Information on Russia's War of Aggression Against Ukraine

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The industry association SPECTARIS and its members condemn Russia’s attack on Ukraine in the strongest possible terms. We are deeply shocked by these events, and our thoughts are with the people of Ukraine who are fighting for freedom. This is an attack on a sovereign state, its citizens, and peace in Europe and the world as a whole—an attack that can never be justified. It is therefore clear to us that we and our members fully support the sanctions that have been imposed, even if this has serious consequences for the economy. The top priority must be to stop Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine as quickly as possible. We are deeply convinced that only dialogue can bring about a lasting, peaceful solution to this war.

Since February 24, 2022, events have unfolded rapidly following Russia’s attack on Ukraine. A large number of countries have imposed comprehensive export bans and sanctions against the Russian Federation and Belarus. At the same time, Russia and Belarus have implemented countermeasures in response to the sanctions imposed on them. 

We send our members updates on new developments regarding sanctions that affect economic cooperation with the region, raise awareness about potential risks of circumvention, and provide information on the relief supplies needed and Ukraine’s lists of requirements.

SPECTARIS Foreign Trade’s Special Topic on Ukraine on mySPECTARIS
Detailed information on sanctions, export restrictions, supply chain issues, requests for the delivery of relief supplies, event announcements, and other topics related to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine is provided by SPECTARIS Foreign Trade in a special feature on the members-only platform mySPECTARIS. If you are a SPECTARIS member and would like to register for these information channels, click here to sign up.

Information and Crisis Hotlines of the German Chambers of Foreign Trade

  • AHK Russia
    The AHK Moscow offers the freeAHK Crisis Consulting Servicefor affected companies, as well as two crisis hotlines:AHK Crisis Hotline: +7 495 234 49 54;Logistics Hotline: +7(499) 495-00-11. The hotlines are staffed from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Moscow time.
  • AHK Belarus
    The AHK Belarus is available to answer your questions and provide further information via email at info@ahk-belarus.org as well as via the crisis hotline +375 44 775 00 74 (WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber) Monday through Sunday from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. CET (8:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. Minsk time).

The information provided bythe Healthcare Industry Export Initiative is also helpful, asis the comprehensivespecial feature fromGermany Trade and Invest (GTAI):
Go to the GTAI special feature
Go to the Healthcare Industry Export Initiative

The GTAI has also compiled a collection that highlights the economic impacts on selected countries:See theGTAI'scountry reports

    What Our Members Say

    SPECTARIS acts as a strong association that vigorously represents the interests of its members in the political, business, and social spheres.

    “SPECTARIS acts as a strong association that vigorously represents its members’ interests in the political, business, and social spheres. As members, we have the opportunity to actively raise our concerns and help shape the agenda to ensure that our voice is heard in relevant political and social discussions. In addition, through SPECTARIS, we have access to a broad network of companies, experts, and decision-makers from the high-tech industry. This allows us to forge valuable contacts and leverage synergies. Through this exchange, we and other members can benefit from each other’s experiences and expertise.”


    Frank-Martin Rammelt, Managing Director of seleon GmbH


    Together, we are strong.

    Together we are strong—That is why we value the strong network and the open and excellent collaboration within the association, which allows us, as one of the leading manufacturers, to work together on solutions to the modern challenges in the contact lens industry, to collaborate on joint campaigns, and to capitalize on identified trends.


    Johannes Zupfer, General Manager for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, CooperVision GmbH


    Advancing Photonics

    Photonics is one of the most innovative key industries and places high demands on the organizations that represent its interests. SPECTARIS meets these demands in a compelling manner. As a strong industry association, SPECTARIS effectively represents the interests of its members in the political, business, and social spheres, while also promoting exchange and networking within the industry. We thank SPECTARIS for this commitment and greatly value our trusting collaboration.


    Dr. Ralf Kuschnereit, JENOPTIK AG


    OBE relies on high-quality products “Made in Germany.”

    OBE relies on high-quality products “Made in Germany.” Thanks to innovation and automation, spring hinges and security screws can be manufactured in large quantities at the Ispringen facility. This goes hand in hand with increased productivity and a division of labor for simple products at our facility in China. In this way, we secure jobs in Germany.


    Peter Specht / Erik Schäfer - Managing Directors, OBE


    Community makes us strong!

    For us as medium-sized companies, the SPECTARIS association serves as a bridge between the government and our interests—our collective strength makes us stronger! We appreciate the very helpful continuing education program in the field of medical technology and benefit from the organization of a wide variety of delegation trips. Our membership in SPECTARIS also ensures that we receive regular updates on new regulatory requirements.


    Maik Greiser, Managing Partner / CEO, ATMOS MedizinTechnik GmbH & Co. KG


    The association offers services that are perfectly tailored to our needs.

