regulatory agencies, the first batches of vaccines may be available for emergencies early next year. This is an extremely accelerated time frame compared to common vaccine developments. Typically, the process of vaccine development spans numerous research stages, which can take anywhere from 5 to 7 years.

Johnson & Johnson vaccine platform:

The US company uses its validated vaccine platform and is also ready to provide resources such as personnel and infrastructure worldwide to successfully bring the vaccine to the healthcare market, the company said. Johnson & Johnson is also expanding production capacity in the United States and other countries. This should ensure the rapid production and worldwide delivery of more than a billion cans.

Johnson & Johnson is one of the world's largest healthcare companies. For this reason, the group also feels obliged to ensure the health of people around the world. Johnson & Johnson's global team of experts is at an unprecedented level. The company began researching potential vaccine candidates back in January 2020.

Covid-19 vaccine candidate was identified:

Based on previous research, the pharmaceutical giant identified a leading Covid-19 vaccine candidate. This now goes into the first production. Johnson & Johnson has been investing billions of dollars in antiviral drugs for more than 20 years. Covid-19 belongs to a group of viruses called coronavirus that attack the respiratory system. There is currently no treatment for the virus.

There is already an automated corona quick test:

The result should be there after just two and a half hours - Bosch Healthcare Solutions and the Northern Irish company Randox Laboratories have presented a quick test for Covid-19, which should be available in Germany from April. Anyone who has symptoms currently has to wait about a day or two in Germany before experiencing the result. Bosch has changed that with the new rapid test. The Covid 19 rapid test is intended for medical facilities and could be used in doctor's offices, hospitals and health centers.

The industry has never been in the spotlight before. What investors need to know about Corona winners and the excellent long-term prospects of the crisis-proof sector. 

Less than 100 days ago, on January 11, 2020, Chinese researchers uploaded the gene sequence of an unknown virus to the global web. Just five days later, the group led by Christian Drosten from the Berlin Charité published the first protocol according to which an infection with the pathogen known today as SARS- CoV-2 can be detected.

Ever since then, everyday life around the world has changed fundamentally. Scientists and companies in the healthcare industry outperform almost every day with services that previously seemed impossible. Drägerwerk's ventilator production doubled in February and will quadruple in the coming months. Qiagen is now producing extraction kits around the clock, seven days a week, to isolate the virus RNA from throat and nose swabs. To ensure that a vaccine is available as soon as possible, companies are trying to shorten the development, which normally takes ten to 15 years, to one tenth of this time. "There is no precedent for the speed at which we move," says Clement Lewin, who at Sanofi has been working on vaccines for two and a half decades.

The health sector has never been in the spotlight before . Investors now also want to bet on winners on the stock exchange. The industry has a lot more to offer: from extremely defensive companies to risky biotech companies with opportunities for millions of bestsellers, the sector is broadly diversified. At the same time, health is seen to be crisis-proof, and the demand for products and services is constantly increasing due to demographic developments. Read below what investors need to know about the current situation and long-term prospects, which stocks and sector funds are recommended.

The sector has demonstrated its defensive character several times in past economic weaknesses. Both when the dotcom bubble burst in 2000 and in the 2008/2009 financial crisis, healthcare companies' share prices fell less than the broad market. The comparison of profit trends in the MSCI World shows how immune the businesses of Pharma and Co were to the weak phases Healthcare Index and in the MSCI World: While the broad market suffered significant losses, there was only a small profit dip in the healthcare sector. Overall, the industry's profits have grown twice as fast in the past 25 years as in the overall market. The MSCI World Healthcare Index generated an average of ten percent income per year during this period, while the MSCI World Index, on the other hand, just under seven percent.

However, the corona crisis differs from the financial crisis. Operations that are not urgently needed, such as the use of artificial joints, are currently being postponed, and dentists often only treat emergencies. "Orthopedic companies will experience sharp drops in March and the second quarter," said Rudi Van den Eynde, fund manager at Candriam Equities Biotechnology. Dental implant manufacturers also suffer. "But the lost sales can be made up for," Van den Eynde is convinced.

