“Research and development is the lifeblood of all technology-based companies,” said Jürgen Dormann, ABB chairman and CEO. “We monitor this spending carefully, and all future research is knitted into the fabric of our business strategy – to help industry and utility customers become more competitive while keeping an eye on the environment.”

ABB’s research and development is clustered around four key areas: power technologies, automation technologies, oil and gas technologies and applications of engineering and manufacturing technologies.

Industrial IT, ABB’s patented concept for linking products and services together with the information needed to run, service and maintain them, is the red line running through all of the group’s technology areas.

“ABB technology is the backbone of many industries,” said Markus Bayegan, ABB’s chief technology officer.

“Our technology platforms are designed to address customer needs with products and services that deliver more value faster, with high quality and reliability.”

ABB has just released its Group Technology Report, a summary of achievements from its research and development teams working in laboratories around the world. Highlights include a special medium-voltage transformer developed with a Canadian company; high power circuit breakers; wireless sensors for industrial use; and software for robotic press brake tools.

The company said its history of innovation stretches back more than 100 years and includes many breakthroughs: the world’s first self-cooling transformer; the world’s first high-speed locomotive using a direct drive system; one of the world’s first industrial robots; even the world’s first synthetic diamond. The group recently received top honors for wireless technology from the Wall Street Journal Europe.