Management Report and initiated the UL approval process in prepa- ration for US market introduction in 2022. Another highlight in the sensor business was the introduction of the Duct Sensor Assistant App that allows sensor configuration and verifi- cation via smartphone. Offer Selected Performance Devices The performance device offering, a combina- tion of sensor, actuator, and valve technology and embedded logic, has seen a significant ad- vancement with the market launch of the fourth generation of the Belimo Energy Valve™ and Thermal Energy Meters announced in a major online event in June (watch it herehere). This new product lineup will be phased in over the next six months. The Belimo Energy Valve™ 4 provides certified thermal energy metering (bill- ing grade) among many new functions, while also featuring all of the advantages of the cur- rent Belimo Energy Valve™ 3 versions, such as controlling power and optimizing Delta T. In the field of digital collaborations, the Compa- ny registered enthusiastic interest from various metering, analytics, and building IoT companies such as SkyBill, PassiveLogic, or BuildingsIoT regarding connection with the Belimo Core Cloud. These third-party applications, which form the “Belimo Digital Ecosystem Collabo- rators,” elaborate and aggregate the data ac- quired by Belimo field devices and transform it into a holistic building context for advanced building models. Grow Asia Pacific The fourth Belimo growth strategy, “Grow Asia Pacific,” looks back at a solid first half of 2021. China has shown firm growth rates. Belimo opened the eleventh sales office in the Xi’an metro area as planned and invest- ed further in the development of its Chinese employees and in a strong company culture. Another focus in China was online training activities with many successful sessions and the resumption of trade show activities. Also to be mentioned here is the impressive dis- play Belimo featured at the China Refrigera- tion exhibition in Shanghai, which drew more than 1 500 visitors. In India, the year started out very promising, de- spite a heavy second wave of COVID-19. After a delay of several months, our new India head- quarters in Navi Mumbai is now scheduled for opening in January 2022. The new building will host an Experience Center for customer train- ing, logistics, customization, technical support, and other services. The building is designed to achieve the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) Platinum rating and includes some of the most innovative technologies, such as a Belimo motorized sun shading system. Outlook Belimo remains confident about all three of its market regions for the second half of 2021. The demand for both new buildings and the refur- bishment of existing buildings is expected to remain strong. For the HVAC industry, this de- mand is further accelerated by the underlying drivers of indoor air quality and energy efficien- cy. Shortages in the building material supply chain and subsequent price spikes may how- ever cause delays for certain projects. Anoth- er hampering factor is the shortage of skilled labor in the field of building technology profes- sionals. Consequently, Belimo expects sales revenue growth to slow slightly over the year, also due to a comparatively solid base in the second half of 2020, and expects to complete the year with an annual sales growth rate ahead of its five-year average. The risks of adverse impacts due to COVID-19 containment measures remain, as do exchange rate fluctuations, and these may weigh nega- tively on profitability in 2021. Additionally, high- Belimo Semiannual Report 2021 5