Many clinical trials no longer admit patients; new drug tests are postponed to protect staff and volunteers from being infected with SARS-CoV-2. This can be a problem for unprofitable biotech companies that rely on capital injections in the short term. "For these companies, clinical data is the ultimate currency for their market value," said Bruce Booth, partner at the venture capital firm Atlas Venture. In extreme cases, no data means no fresh money. After all, according to fund manager Van den Eynde, the delay should last a maximum of a few months. "Well-funded and broader companies will easily cope with such delays".

New customers in the digital field

In other areas, on the other hand, business runs much more smoothly - with the chance of future profit increases. "This applies, for example, to providers of practice software and electronic patient files," says Andreas Bischof, co-manager of the nova Steady Healthcare fund . The company Compugroup Medical provides doctors, clinics and midwives with a platform for video consultation free of charge until further notice. "Of course with the ulterior motive that many will continue to use it when the crisis is over," said Bishop. Also online pharmacies like shop pharmacy can win many new buyers. This will pay off if - as decided on April 1 - all prescriptions in Germany must be issued electronically by 2022.

Internationally, digital offers are booming due to the corona crisis. The potential is evident in China, which is a few weeks ahead of the pandemic. "There, the rules were adjusted according to which prescriptions for prescription drugs are issued online and the funds are then sent out," reports Oliver Kubli, fund manager at BB Adamant Asia Pacific Healthcare. "The number of online consultations has also increased dramatically."

Production doesn't keep up

Protective masks and clothing, meanwhile, cannot be produced as quickly as they are needed. The special boom in ventilators is reflected in the balance sheets of Drägerwerk, Getinge or Medtronic knock down. How strong, however, is currently difficult to estimate. No one apart from the manufacturers knows at what prices, for example, the large orders are being processed by governments. Are there discounts or surcharges paid? In the coming weeks, good communication from the companies will be required in order to meet excessive expectations from investors. But there is no doubt that something will get stuck if, like at Qiagen, the test kit production is increased by more than ten times. At the North Rhine-Westphalian molecular diagnostics company, however, the price potential seems limited by the takeover offer from Thermo Fisher at 39 euros per share.

But there are many large corona test providers, for example Biomerieux and the analysis specialist Eurofins. It can currently carry out a total of around 15,000 tests per day in Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Brazil and the USA. The group also checks whether protective equipment such as masks or gloves meets the prescribed standards. Even Roche mixed with in this market. The Swiss also sell the drug Actemra, which is used for severe Covid 19 courses.

Hope for research

While these companies have had real sales increases for weeks, investors are primarily hoping for vaccine and drug manufacturers. It usually takes around ten years to launch a new drug. For security reasons, the process cannot be shortened indefinitely. Covid-19 therefore focuses on compounds that are either already approved for other diseases or that have already passed experimental stages in other indications. The latter applies to remdesivir, an antiviral drug that the US biotech company Gilead originally developed against Ebola.

Data from this time stipulate that remdesivir also works against coronaviruses in test tubes. Unfortunately, such a preclinical observation is no guarantee that the drug will also work in humans. The first results of the study should come in the next few days. The news portal "Statnews" reports that remdesivir has improved in a clinic in Chicago in just over 100 patients. Observations from China, however, sounded less optimistic. The infusion would certainly be used on a broad front even if its effectiveness was not outstanding. Pricing would be a tightrope walk for Gilead. The group is already hearing accusations of wanting to profit from the crisis. Countries like China or India could threaten to manufacture remdesivir themselves, disregarding patent protection,

Experts have little hope of the malaria drug chloroquine. While it would be very gratifying from an epidemiological point of view if the widely available and cheap chloroquine tablets could combat Covid-19, they hold little potential for investors because patent protection has already expired.

Antibody drugs that develop Regeneron and Vir, among others, are further away from potential approval. This could become a powerful weapon, but the first trials on patients will be in June at the earliest. At best, the funds would be available at the end of the year.

