Description of Business	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2012
Description of Business
Description of Business	Note 1—Description of Business Bruker Corporation, together with its consolidated subsidiaries ("Bruker" or the "Company"), is a designer and manufacturer of proprietary life science and materials research systems and associated products that address the rapidly evolving needs of a diverse array of customers in life science, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, clinical and molecular diagnostics research, as well as in materials and chemical analysis in various industries and government applications. The Company's core technology platforms include magnetic resonance technologies, mass spectrometry technologies, gas chromatography technologies, X-ray technologies, spark-optical emission spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, stylus and optical metrology technology and infrared and Raman molecular spectroscopy technologies. The Company also manufactures and distributes a broad range of field analytical systems for chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosives ("CBRNE") detection. Additionally, the Company develops and manufactures superconducting and non-superconducting materials and devices for use in renewable energy, energy infrastructure, healthcare and "big science" research. The Company maintains major technical and manufacturing centers in Europe, North America and Japan and has sales offices located throughout the world. The Company's diverse customer base includes life science, pharmaceutical, biotechnology and molecular diagnostic research companies, academic institutions, advanced materials and semiconductor manufacturers and government agencies. Management reports results on the basis of the following two segments: • Scientific Instruments. The operations of this segment include the design, manufacture and distribution of advanced instrumentation and automated solutions based on magnetic resonance technology, mass spectrometry technology, gas chromatography technology, X-ray technology, spark-optical emission spectroscopy technology, atomic force microscopy technology, stylus and optical metrology technology, and infrared and Raman molecular spectroscopy technology. Typical customers of the Scientific Instruments segment include: pharmaceutical, biotechnology and molecular diagnostic companies; academic institutions, medical schools and other non-profit organizations; clinical microbiology laboratories; government departments and agencies; nanotechnology, semiconductor, chemical, cement, metals and petroleum companies; and food, beverage and agricultural analysis companies and laboratories. • Energy & Supercon Technologies. The operations of this segment include the design, manufacture and marketing of superconducting materials, primarily metallic low temperature superconductors, for use in magnetic resonance imaging, nuclear magnetic resonance, fusion energy research and other applications, and ceramic high temperature superconductors primarily for energy grid and magnet applications. Typical customers of the Energy & Supercon Technologies segment include companies in the medical industry, private and public research and development laboratories in the fields of fundamental and applied sciences and energy research, academic institutions and government agencies. The Energy & Supercon Technologies segment is also developing superconductors and superconducting-enabled devices for applications in power and energy grid, as well as industrial processing industries.

Note 1—Description of Business

Bruker Corporation, together with its consolidated subsidiaries ("Bruker" or the "Company"), is a designer and manufacturer of proprietary life science and materials research systems and associated products that address the rapidly evolving needs of a diverse array of customers in life science, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, clinical and molecular diagnostics research, as well as in materials and chemical analysis in various industries and government applications. The Company's core technology platforms include magnetic resonance technologies, mass spectrometry technologies, gas chromatography technologies, X-ray technologies, spark-optical emission spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, stylus and optical metrology technology and infrared and Raman molecular spectroscopy technologies. The Company also manufactures and distributes a broad range of field analytical systems for chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosives ("CBRNE") detection. Additionally, the Company develops and manufactures superconducting and non-superconducting materials and devices for use in renewable energy, energy infrastructure, healthcare and "big science" research. The Company maintains major technical and manufacturing centers in Europe, North America and Japan and has sales offices located throughout the world. The Company's diverse customer base includes life science, pharmaceutical, biotechnology and molecular diagnostic research companies, academic institutions, advanced materials and semiconductor manufacturers and government agencies.

Management reports results on the basis of the following two segments:

•

Scientific Instruments. The operations of this segment include the design, manufacture and distribution of advanced instrumentation and automated solutions based on magnetic resonance technology, mass spectrometry technology, gas chromatography technology, X-ray technology, spark-optical emission spectroscopy technology, atomic force microscopy technology, stylus and optical metrology technology, and infrared and Raman molecular spectroscopy technology. Typical customers of the Scientific Instruments segment include: pharmaceutical, biotechnology and molecular diagnostic companies; academic institutions, medical schools and other non-profit organizations; clinical microbiology laboratories; government departments and agencies; nanotechnology, semiconductor, chemical, cement, metals and petroleum companies; and food, beverage and agricultural analysis companies and laboratories.

•

Energy & Supercon Technologies. The operations of this segment include the design, manufacture and marketing of superconducting materials, primarily metallic low temperature superconductors, for use in magnetic resonance imaging, nuclear magnetic resonance, fusion energy research and other applications, and ceramic high temperature superconductors primarily for energy grid and magnet applications. Typical customers of the Energy & Supercon Technologies segment include companies in the medical industry, private and public research and development laboratories in the fields of fundamental and applied sciences and energy research, academic institutions and government agencies. The Energy & Supercon Technologies segment is also developing superconductors and superconducting-enabled devices for applications in power and energy grid, as well as industrial processing industries.