Despite the continued weak market environment, we have had a good start to the year and achieved our expected performance. The economic downturn continues to determine the ordering behavior of many customers. In addition, the trade policies of the United States in recent weeks have also brought great uncertainty to the market. For example, the construction industry remains cautious. Given this situation, the business development of Wacker's polymer business in the first quarter was relatively good, with sales only slightly lower than the same period last year. Our silicone business has developed quite well in recent months, with both sales and profits increasing. Our strategic focus on the specialty chemicals business has yielded results. The sales of the biotechnology business department in the first quarter were also higher than the same period last year. However, in the field of polycrystalline silicon, the business of using polycrystalline silicon for solar cells continues to be full of challenges. On the contrary, our semiconductor business using ultra pure polycrystalline silicon has developed very well. As one of the global market and quality leaders in this field, we will continue to strengthen our strength and expand our production capacity.
We will further strengthen the group's risk resistance, focus on exploring attractive new businesses, and continue to improve the utilization of production capacity to achieve sustained growth. We are still working hard to reduce costs, accelerate the pace of improving efficiency, and promote process and structural improvements. Here, we will focus on digital measures and other aspects. We are in a favorable position both financially and strategically, and benefit from global trends. Whether it's renewable energy, sustainable buildings, electric vehicles, or digitalization - these trends will continue to drive our business development.
Wacker's forecast for the fiscal year 2025 remains unchanged, with sales growth expected in all regions and business units. The expected sales price for this year will be slightly lower than last year, especially with a significant increase in sales of specialty products in the chemical and polycrystalline silicon departments. Wacker expects its group sales to be between 6.1 billion and 6.4 billion euros this year, with EBITDA expected to be between 700 million and 900 million euros, and EBITDA profit margin expected to remain at last year's level.  
The development of international trade relations, especially the current tariff conflicts, has brought significant risks to economic development. The impact of these conflicts on the global economy and Wacker's business cannot be reliably estimated at present, so Wacker's forecast remains unchanged.