The world will probably have to wait a similar length of time for a vaccine against SARS-CoV-2. Moderna or Mainz-based Biontech are at the forefront here with their RNA vaccines. They are only injected with the "building instructions" for a virus part, the body then produces the molecule itself and develops an immune response to it. This has never been done before, but would have advantages in terms of production technology. Traditional vaccines are more complex to produce and are a strength of large corporations. Here, too, companies face moral pitfalls. Paul Stoffels, head of research at the US pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson, recently said that if the company succeeded, the company would provide a billion doses of vaccine at cost price.

It is such factors that health fund managers stubbornly stick to their existing investment strategy. None of the experienced investors the editors have spoken to in the past few weeks are converting their portfolios in favor of Corona winners. "The corona virus is primarily not an investment case," say the managers of the Swiss investment company BB Biotech. Companies like Gilead and Regeneron, Vir or Moderna have already held many funds for a long time anyway - because they are convinced of their long-term opportunities.

No matter how the fight ends, the virus improves the industry's reputation and raises awareness of its importance. Experts expect increasing investments in the health system due to the pandemic in the next few years. "Aside from the lives that can be saved - building up the appropriate capacities and keeping them permanently available costs little compared to the burdens that are now being caused by the downturn in the economy," said fund manager Bishop.

Corona winners

Good chances of winning

The shares of the companies listed in the table are already traded on the stock exchange as clear beneficiaries of the corona crisis. However, the success of these companies is still associated with numerous uncertainties. For this reason, investors must expect strong price fluctuations for these stocks until further notice. Speculative. 

Company : ISIN 

Biomerieux FR 001 328 028 6 

Biontech US 090 75V 102 6

Drägerwerk DE 000 555 063 6 

Eurofins FR 000 003 825 9 

Getinge SE 000 020 262 4 

Gilead US 375 558 103 6 

Moderna US 607 70K 107 9 

Regeneron US 758 86F 107 5

Shop pharmacy NL 001 204 474 7 

Vir US 927 64N 102 8 

Source: Bloomberg

A coronavirus vaccine may be available on an emergency basis in the fall if it proves to be safe during testing, Pfizer Inc announced on Tuesday. Vaccine testing, which has already started in Germany, could start in the US next week if health authorities agree, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said in an interview. The results of the study could then be available next month.

Pfizer needs to do more tests to make sure the vaccine works safely. If all tests are successful, Pfizer could start distributing the vaccine on an emergency basis in the fall - and get approval for large-scale distribution by the end of the year, Bourla said.

Pfizer works with the Mainz-based biotechnology company BioNTech to develop the vaccine. BioNTech announced last week that it had received approval for the first clinical trial of a COVID-19 vaccine in Germany.

BioNTech and Pfizer vaccinate the first twelve subjects in the COVID-19 study

The Mainz-based biotech company and the US pharmaceutical giant have started the clinical trial of their COVID-19 vaccine candidate BNT162. Twelve study participants in Germany have been vaccinated with BNT162 since the start of the study on April 23, 2020, as the two companies announced. This concludes the first dose cohort.

In order to find the optimal dose for the further studies, about 200 healthy volunteers between the ages of 18 and 55 should be vaccinated, the dose range is 1 to 100 micrograms. The safety and immunogenicity of the vaccine will also be investigated. Subjects at higher risk for a severe course of COVID-19 infection are included in the second part of the study.

The study is the first clinical trial of a vaccine candidate against the lung disease COVID-19 caused by the novel coronavirus in Germany. The two companies expect approval of studies for BNT162 in the United States shortly.

BioNTech and Pfizer are working together to develop BNT162. BioNTech will ensure clinical delivery of the vaccine through its manufacturing facilities in Europe. The company is also working with Fosun Pharma to develop BNT162 in China, where the companies plan to conduct clinical trials.

Artical:finanzen.net

Electromobility and medical technology are among the most important revenue generators for the German laser industry in the coming years. At least that is the current forecast of the VDMA. It was presented at the "Laser World of Photonics" trade fair in Munich.

Photo: trumpf
The copper elements installed in the Stators of electric motors can first be de-coated by laser and then welded precisely.

