Item 1. Business
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Item 1. Business
Teradyne, Inc. (“Teradyne”) was founded in 1960 and is a leading global supplier of automated test equipment and robotics solutions.
We design, develop, manufacture and sell automated test systems and robotics products. Our automated test systems are used to test semiconductors, wireless products, data storage and complex electronics systems in many industries including consumer electronics, wireless, automotive, industrial, computing, communications, and aerospace and defense industries. Our robotics products include collaborative robotic arms and autonomous mobile robots (“AMRs”) used by global manufacturing, logistics and industrial customers to improve quality, increase manufacturing and material handling efficiency and decrease manufacturing and logistics costs. Our automated test equipment and robotics products and services include:
semiconductor test (“Semiconductor Test”) systems;
storage and system level test (“Storage Test”) systems, defense/aerospace (“Defense/Aerospace”) test instrumentation and systems, and circuit-board test and inspection (“Production Board Test”) systems (collectively these products represent “System Test”);
wireless test (“Wireless Test”) systems; and
robotics (“Robotics”) products.
The market for our test products is concentrated with a limited number of significant customers accounting for a substantial portion of the purchases of test equipment. A few customers drive significant demand for our products both through direct sales and sales to the customer’s supply partners. We expect that sales of our test products will continue to be concentrated with a limited number of significant customers for the foreseeable future.
In 2023, the demand in our Semiconductor Test business continued to be impacted by a correction cycle driven by excess semiconductor inventory, primarily in the mobility segment of the market. The depth of this slowdown and the timing of the recovery are uncertain, however, strong automotive and image sensor demand partially offset these declines. The growth of DDR5 and High Bandwidth Memory ("HBM") devices for data center applications continued to drive demand for our products in the memory market in 2023. Over the midterm, we expect the ramp of 3 nanometer and gate-all-around process technology, increasing multichip packaging, additional device complexity and unit growth will drive additional demand for Semiconductor Test.
Our Robotics segment consists of Universal Robots A/S (“UR”), a leading supplier of collaborative robotic arms, and Mobile Industrial Robots A/S (“MiR”), a leading maker of AMRs for industrial automation. The market for our Robotics segment products is dependent on the adoption of new automation technologies by large manufacturers as well as small and medium enterprises (“SMEs”) throughout the world. Demand in the fourth quarter of 2023 increased, tied to introduction of new products and seasonally high demand in Robotics after market softness and the impact of our channel transformation resulted in a weaker than forecasted first half of 2023.
On November 7, 2023, Teradyne and Technoprobe S.p.A (“Technoprobe”), a leader in the design and production of probe cards, announced the establishment of a strategic partnership that will seek to accelerate growth for both companies and enable higher performance semiconductor test interfaces for customers worldwide. As part of the partnership, Teradyne will make an investment of 481.0 million Euros in exchange for a 10% equity investment in Technoprobe and Technoprobe will acquire 100% of Teradyne’s Device Interface Solutions ("DIS") business in exchange for $85.0 million. The transaction is expected to close during the first half of 2024.
In 2023, inflation had minimal effect on our results. While both our test and robotics businesses may continue to be influenced by supply constraints, which could impact our revenue and costs, we do not anticipate that supply chain constraints will have a material impact on our financial results in 2024.
Our financial statements are denominated in U.S. dollars. While the majority of our revenues are in U.S. dollars, approximately 70 percent of our Robotics sales are denominated in foreign currencies. There was no material impact to our 2023 results due to changes in foreign exchange rates, however, in 2022, the strengthening of the U.S. dollar was a factor in lower than forecasted revenues in our Robotics segment. Strengthening of the U.S. dollar would adversely affect Robotics revenue growth in 2024.
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Our corporate strategy continues to focus on profitably gaining market share in our test businesses through the introduction of differentiated products that target expanding segments and accelerating growth through continued investment in our Robotics businesses. We plan to continue investing in our growth while balancing capital allocations between stock repurchases and dividends and using capital for acquisitions.
Investor Information
We are a Massachusetts corporation incorporated on September 23, 1960. We are subject to the informational requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”). We file periodic reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. The SEC maintains an internet site (http://www.sec.gov) that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers that file documents electronically.
