Companies make a valuable economic contribution to society through their commercial activities.

They secure the livelihoods of their own and their suppliers' employees and thus boost purchasing power and general prosperity in the vicinity of their sites.

In 2011, Knorr-Bremse paid EUR 159 million in taxes on income worldwide. The Group also invested EUR 159 million in plant and equipment and EUR 209 million in research and development in order to drive forward innovation and technical progress.

The Group's innovative strength is reflected in its extensive portfolio of patents, comprising 5,887 industrial property rights worldwide - 1,772 of them in Germany alone. A total of 146 new patents were registered in 2011.

Thus products and systems have been created – including many in the fields of transport safety, energy efficiency, and emissions reduction – from which society has benefitted directly.