Research and development
KION’s research and development (R&D) expenditure decreased to €111.8 million in the first six months of 2026 (H1 2025: €142.8 million). This strong fall was primarily due to bringing development projects to a successful close, such as a new lithium-ion battery that has been in production at the Hamburg site since October 2025. Total spending on R&D – i.e. R&D costs plus capitalized development costs – went down by 20.8 percent to €165.6 million in the period under review (H1 2025: €209.1 million). This equates to 2.9 percent of revenue (H1 2025: 3.8 percent).
in € million |
Q2 |
Q2 |
Change |
Q1 – Q2 |
Q1 – Q2 |
Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Research and development costs (P&L) |
56.0 |
63.8 |
−12.3% |
111.8 |
142.8 |
−21.7% |
Capitalized development costs |
28.1 |
31.3 |
−10.3% |
53.7 |
66.2 |
−18.8% |
Total R&D spending |
84.0 |
95.1 |
−11.7% |
165.6 |
209.1 |
−20.8% |
R&D spending as percentage of revenue |
2.9% |
3.5% |
−0.6% |
2.9% |
3.8% |
−0.9% |