You can access financial and other information, including the charters of our Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, our Corporate Governance Guidelines and Code of Conduct, by clicking the Investors link on our web site at www.teradyne.com. We make available, free of charge, copies of our filings with the SEC, including our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act through our web site as soon as reasonably practicable after filing such material electronically or otherwise furnishing it to the SEC.
Products
Semiconductor Test
We design, manufacture, sell and support Semiconductor Test products and services on a worldwide basis. The test systems we provide are used both for wafer level and device package testing of semiconductor devices. These devices are used in automotive, industrial, communications, consumer, smartphones, cloud, computer and electronic game applications, among others. Semiconductor devices span a broad range of functionality, from very simple low-cost devices such as appliance microcontrollers, operational amplifiers or voltage regulators to complex digital signal processors, Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (“AI/ML”) training, high performance computing and microprocessors as well as memory devices. Semiconductor Test products and services are sold to integrated device manufacturers (“IDMs”) that integrate the fabrication of silicon wafers into their business, “Fabless” companies that outsource the manufacturing of silicon wafers, “Foundries” that cater to the processing and manufacturing of silicon wafers, and semiconductor assembly and test providers (“OSATs”) that provide test and assembly services for the final packaged devices to both Fabless companies and IDMs. Fabless companies perform the design of integrated circuits without manufacturing capabilities and use Foundries for wafer manufacturing and OSATs for test and assembly. These customers obtain the overall benefit of comprehensively testing devices and reducing the total costs associated with testing by using our Semiconductor Test systems to:
improve and control product quality;
measure and improve product performance;
reduce time to market; and
increase production yields.
Our FLEX Test Platform architecture advances our core technologies to produce test equipment that is designed for high efficiency multi-site testing. Multi-site testing involves the simultaneous testing of many devices in parallel. Leading semiconductor manufacturers are using multi-site testing to significantly improve their “Cost of Test” economics. The FLEX Test Platform architecture addresses customer requirements through the following key capabilities:
A high efficiency multi-site architecture that reduces tester overhead such as instrument setup, synchronization and data movement, and signal processing;
The IG-XL™ software operating system which provides fast program development, including instant conversion from single to multi-site test; and
Broad technology coverage by instruments designed to cover the range of test parameters, coupled with a universal slot test head design that allows easy test system reconfiguration to address changing test needs.
FLEX Test Platform purchases are made by IDMs, OSATs, Foundries and Fabless customers. The FLEX Test Platform has become a widely used test solution at OSATs by providing versatile testers that can handle the widest range of devices, allowing OSATs to leverage their capital investments. The broad consumer, automotive and broadband markets have historically driven most of the device volume growth in the semiconductor industry. These markets include mobile phones and tablets, PCs, servers, networking
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and automotive electronics. These end use markets continue to be drivers for the FLEX Test Platform family of products because they require a wide range of technologies and instrument coverage. In 2019, we introduced our next generation UltraFLEXPlus tester, the newest member of the UltraFLEX family, UltraFLEXPlus uses the new PACETM architecture to deliver superior economics and fast time to market for complex digital devices.
Our J750™ test system shares the IG-XL software environment with the family of FLEX Test Platform systems. The J750 is designed to handle high volume semiconductor devices, such as microcontrollers, that are central to the functionality of almost every consumer electronics product, from small appliances to automobiles. J750 test systems combine compact packaging, high throughput and ease of production test. We extended the J750 platform technology to create the IP750 Image Sensor™ test system. The IP750 is focused on testing image sensor devices used in smartphones, automobiles and other imaging products. We have continued to invest in the J750 platform with new instrument releases that bring new capabilities to existing market segments and expand the J750 platform to new devices that include high end microcontrollers and the latest generation of image sensors.
Our Magnum platform addresses the requirements of mass production test of memory devices for flash and DRAM memory. Flash and DRAM memory are widely used core building blocks in modern electronic products finding wide application in consumer, industrial, and computing equipment. Magnum 7, the newest member of the family introduced at the end of 2021, is a next generation memory test solution designed for parallel memory test in the flash, DRAM and multi-chip package markets. In 2019, we introduced a high-speed DRAM test version of our Magnum platform called Magnum EPIC giving us full product coverage of the memory test market.
