Siemens AG last week unloaded its remaining 12.5 percent stake in Munich-based electronic components maker Epcos AG for a total of about '90 million (US$108 million). A week earlier, Siemens sold its 18 percent stake in Infineon Technologies AG , another chip maker in Munich, as part of a strategy to exit high-tech businesses and focus on more stable industries.

Global fact

13 percent

The percentage of European residents who currently have access to broadband technology.

Source: European Commission, Brussels