init has increased earnings per share by 33 per cent

• Dividend and share price once again approaches record levels
• Growth target of 15 per cent again achieved
• New products with strong growth rates
• Launch of market innovations, focus on software
• New markets to be explored

Great news for init innovation in traffic systems SE shareholders (ISIN DE 0005759807): they will receive a 37.5 per cent higher dividend for the 2020 financial year. The virtual shareholders' meeting held today almost unanimously approved the increase in the dividend proposed by the Managing Board and Supervisory Board to EUR 0.55 per share (previous year: EUR 0.40). This means that it is once again approaching an all-time high, as is the share price of the bus and train digitisation specialist. According to the Managing Board, the forecast for future growth is good: high growth rates for existing markets as well as for newly launched products, further innovations and the opening up of new markets mean that sustainable growth of on average 15 per cent is once again achievable from 2022 onwards. An increased focus on software is having a positive effect on the profit margin.

The growth strategy presented by init's CEO Dr. Gottfried Greschner is based on the motto "Integrated. Innovative. International". The success of this strategy is underlined by the strong growth of new products launched on the market, such as an ID-based fare management system. "Smart ticketing made by init" is now being implemented in the greater Houston area. A major contract worth almost 30 million US dollars was recently awarded by the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO), one of the largest local public transport providers in the USA.

init software and hardware technology in high demand

Smart ticketing is one of the most sought after technologies among transport operators worldwide, as are the latest generation control systems which, in addition to ticketing solutions, also integrate the management and "smart charging" of electric vehicles. The control system MOBILE - ITCSnextGen also increases the efficiency of transport operations and the quality of travel for passengers, using artificial intelligence. With the web-based variant MOBILE-ITCSsmart as a pay-per-use solution, init opens up new customer groups. We are seeing an increasing number of tenders for major projects in ticketing and control systems. 'In particular, we expect to see an increase in our share of the software market and we should therefore be able to profit from this in the future," Greschner said confidently.

The development of innovative passenger counting and video systems was particularly pleasing and a very high market share has been achieved as a result of this superior technology.

A new market is provided by the control system MOBILE-ITCSrail, which serves the special features of railway systems and numerous other railway specific interfaces. We see great potential in using it for trams and regional and metro trains," the CEO emphasised. The Albtalverkehrsgesellschaft (AVG) in Karlsruhe is the first customer to use this system, operating a network of 550 km.

A particular growth driver for init is the conversion of vehicle fleets in public transport to emission-free or electric vehicles. For this purpose, init has developed the integrated software product suite eMOBILE, which optimises all processes, from the simulation and planning of services and processes, to depot and charging management and operational control, to range forecasting and consumption analysis. For its partner KEOLIS, init is in the process of equipping two of the largest electric bus fleets in Europe, based in the Netherlands and Norway.

Further development projects

Greschner was also able to present a number of further research and development projects to the shareholders, which should ensure increased revenues in the next few years beyond init's core business. "In the past five years, we have invested around EUR 45m in basic developments that we have not yet capitalised upon. We have therefore deliberately refrained from reporting a higher result in order to create potential. This is now increasingly starting to pay off," Greschner emphasised. "From 2022 onwards however, it should be possible for us to achieve our sustainable growth target of an average of 15 percent per year again".

The international leading digitisation specialist in public transport once again achieved significant dynamic growth in the 2020 financial year despite the many problems created by the Coronavirus pandemic. Earnings per share actually increased by 33 percent from EUR 1.13 to EUR 1.50. The shareholders' dividend increased further to EUR 0.55 (previous year: EUR 0.40) per share.