Our ETS platform is used by semiconductor manufacturers and assembly and test subcontractors, primarily in the analog/mixed signal markets that cover more cost sensitive applications. Our proprietary SmartPin™ technology enables high efficiency multi-site testing, on an individual test system, permitting greater test throughput. Semiconductors tested by ETS platform systems are incorporated into a wide range of products in historically high-growth markets, including mobile devices, automotive electronics, computer peripherals, and notebook and desktop computers. The Eagle platform includes the ETS-88, a high performance multi-site production test system designed to test a wide variety of high volume power and precision devices, including Silicon Carbide (SiC) and Gallium Nitride (GaN) power devices used in vehicle electrification, and the ETS-800, a high performance multi-site production test system, is used to test high complexity power devices in automotive, industrial and consumer applications.
System Test
Our System Test segment is comprised of three business units: Storage Test, Defense/Aerospace, and Production Board Test.
Storage Test
The Storage Test business unit addresses the high throughput, automated manufacturing test requirements of hard disk drive (“HDD”) and semiconductor manufacturers. Our HDD products address the client and enterprise storage markets. The client market is driven by the needs of desktop, laptop, and external HDD storage products. The enterprise market is driven by the needs of data centers and cloud storage. Our system level test product for the semiconductor production market is used to test devices following wafer and package test. The business unit’s products lead in addressing customer requirements related to factory density, throughput and thermal performance.
Defense/Aerospace
We are a leading provider of high performance test systems, subsystems, instruments and service for the defense and aerospace markets. Our test products are used to ensure the readiness of military and commercial aerospace electronics systems. New programs, such as tactical aircraft and missile systems, as well as upgrade programs, continue to fuel the demand for high performance test systems in this market. Our test products are well-suited to the demands of defense/aerospace electronics manufacturers and repair depots worldwide. Our leadership in this market is underscored by our success with major Department of Defense programs across all U.S. military service branches and many allied defense services worldwide.
Production Board Test
Our test systems are used by electronics manufacturers and OEMs worldwide to perform In-Circuit-Test (“ICT”) and device programming of printed circuit board assemblies. Fast, accurate and cost-effective test capabilities are hallmark features of our Test Station product families. We offer the Test Station in off-line and automated in-line configurations. The automated in-line configurations address the growing requirements for automating production lines for high volume applications, such as automotive electronics, computing, and communications.
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Wireless Test
Our Wireless Test segment is a business unit run under the LitePoint brand name providing wireless test solutions for silicon validation, wireless module manufacturing, and wireless end device manufacturing. The world’s leading makers of smartphones, laptops, access points, and Internet-of-Things (“IoT”) devices rely on LitePoint equipment to ensure their products get into consumer’s hands with high quality and high efficiency.
LitePoint wireless test systems span design verification to high volume manufacturing and are deployed across the entire production chain from wireless chipset suppliers to consumer brands. Design verification involves comprehensive automated testing of small quantities of devices in an R&D lab to ensure the device meets its design targets over a wide range of conditions and scenarios. High Volume manufacturing involves the calibration and testing of each wireless device to ensure the product will deliver the intended customer experience. This ensures all the products perform identically in terms of their wireless characteristics.
LitePoint equipment serves an ever-expanding number of wireless standards in three segments: connectivity, cellular, and secure ranging. Connectivity encompasses numerous short range unlicensed communication standards. Cellular includes standards operating in licensed spectrum from a few GHz to 10s of GHz (mmWave). Finally, secure ranging uses Ultra Wideband (UWB) technology to provide centimeter level positioning with secure data transactions for applications such as “digital keys” and item location (tag type trackers).