The corresponding development was faster than expected. "In our automotive sector, 20% of sales already come from electromobility," said Christian Schmitz, Managing Director of Trumpf Laser- und Systemtechnik GmbH and at the same time Chairman of the Working Group "Laser and Laser Systems for material processing" in the VDMA.

Schmitz spoke at the annual press conference of the working group of an expected "exponential growth" in e-mobility. This is particularly beneficial for laser technology, since meaningful mass production is only possible with it. In concrete terms, this is primarily concerned with the components that are new to the electric car, such as the battery, electric drive and high-performance electronics.

"A focus in the field of electromobility is technologies for welding highly conductive materials such as copper, copper alloys and aluminium," says Schmitz. For example, Trumpf relies on the specially developed green laser, which has been optimised for use in industrial environments, especially for the welding of copper materials. Especially in battery technology, the manufacturing process is increasingly being followed by consistent process monitoring for consistent quality management. Within the narrow process windows, more and more artificial intelligence is also being used.

Christoph Ullmann, Managing Director of Laserline GmbH and Vice-Chairman of the Working Group, also sees "new potential" for blue diode lasers. Among other things, they enable the melting of copper material in heat conduction mode, which results in splash-free, smooth seams even with very thin materials. Due to the high seam quality, the process is also very suitable for applications in electrical engineering, especially in the production of components in power electronics, where the joining points must be particularly temperature-resistant, says Ullmann. In the competition of technologies, it is now a matter of finding the optimal application.

The working group also sees growth opportunities in the biophotonics and medical technology market. According to Thomas Merk, Executive Vice President Industrial Lasers and Systems ILS at Coherent Munich and Vice Chairman of the VDMA Working Group, developments in biophotonics are becoming increasingly important. One of its most important tasks is, for example, to maintain the health of a globally ageing society or to combat chronic diseases. With the use of optical technologies, it is now crucial to find new cost-effective and effective solutions for diagnostics and treatment and to meet trends such as personalised medicine, explained the machine builder.

One example is laser-assisted flow cytometry. It allows the analysis of cells using fluorescent dyes. Depending on the structure, shape, and coloring of the cell, different effects are created from which the properties of the cell are derived. The quantified and highly analytical recording of cells and their interactions is a prerequisite for their functional understanding. This understanding, in turn, makes it possible to break new ground in transplantation and oncology.

DNA cytometry enables significantly faster analysis by detecting individual tumor cells and provides the prerequisite for personalized medicine in cancer therapy.

Gerhard Hein, Managing Director of the Working Group (AG) Laser in the VDMA, presented the latest figures on the laser industry in Germany. As a result, the manufacturers represented in the AG have increased the production value of laser production plants at the German site to € 1.06 billion. This applies to plants with CO2, solid-state and diode direct lasers and corresponds to an increase of around 13%. Order intake in 2018 was €1.31 billion, roughly the same as the previous year's level. A whopping 82% of orders came from abroad.

The realized export of laser systems rose to € 950 million (+23 %), with growth mainly due to the export of equipment with solid-state lasers.

The picture is not so positive for laser beam sources: the production value only reached the €429 million mark, which is a decrease of 4%. New orders amounted to only € 418 million, which is 12% less than in 2017. This is due to a significant decrease in international orders. However, the share of external demand in the total volume of orders was still around 70%. Exports increased by almost 2% in 2018 to € 318 million.

Hein continued to be optimistic when looking to the future. There is a sustained "technology push", especially for short-pulse applications and highly flexible systems. In addition, there is an increasing transfer from research to industrial application. From the point of view of the working group, the diversity of the beam sources remains and is even increasing. In addition, additive manufacturing, which is often laser-based, is further developing towards series production.

Report publish: VDI

With data gadgets for rescue workers, scientists want to improve the initial supply in case of major accidents and catastrophes with many injured persons. 

Data glasses are supposed to provide a higher supply quality. Doctors and participants in the Aachen test are convinced of this.
Photo: Czaplik / Uniklinik RWTH Aachen

On the ground,to connect a telemedicine to a telemedicine via a camera and thus be relieved, as the results of a research group at the Aachen University Clinic so far show.  In addition, checklists and guidelines are integrated.

