Business description of BRUKER-CORPORATION from last 10-k form

        Any statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Without limiting the foregoing, the words believes, anticipates, plans, expects, seeks, estimates, should and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements contained herein are based on current expectations, but are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. The factors that could cause actual future results to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to, the outcome of any actions that may be taken by government agencies in connection with FCPA compliance matters that we have reported to them, risks and uncertainties related to adverse changes in the economic and political conditions in the countries in which we operate, the integration of businesses we have acquired or may acquire in the future, changing technologies, product development and market acceptance of our products, the cost and pricing of our products, manufacturing, competition, dependence on collaborative partners and key suppliers, capital spending and government funding policies, changes in governmental regulations, intellectual property rights, litigation, exposure to foreign currency

fluctuations and other factors, many of which are described in more detail in this Annual Report on Form 10-K under Item 1A. "Risk Factors" and from time to time in other filings we may make with the Securities and Exchange Commission. While the Company may elect to update forward-looking statements in the future, it specifically disclaims any obligation to do so, even if the Company's estimates change, and readers should not rely on those forward-looking statements as representing the Company's views as of any date subsequent to the date of the filing of this report.

        References to "we," "us," "our" or the "Company" refer to Bruker Corporation and, in some cases, its subsidiaries, as well as all predecessor entities.

        Our principal executive offices are located at 40 Manning Road, Billerica, MA 01821, and our telephone number is (978) 663-3660. Information about Bruker Corporation is available at www.bruker.com. The information on our website is not incorporated by reference into and does not form a part of this report. All trademarks, trade names or copyrights referred to in this report are the property of their respective owners.

PART I

ITEM 1    BUSINESS

Our Business

        We are a global manufacturer of scientific instruments that address the rapidly evolving needs of a diverse array of customers in life science, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, clinical and molecular diagnostics research, as well as in materials and chemical analysis in various industries and government applications. Our technology platforms include magnetic resonance technologies, mass spectrometry technologies, gas chromatography technologies, X-ray technologies, spark-optical emission spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, stylus and optical metrology technology and infrared and Raman molecular spectroscopy technologies. We manufacture and distribute a broad range of field analytical systems for chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosives, or CBRNE, detection. We also design, manufacture and market superconducting materials and devices based primarily on metallic low temperature superconductors and ceramic high temperature superconductors. Our corporate headquarters are located in Billerica, Massachusetts. We maintain major technical and manufacturing centers in Europe, North America, and Japan, and we have sales offices located throughout the world.

Strategy and Competitive Strengths

        Our business strategy is to capitalize on our ability to innovate and generate rapid revenue growth, both organically and through acquisitions. If we can execute on this strategy while improving our gross margins and effectively leveraging our research and development, sales, marketing and distribution investments, and general and administrative expenses, we believe we will enhance our operating margins and improve our earnings in the future.

        Our key competitive strengths include our:

    broad product and service offerings in the markets we serve;

    commitment to innovative, reliable, and performance-leading products and solutions for our customers;

    premier global brands;

    extensive intellectual property portfolio; and

    global manufacturing, distribution, and logistics networks.

Business Segments

        We are organized into five operating segments: Bruker BioSpin, Bruker Daltonics, Bruker MAT, Bruker Optics, and Bruker Energy & Supercon Technologies. Bruker BioSpin is in the business of designing, manufacturing and distributing life science tools based on magnetic resonance technology. Bruker Daltonics is in the business of designing, manufacturing, and distributing mass spectrometry and gas chromatography instruments and solutions for life sciences, including proteomics, metabolomics, and clinical research applications. Our mass spectrometry and gas chromatography instruments also provide solutions for applied markets that include food safety, environmental analysis and fuel analysis. Bruker Daltonics also designs, manufactures, and distributes various analytical instruments for CBRNE detection. Bruker MAT, or materials research, analysis and metrology, is in the business of designing, manufacturing, and distributing advanced X-ray, spark optical emission spectroscopy, combustion analysis, atomic force microscopy and stylus and optical metrology instrumentation used in molecular, materials, and elemental analysis. Bruker Optics is in the business of designing, manufacturing, and distributing research, analytical, and process analysis instruments and solutions based on infrared and Raman molecular spectroscopy technologies. Bruker Energy & Supercon Technologies is in the business of developing and producing superconducting materials and devices based primarily on metallic low

temperature superconductors and ceramic high temperature superconductors with applications in renewable energy, energy infrastructure, medical imaging and life science analytics and "big science" research, which typically consists of large scale projects funded by a government or a group of governments.

        For financial reporting purposes, we combine the Bruker BioSpin, Bruker Daltonics, Bruker MAT and Bruker Optics operating segments into the Scientific Instruments reporting segment because each has similar economic characteristics, product processes and services, types and classes of customers, methods of distribution, and regulatory environments. As such, management reports its financial results based on the following segments:

    Scientific Instruments.  The operations of this segment include the design, manufacture and distribution of advanced instrumentation and automated solutions based on magnetic resonance technology, mass spectrometry technology, gas chromatography technology, X-ray technology, spark-optical emission spectroscopy technology, atomic force microscopy technology, stylus and optical metrology technology, and infrared and Raman molecular spectroscopy technology. Typical customers of the Scientific Instruments segment include: pharmaceutical, biotechnology and molecular diagnostic companies; academic institutions, medical schools and other non-profit organizations; clinical microbiology laboratories; government departments and agencies; nanotechnology, semiconductor, chemical, cement, metals and petroleum companies; and food, beverage and agricultural analysis companies and laboratories.

    Energy & Supercon Technologies.  The operations of this segment include the design, manufacture and marketing of superconducting materials, primarily metallic low temperature superconductors, for use in magnetic resonance imaging, nuclear magnetic resonance, fusion energy research and other applications, and ceramic high temperature superconductors primarily for fusion energy research applications. Typical customers of the Energy & Supercon Technologies segment include companies in the medical industry, private and public research and development laboratories in the fields of fundamental and applied sciences and energy research, academic institutions and government agencies. The Energy & Supercon Technologies segment is also developing superconductors and superconducting-enabled devices for applications in power and energy, as well as industrial processing industries.

Scientific Instruments Segment

        Bruker BioSpin manufactures and distributes enabling life science tools based on magnetic resonance technology. Magnetic resonance is a natural phenomenon occurring when a molecule placed in a magnetic field gives off a signature radio frequency. The signature radio frequency is characteristic of the particular molecule and provides a multitude of precise chemical and structural information. Depending on the intended application, we market and sell to our customers a magnetic resonance imaging system, known as pre-clinical MRI; a nuclear magnetic resonance system, known as NMR; or an electron paramagnetic resonance system, known as EPR. Bruker BioSpin also offers high-field OEM MRI magnets to medical device manufacturers. Bruker BioSpin's products, which have particular application in structural proteomics, drug discovery, research, and food and materials science fields, provide customers with the ability to determine the structure, dynamics, and function of specific molecules, such as proteins, and to characterize and determine the composition of mixtures. Customers of our Bruker BioSpin operating segment include pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, academic institutions, medical schools, other nonprofit laboratories, and government agencies, as well as chemical, food and beverage, and polymer companies.