LitePoint serves these wireless segments with multiple product families. The LitePoint IQxel-MX and IQxel-MW7G series provide leading edge measurement performance for both design validation and high volume manufacturing of connectivity products. The LitePoint IQxstream-5G and IQgig-5G families combine support for 4G and 5G technologies across a wide range of frequencies to serve all the needs of both end user (smartphones) and network infrastructure (small cells and O-RAN) equipment. Finally, the IQgig-UWB+ provides comprehensive certification and manufacturing test support for UWB (802.15.14) products used for secure ranging.
Robotics
Our Robotics segment is comprised of two business units: Universal Robots and Mobile Industrial Robots.
Universal Robots
Universal Robots is a leading provider of collaborative robots (cobots) used across various industries, including automotive, food & beverage, metal & machining, electronics, pharmaceutical, and in education. Founded in 2005 and headquartered in Odense, Denmark, Universal Robots aims to create a world where people work with robots, not like robots. Its mission is simple: “Automation for anyone. Anywhere.”
Since introducing the world's first commercially viable cobot in 2008, Universal Robots has sold over 75,000 cobots worldwide and has developed a product portfolio reflecting a range of reaches and payloads, including the UR3e, UR5e, UR10e, UR16e, UR20 and UR30 robots. All models are robust, built to withstand a wide range of industrial environments, and can be easily integrated into existing production setups, providing a number of game-changing benefits:
Straightforward programming – UR's intuitive software, PolyScope, enables users to program a cobot easily and have an application up and running within a few hours.
High return on investment – cobots require a lower initial investment than traditional robotics and have an average payback time of 12-18 months.
Versatile deployment – cobots' high degree of flexibility allows customers to change the task and pace of the cobot according to production demands.
Collaborative-capable safety functions – following a risk assessment, most cobots can seamlessly operate alongside employees, assisting with dull, dirty, and dangerous tasks.
Cutting-edge precision engineering – UR's global team of talented engineers creatively tackles customer challenges, ensuring our cobots are rigorously tested and built for demanding industrial tasks.
An extensive ecosystem has grown around the company's cobot technology creating innovation, choice for customers and a wide range of components, kits and solutions to suit every application. UR also provides an all-encompassing customer experience including UR Academy - an award-winning training program, available both online and in person in more than 120 training centers worldwide, and three tiers of service offerings carefully designed to accelerate customer success.
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Universal Robots has recently established global Centers of Excellence for Welding, Palletizing, and Machine Tending applications. These centers, led by subject matter experts, serve as knowledge hubs, offering expert recommendations and guidance on the latest trends in the field to UR partners and key customers worldwide.
Mobile Industrial Robots
MiR is a leading provider of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) for the manufacturing and logistics segments. The MiR AMRs enhance productivity, offering a high return on investment by streamlining workforce efficiency, reducing lead times, and improving workplace safety. These AMRs operate autonomously, eliminating the need for traditional guidance infrastructure. MiR currently offers three models—MiR250, MiR600, and MiR1350—each with varying payload capacities, all managed by our unified fleet management software, MiR Fleet. Launched in fall 2021, MiR600 and MiR1350 are industrial-grade robots with IP52 rating, compliant with ISO 3691-4 safety standards, and TÜV certified.
All models can be easily integrated into existing production environments. MiR’s products are differentiated by their:
Ease of Use and Speed of Deployment: Our robots are designed for quick deployment and flexibility, allowing customers to adapt tasks based on changing demands.
Safe Operations: Equipped with 360 safety coverage, our robots navigate around static and dynamic obstacles, ensuring safety in busy environments.
Reliable Autonomous Navigation: The MiR robots demonstrate consistent, reliable navigation across large manufacturing and warehouse areas.
Short Payback Period: With an average payback period of 12–24 months, MiR's products provide a swift return on investment.
Sales and Distribution
In 2023, revenues from Texas Instruments Inc., a customer of our Semiconductor Test segment, accounted for 10% of our consolidated revenues. In 2021, revenues from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd., a customer of our Semiconductor Test segment, accounted for 12% of our consolidated revenues. In each of the years, 2023, 2022 and 2021, our five largest direct customers in aggregate accounted for 32%, 26% and 33% of our consolidated revenues, respectively.