At the end of the project, the scientists tested the technology in Aachen in a simulated accident scenario with two derailed wagons and 16 injured people. The advantages and disadvantages of both approaches are to be evaluated later on, for example regarding speed and error rate.

"We know that data gauges lead to a significant improvement. The quality of care is definitely increasing, "explained Michael Czaplik, doctor and scientist at RWTH Aachen University. However, working with the system took more time.

Link:VDI

The diesel theme obviously leaves traces behind Daimler. Group CEO Dieter Zetsche announced in Berlin that he wanted to make even more pace with the electromodels.

By Michael Gerster

Dieter Zetsche: The Daimler CEO (here at the 2015 Annual General Meeting) explains that emissions-free driving is the center of the strategy.
 (Photo: Daimler)

At the shareholders' meeting in the City Cube in Berlin, Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche described emissions-free driving as the core of the Group's strategy. "We are approaching this goal in ever greater steps," Zetsche told the 6,000 shareholders. By 2022, more than ten new electric cars will go into series production. So far, the expansion of the electrofloat should be carried out on this scale by 2025.

On the road, however, all resources for CO2 reduction would have to be used. For this reason efficient combustion engines are an essential part of the solution in the transitional period. It also applies that modern diesel emit less CO2 than gasoline. The discussion about the diesel has been the industry for a year and a half. "Clear rules and transparent, more realistic test procedures are all the more important," says Zetsche.

"No infringement detected"

Zetsche also referred to the investigations of the Stuttgart Public Prosecutor's Office due to possible manipulations and increased pollutant values ​​in Mercedes diesel engines. "Neither the Kraftfahrtsbundesamt nor the Federal Ministry of Transport have found any breach of applicable law as part of their measurements on our vehicles." It is necessary to cooperate with all authorities.

In a voluntary service, Daimler is currently equipping around 46,000 V-Class and 211,000 vehicles of the compact class. Among other things, the so-called thermal window is to be improved. At certain temperatures, the exhaust gas cleaning is down-regulated to protect the engine. The KBA had complained that this window was too wide in many cars. Daimler is also targeting lawyers and public authorities in the US, including misleading advertising on diesel cars.

Profit of the passenger car division is expected to rise

Daimler is paying a dividend of € 3.25 per share to shareholders this year and therefore as much as in the previous year. The 2016 financial year was the most successful in the company's history. For the first time, the Group sold around three million vehicles, compared to 2.9 million in the previous year. Sales climbed from 149.5 to 153.3 billion euros. Operating profit reached EUR 14.2 billion (2015: EUR 13.8 billion).

Following a successful first quarter with double-digit growth in sales, the company expects another record year. The profit in the passenger car division is expected to be well above last year. Here, the rendition-strong E-Class is likely to be noticeable in the first full year of sales. The bus division also wants to lay again. In the case of the Vans, on the other hand, high investments in the locations, new products and future technology are noticeable. Despite a higher sales, the profit is expected to fall sharply.

Trucksparte remains Sorgenkind

Sorgenkind remains the truck division, which is struggling in many markets. Sales are expected to remain at the level of the previous year, while the profit slightly declines. The reason for this is expenses for a savings program of 500 million euros. It is still unclear how the many claims for damages on the truck cartel will be affected. An increasing number of forwarding companies have come together to fulfill their demands. The Group emphasizes, however, that these can not be derived from the EU cartel penalty.

From:Article

Is this the breakthrough for Tesla in the Chinese market? Internetcenter Tencent is entering a great style.

Once it was the Swabian premium manufacturer Daimler, who bought himself from the E-Autopioniert from the Silicon Valley. Now the Chinese Internet group Tencent is on the train. In a statement to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Chinese released a five-percent share of nearly $ 1.8 billion (€ 1.7 billion) on Tuesday.