    Our industry association, SPECTARIS, is a strong advocate for the interests of medium-sized, owner-managed companies like ours. It is just as important to us that the association provides a platform for open dialogue among member companies and offers services—such as industry reports and events focused on specific topics—that are perfectly tailored to our needs.


    Managing Partners of Jüke Systemtechnik GmbH, Martin Hovestadt (left) and Heinrich Jürgens (right)


    A Voice for Medical Technology

    For us as a medical technology manufacturer, SPECTARIS serves as an important voice in our dealings with policymakers. Especially in light of the current MDR, it is immensely important to have a strong and effective association to represent our interests. We are very satisfied with our collaboration and feel well represented.


    Regina Kirchner-Gottschalk, Managing Director of KaWe – KIRCHNER & WILHELM GmbH + Co. KG


    Innovation drives us forward

    Demands are growing, markets are changing—but innovation opens up new paths for us. With digital progress, bold ideas, and modern processes, we are shaping the standards of tomorrow. As a SPECTARIS member, we leverage the strength of the network to actively shape the future in this dynamic environment.


    Fabian Bohnen, COO / Stephan Börner, CEO, Ofa Bamberg GmbH


    What we particularly appreciate about SPECTARIS is its technical expertise.

    As a medium-sized medical technology company, Richard Wolf benefits greatly from SPECTARIS’s extensive network. We particularly value their technical expertise.


    Management of Richard Wolf GmbH: Mr. Pfab, Mr. Steinbeck


    It's worth getting involved!

    In times of rapid and far-reaching changes in the medtech industry and a challenging regulatory environment, SPECTARIS is an important partner for our company and plays an indispensable role as an advocate for our interests in Berlin and Brussels. It’s worth getting involved!


    Bert Sutter, Managing Director, Sutter Medizintechnik GmbH


    We want to be a trusted partner for our laboratory customers, both today and in the future.

    SPECTARIS’s in-depth information on industry and technology trends, as well as the regulatory landscape, is just as important to us as its advocacy work in Berlin and Brussels. The dedicated SPECTARIS team is always a great point of contact for us.


    Dr. Christoph Schöler, Managing Partner, BRAND GMBH + CO KG, VACUUBRAND GMBH + CO KG


    A voice for the industry

    In a diverse and specialized industry such as analytical technology—which is highly technical and subject to numerous regulatory requirements—small specialists compete with large technology conglomerates. SPECTARIS succeeds in uniting the interests of all its members and serves as the industry’s collective voice and advocate.


    Albrecht Sieper, Managing Director of Elementar Analysensysteme GmbH


    SPECTARIS is the ideal platform.

    SPECTARIS provides us with the ideal platform for constructive dialogue with member companies and serves as a reliable voice for the laboratory industry in the realms of politics and science.


    Dr. Gunther Wobser, Managing Partner of LAUDA DR. R. WOBSER GMBH & CO. KG


    SPECTARIS fosters collaboration in our industry.

    “The very informative discussions at SPECTARIS in Berlin and here at our office convinced me of SPECTARIS’s commitment and the quality of its work. In particular, the opportunity to combine topics from analytical, biotechnology, and laboratory technology with the field of medical technology is very interesting for Sigma,” I wrote upon joining in 2011. This has been confirmed, and today we are actively involved in several working groups.


    Dr. Michael Sander, Managing Director of Sigma Laborzentrifugen GmbH


    National advocacy group puts the spotlight on the industry

    Laser Components benefits from the industry association in a variety of ways. As a company, we value the broad exchange of information within the working groups—whether in human resources, marketing, or export control, customs, and foreign trade practices. For our industry, Spectaris also serves as a political voice—the Photonics Trade Association not only maintains constant communication with the BMWi and BMBF ministries but also provides information on European initiatives.


    Patrick Paul, Managing Director of LASER COMPONENTS GmbH


    A Voice for Innovative Small and Medium-Sized Businesses

    In the century of the photon, we need an advocacy group that is both strong and responsive. For us, as providers and consultants for the most innovative products on the global photonics market, this institution is particularly important. We know our interests (e.g., in the area of foreign trade) are in good hands, and we can focus on what matters most: satisfying our customers.


    Andreas Börner, Managing Director of Laser 2000 GmbH


    Our membership in the SPECTARIS industry association is of great value to us.

    It not only gives us access to a strong network of leading companies across various high-tech industries, but also provides an important platform for professional exchange and continuing education. In addition, we benefit from the association’s strong advocacy with policymakers, the business community, and society at large, which plays a crucial role in creating a sustainable framework for the future. Through our membership in SPECTARIS, we can contribute our expertise, address current developments at an early stage, and jointly drive innovation and sustainable growth.


    Frank Billhardt, Laser Protection Division EMEA, LASERVISION GmbH & Co. KG


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