OSAT customers, such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd., often purchase our test systems based upon recommendations from OEMs, IDMs and Fabless companies. In all cases when an OSAT customer purchases a test system from us, we consider the OSAT as the customer since credit risk, title and risk of loss, among other things, are between Teradyne and the OSAT. We estimate consolidated revenues driven by Qualcomm, a customer of our Semiconductor Test, System Test, and Wireless Test segments, combining direct and indirect sales, accounted for approximately 11% of our consolidated revenues in 2022. We estimate consolidated revenues driven by one OEM customer, of our Semiconductor Test and Wireless Test segments, combining direct sales to that customer with sales to the customer’s OSATs (which include Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd.), accounted for approximately 19% of our consolidated revenues in 2021. The loss of, or significant decrease in demand from this OEM customer or any of our five largest direct customers, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
We have sales and service offices located throughout North America, Central America, Asia and Europe. We sell in these areas predominantly through a direct sales force, except for Robotics products, which are sold principally through distributors. Our manufacturing activities for our test businesses are primarily conducted through subcontractors and outsourced contract manufacturers with significant operations in China and Malaysia. The manufacturing activities for our Robotics businesses are done primarily in our production facilities in Denmark and the U.S.
Sales to customers outside the United States were 84%, 85%, and 89%, respectively, of our consolidated revenues in 2023, 2022 and 2021. Sales are attributed to geographic areas based on the location of the customer site.
See also “Item 1A: Risk Factors” and Note T: “Operating Segment, Geographic and Significant Customer Information” in Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
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Competition
We face significant competition throughout the world in each of our reportable segments. Competitors in the Semiconductor Test segment include, among others, Advantest Corporation and Cohu, Inc.
Competitors in the System Test segment include, among others, Keysight Technologies, Inc., Advantest Corporation, Test Research, Inc. SPEA S.p.A. and Astronics Corporation.
Competitors in our Wireless Test segment include, among others, Rohde & Schwarz GmbH & Co. KG, Anritsu Company, Keysight Technologies, Inc., National Instruments Corporation, Welzek and iTest.
Competitors in our Robotics segment include manufacturers of traditional industrial robots such as KUKA Robotics Corporation, ABB, FANUC, Staubli and Yaskawa Electric Corporation, companies with emerging collaborative robot offerings such as Techman, Doosan, Jaka, and AUBO Robotics, and manufacturers of autonomous mobile robots in the material handling space such as Omron, Rockwell Automation, Junion, HikRobot, Agilox, and KION.
Some of our competitors may have greater financial and other resources to pursue engineering, manufacturing, marketing, and distribution of their products. We also face competition from emerging Asian companies and from internal suppliers at several of our customers. Some of our competitors have introduced or announced new products with certain performance characteristics which may be considered equal or superior to those we currently offer. We expect our competitors to continue to improve the performance of their current products and to introduce new products or new technologies that provide improved cost of ownership and performance characteristics. See also “Item 1A: Risk Factors.”
Backlog
At December 31, 2023 and 2022, our backlog of unfilled orders in our four reportable segments was as follows:
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||||
| (in millions) | ||||||||
| Semiconductor Test | $ | 822.8 | $ | 879.6 | ||||
| System Test | 223.8 | 253.0 | ||||||
| Robotics | 42.3 | 42.6 | ||||||
| Wireless Test | 35.7 | 60.0 | ||||||
| $ | 1,124.6 | $ | 1,235.2 |
Customers may delay delivery of products or cancel orders suddenly and without advanced notice, subject to possible cancellation penalties. Due to possible customer changes in delivery schedules and cancellation of orders, our backlog at any particular date is not necessarily indicative of the actual sales for any succeeding period. Delays in delivery schedules or cancellations of backlog during any particular period could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
Raw Materials
Our products contain electronic and mechanical components that are provided by a wide range of suppliers. Some of these components are standard products, while others are manufactured to our specifications. We have experienced delays in obtaining timely delivery of certain components. These delays have impacted and may continue to impact the manufacturing of certain products and the timing of delivery of those products to our customers. While the majority of our components are available from multiple suppliers, certain items are obtained from sole sources. We may experience a temporary adverse impact if any of our sole source suppliers delay or cease to deliver products.