Tesla Model 3: With the fresh money from China a smooth start of the serial production of the "Model 3" is to be secured. (Photo: Tesla)

This means that the conglomerate, which operates China's largest online network WeChat, has become one of the largest shareholders. Tesla's dazzling CEO, Elon Musk, who is one of the largest shareholders, has recently issued new bonds and shares. This opportunity was used by Tencent.

With the fresh money of the investors, a smooth start of the serial production of the middle class "Model 3" is to be secured. The car is Tesla's eagerly awaited first electric car for the mass market. The success of the project depends on whether the company can create the leap from the luxury niche.

Investors place great trust in the promises made by Tech-Milliardär Musk - the Tesla share has increased 26 percent since the beginning of the year. However, the company has not always been able to implement the ambitious plans of its boss in the past on time and comprehensively. Tesla has, however, reached its goal of starting the mass production of "Model 3" in September. (Dpa / ree)

After an accident, the service agent took over his self-propelled cars first from the streets - the vehicle was not at all responsible.

On top of this, the tests with their self-propelled cars stopped with caution after one of the vehicles had been involved in an accident. According to the police in Tempe in the state of Arizona, however, the car was not the fault of the collision, but the driver of the other car who had taken the road ahead of the car. There were no serious injuries.

Apparently, it was a quite powerful clash: Even pictures, which circulate in the Internet, can be seen that the Uber-Volvo, after all, a not very small SUV, is on the side. According to the company, no passenger was on board. According to his own data, Uber has about a dozen self-propelled cars at the test site in Pittsburgh and Arizona.

Autonomous over-car. (Photo: Volvo)

Driving without license

Over the past few months Uber has had problems with his self-propelled cars. In California Uber drove from December without permission. After the authorities forbade this, the company left for Arizona, but has now also obtained a license for California.

In test drives in San Francisco, a red car had ignored a red light. Talked about human error. However, the "New York Times" later reported that the car had been autonomous, and that the driver's mistake was not to have intervened in time. Accidents with self-propelled cars have already existed several times, but in most cases other drivers were the cause. In one case, however, a Google car hit a bus at low speed and caused a sheet metal damage. The most serious accident occurred with a Tesla, who had overlooked a truck under "Autopilot", and the driver was killed.

Theft of business secrets?

In addition, Uber still has several other problems: The Google subsidiary Waymo has sued the company because Anthony Levandowski, today's chief developer of Uber's self-propelled cars, previously worked for Waymo and took his business secrets with his competition, among other things The technology of the laser radars with which the cars recognize their surroundings. Refute the accusations. Added to this are criticisms of the company culture as well as the leadership style of Uber boss Travis Kalanick.

Daimler wants to take part in the largest Mercedes dealer in the world. Only a year and a half ago, the Stuttgart companies had sold numerous houses in Germany to the Hong Kong company.

By Christof Rührmair

Daimler wants to participate in the car business of the Hong Kong conglomerate Lei Shing Hong (LSH). The eligibility of the acquisition of 15 percent of LSH Auto International Limited is currently being examined by the Bundeskartellamt. Daimler confirmed to plan an entry.

LSH is the largest Mercedes dealer in the world and is active in China, Korea, Cambodia, Vietnam and Australia as well as Germany. In 2014/15, the company purchased a total of 18 branch offices in the new federal states of Daimler. In some Asian countries, LSH also sells Porsche.

Figures for 2016 are not yet available but in 2015 LSH sold more than 120,000 cars and thus generated sales of around seven billion euros. The vehicle sales market is by far the most important division of the company, but the Group is also involved in construction machinery or as a land developer.

Daimler wants to take part in the largest Mercedes dealer in the world.
 (Photo: Daimler)

Long-term cooperation

With LSH, the Group is combining "a long-standing, successful and trustworthy collaboration in sales of Mercedes-Benz products in many countries," said a Daimler spokesman. "For this reason and in order to maintain the sustainability of the long-term ownership structure, both companies have decided that Daimler will acquire a minority stake in LSH's global retail business."

The acquisition is subject to approval by the relevant authorities in several countries, including Germany, Daimler said. The Group did not wish to make any further disclosures by referring to ongoing approval procedures. At first, no statement was given by LSH either.