Wetzlar, Germany. World-leading designer and manufacturer of innovative microscope solutions, Leica Microsystems, continues to look ahead even after 170 years of doing so. These solutions from Leica Microsystems help users in the life science, industry, and medical fields to shape the future. At a ceremony on 16 May in Wetzlar, invited guests were given the opportunity to come and see this for themselves. Among the attendees from science, economics, and politics was the Hessian Minister of Finance Dr. Thomas Schäfer.
“170 years of Leica Microsystems stands for the special history of a company that was founded in the middle of the 19th century as a family business in Wetzlar. Today Leica Microsystems is part of a global success story and has a worldwide reputation. Your company is one of the most important employers in Central Hessen and contributes significantly to the attractiveness of the region as a technology and business location. We are proud of this global success story from Hessen! Therefore, I would like to extend the warmest congratulations of the Hessian state government to the employees and management on this anniversary. Through your innovations you have changed the view of the world and, thus, also the world itself to a certain extent. I wish you all for the future the same creativeness you have shown in the past", stated Finance Minister Dr. Schäfer.
"We offer solutions to users all over the world, so they can make exciting discoveries," says Markus Lusser, President of Leica Microsystems. "Groundbreaking innovations mark the path from the Wetzlar start-up to today's Leica companies. Again and again, we have shifted the boundaries of what is visible. We are proud of our contributions to help users all over the world find answers to some of the most important questions of our time, as well as, improve and secure the quality of human life."
The company's history is closely linked to the name Leitz and the Leica brand. Leica is derived from Leitz camera. The legendary 35 mm camera was a milestone. In the field of microscopy, this would also certainly include the first series of microscopes manufactured with super-resolution STED technology. After 120 years, these microscopes overcame the seemingly immovable limits of optical resolution and enabled new access to the building blocks of life. The groundbreaking development of STED microscopy was awarded the Nobel Prize in 2014. The aspiration to make it possible for users to gain new insights is also reflected in the company motto "From Eye to Insight".
Current solutions from Leica Microsystems combine excellent optics with digital technology to provide further insights. Surgeons can use augmented reality during surgery to distinguish tumors from healthy tissue in real time and use this information to improve decision-making. Networked laboratory instruments perform routine tasks and Leica imaging technology reveals an unprecedented depth of information from precious biological samples. The leitmotif or slogan "With the user, for the user" of Ernst Leitz I sets the direction for all technological developments. Innovations primarily serve the user. This is the tradition at Leica Microsystems.