Intellectual Property and Licenses
The development of our products, both hardware and software, is based in significant part on proprietary information, our brands and technology. We protect our rights in proprietary information, brands and technology through various methods, such as:
patents;
copyrights;
trademarks;
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trade secrets;
standards of business conduct and related business practices; and
technology license agreements, software license agreements, non-disclosure agreements, employment agreements, and other agreements.
However, these protections might not be effective in all circumstances. Competitors might independently develop similar technology or exploit our proprietary information and our brands in countries where we lack enforceable intellectual property rights or where enforcement of such rights through the legal system provides an insufficient deterrent. Also, intellectual property protections can lapse or be invalidated through appropriate legal processes. We do not believe that any single piece of intellectual property or proprietary rights is essential to our business.
Human Capital
We believe that our future success depends upon our continued ability to attract, develop, and retain a high-performance workforce, comprised of people with shared values. As of December 31, 2023, we employed approximately 6,500 employees, of whom approximately 2,000 were employed in the United States and approximately 4,500 were employed outside of the United States. Our largest non-US employee populations are in the Philippines (18%), Denmark (12%), China (10%), Taiwan (7%) and Costa Rica (6%). We also leverage contractors to provide flexibility for our business and manufacturing needs. As of December 31, 2023, we worked with approximately 300 contractors globally. Since the inception of our business, we have experienced no work stoppages or other labor disturbances.
Corporate Culture
Our core values are conducting business with honesty and integrity, collaborating with our colleagues as a company without doors, and partnering with our customers every step of the way, because customers count on us.
We strive to foster a positive work environment that helps employees thrive. It is a priority for us to ensure that our people feel inspired, supported, safe and able to achieve their personal best. We are committed to equality through nondiscrimination, harassment prevention and pay equity policies. We value a diverse, inclusive and respectful work environment where all employees enjoy challenging assignments, development opportunities and a safe, positive culture.
We are committed to conducting business in a responsible manner, with strategic operational policies, procedures and values that support transparency, sustainability and legal compliance. We ensure ethical operations and business commitments through robust governance of the company’s code of conduct and global environmental, health and safety programs.
Competitive Pay and Benefits
The primary objective of our compensation program is to provide a compensation and benefits package that will continue to attract, retain, motivate and reward high performing employees who operate in a highly competitive and technologically challenging environment. We seek to achieve this objective by linking a meaningful portion of compensation to company and business unit performance. We enable employees worldwide to share in the success of the company through various programs including a stock purchase program, equity compensation, profit sharing and bonus plans. We seek competitiveness and fairness in total compensation with reference to peer comparisons and internal equity.
In addition to providing our employees with competitive compensation packages, we offer benefits designed to meet the needs of employees and their families worldwide, including paid time off, parental leave, bereavement leave, health insurance coverage, flexible work arrangements, contributions to retirement savings, and access to employee assistance and work-life programs.
Employee Development and Training
We believe that employee development and training is a key factor in attracting, motivating, improving and retaining a strong, competitive global workforce. We provide continual development to our employees focused on developing their job skills and competencies. Examples include new manager competencies like giving feedback and coaching, and training in software development tools and project management. Our employees worldwide also receive annual performance reviews and are involved in setting goals for their own development and performance. Employees and managers look back on the previous year, review career development plans and create goals for the next year. In 2022, we implemented a new learning management system integrated with our human resource system. This enabled our business to more easily create and offer business training courses.
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We are committed to recruiting and developing talent at the collegiate level to help advance Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (“STEM”) education for the future generation. For example, our paid internships and entry-level positions offer real-world experience, and our co-op program offers higher education students a unique learning opportunity as students alternate one semester in a work assignment and one semester in the classroom. Additionally, we offer reimbursement for educational courses related to an employee’s work or as part of a degree program, including tuition, lab fees and books. We also offer a scholarship program for employees with college-age children, step-children and grandchildren. In 2023, approximately half of the scholarship recipients were outside of the United States.
Employee Engagement
We conduct regular employee surveys to check in with our global workforce and obtain input on a number of topics. The feedback we receive from these surveys helps us assess employee sentiment, identify areas of improvement and guides our decision-making as it relates to people management. In addition, our CEO and other executives meet with employees worldwide on a frequent basis through exchange meetings and quarterly webcasts. The exchange meetings allow the executives to directly interact with a small group of employees, while the global webcasts enable all employees to engage with senior leaders and ask questions in an open Q&A session.
We also offer employees worldwide an opportunity to network and connect with colleagues who share similar interests. This includes global groups such as New Employees to Teradyne, Woman’s Affinity Group, Veterans, Blue and Green (for team members that are committed to the environment), Runner’s affinity group and LGBTQ+ advocates.
Diversity and Inclusion
We believe in fostering a diverse workforce and equitable and inclusive culture in order to build a stronger and more resilient company for our customers, our investors, our employees and our communities worldwide. To support this effort, we have a Diversity and Inclusion Charter which was developed by our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (“DEI”) executive sub-committee and designed to ensure that we build diversity across our workforce. Since 2021, we have had a DEI program manager to steer our DEI efforts and maintain an internal DEI website for employees. We have established programs for recruiting and hiring candidates from various backgrounds and experiences. We have policies regarding gender pay equity and regularly conduct audits of pay equity in the United States. We conduct mandatory DEI-related training for our employees worldwide and offer a wide variety of optional DEI-related training courses as well. We are an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer committed to making employment decisions without regard to race, religion, ethnicity or national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, protected veteran status or any other characteristics protected by law.
We have a tradition of amplifying the charitable actions of our employees and responding to the needs of the communities where we work. To make it easier for employees to support charitable activities and magnify the impact of support, we established a formal matching gift program, “Teradyne Gives.” The program matches up to $1,000 per year of an employee’s donations to charities of their choosing, selected from a wide range of qualified non-profit organizations.
Additionally, advancing education for future generations is a primary initiative at Teradyne. We seek to increase the diversity of STEM graduates worldwide through our support of STEM programs at the middle, high school and collegiate level. We also donate test equipment and robots to colleges, universities, and vocational programs.
Health and Safety
The health and safety of our employees worldwide is our highest priority. We are committed to complying with all applicable regulatory health and safety requirements wherever we operate. We conduct internal audits, regular reviews and monitoring of regulations to ensure compliance with laws and regulations at the local, state, province and country levels. We ensure workers are provided with the knowledge to perform their jobs safely by deploying mandatory environmental, health and safety training. We also require contractors to complete safety training prior to working at any Teradyne site. We monitor, track and report common safety metrics such as accidents, near misses and illness. Our injury and illness rate is below the industry average. We also provide our employees with a flexible and adjustable workspace, which includes reviewing ergonomics issues in the workplace, educating employees to self-identify risks and ensuring they have the work environment they need to do their jobs safely and effectively.
Regulatory Environment
We are subject to various federal, state, and local government laws and regulations relating to international trade, business conduct, the protection of employee health and safety and the environment.
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We accrue for all known environmental liabilities when it becomes probable that we will incur cleanup costs and those costs can reasonably be estimated. Estimated environmental costs are not expected to materially affect the financial position or results of our operations in future periods. However, estimates of future costs are subject to change due to protracted cleanup periods and changing environmental remediation laws and regulations.
We are subject to U.S. laws and regulations that limit and restrict the export of some of our products and services and may restrict our transactions with certain customers, business partners and other persons. In certain circumstances, export control and economic sanctions regulations prohibit the export of certain products, services, and technologies, and in other circumstances we are required to obtain an export license before exporting the controlled item. For example, we must comply with current U.S. Department of Commerce export control regulations restricting transactions with certain customers in China. We must also comply with export restrictions and laws imposed by other countries affecting trade and investments. We maintain an export compliance program but there are risks that the compliance controls could be circumvented, exposing us to legal liabilities. Compliance with these laws has limited our sales and likely will continue to limit sales to certain customers in the future. Changes in, and responses to, U.S. trade policy could reduce the competitiveness of our products and cause our sales to drop, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
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