UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

ANNUAL REPORT

PURSUANT TO SECTIONS 13 OR 15(d)

OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

 

Commission File Number 0-21074

SUPERCONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGIES INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

460 Ward Drive, Santa Barbara, California 93111-2310

 

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (805) 690-4500

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

None

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.  Yes o or     No þ

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.  Yes o or     No þ

 

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.  Yes þ or     No o

 

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of Registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.  o

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See definition of “accelerated filer, large accelerated filer, and smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

 

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).  Yes o or No þ

 

The aggregate market value of the common stock held by non-affiliates was $15.9 million as of June 30, 2007 (the last business day of our most recently completed second fiscal quarter). The closing price of the common stock on that date was $1.49 as reported by the NASDAQ Capital Market. For purposes of this determination, we excluded the shares of common stock held by each officer and director and by each person who owns 5% or more of the outstanding common stock. The exclusion of shares owned by the aforementioned individuals and entities from this calculation does not constitute an admission by any of such individuals or entities that he or it was or is an affiliate of ours.

 

We had 15,612,775 shares of common stock outstanding as of the close of business on February 29, 2008.

 

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

 

Item 5 of Part II and Items 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 of Part III incorporate information by reference from the definitive proxy statement for the Registrant’s 2008 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.

 

 

SUPERCONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGIES INC.

 

FORM 10-K ANNUAL REPORT

Year Ended December 31, 2007

 

Unless otherwise noted, the terms “we,” “us,” “our” and “STI” refer to the combined and ongoing business operations of Superconductor Technologies Inc. and its subsidiaries

 

 

This Report contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. You can find many (but not all) of these statements by looking for words such as “approximates,” “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “intends,” “plans,” “would,” “may” or other similar expressions in this Report. We claim the protection of the safe harbor contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We caution investors that any forward-looking statements presented in this Report, or which we may make orally or in writing from time to time, are based on the beliefs of, assumptions made by, and information currently available to, us. Such statements are based on assumptions and the actual outcome will be affected by known and unknown risks, trends, uncertainties and factors that are beyond our control or ability to predict. Although we believe that our assumptions are reasonable, they are not guarantees of future performance and some will inevitably prove to be incorrect. As a result, our actual future results can be expected to differ from our expectations, and those differences may be material. Accordingly, investors should use caution in relying on past forward-looking statements, which are based on known results and trends at the time they are made, to anticipate future results or trends.

 

Some of the risks and uncertainties that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements include the following: limited assets and a history of losses; limited number of potential customers; limited number of suppliers for some of our components; no significant backlog from quarter to quarter; our market is characterized by rapidly advancing technology. For further discussion of these and other factors see “Item 1A. Risk Factors” of this Report.

 

This Report and all subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or any person acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this section. We do not undertake any obligation to release publicly any revisions to our forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this Report.

 

As a public company, we are required to file annually, quarterly and special reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. You may read and copy any of our materials on file with the SEC at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 450 Fifth Street, N.W., Judiciary Plaza, Washington, DC 20549, as well as at the SEC’s regional office at 5757 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 500, Los Angeles, California 90036. Our filings are available to the public over the Internet at the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information on the Public Reference Room. We also provide copies of our Forms 8-K, 10-K, 10-Q, Proxy and Annual Report at no charge to investors upon request and make electronic copies of our most recently filed reports available through our website at www.suptech.com as soon as reasonably practicable after filing such material with the SEC.

 

 

Our Company

 

We design, manufacture, market and sell high performance infrastructure products for wireless voice and data applications. Our products are utilized in major wireless networks throughout the United States which support voice and data communications by use of cell phones and other wireless communication devices.

 

Our products help maximize the performance of wireless telecommunications networks by improving the quality of uplink signals from mobile wireless devices. Our products increase capacity utilization, lower dropped and blocked calls, extend coverage, and enable higher wireless data throughput — all while reducing capital and operating costs. Our SuperLink utilizes patented high-temperature superconductor (HTS) technology to create a receiver front-end that enhances network performance. Today, we are leveraging our expertise and proprietary technology in radio frequency (RF) engineering to expand our product line beyond HTS technology. We believe our RF engineering expertise provides us with a significant competitive advantage in the development of high performance, cost-effective solutions for wireless telecommunications networks.

 

We currently sell most of our commercial products directly to wireless network operators in the United States. Our customers to date include ALLTEL, AT&T, Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless. We have a concentrated customer base. Verizon Wireless and AT&T each accounted for more than 10% of our commercial revenues in 2007 and Verizon Wireless, ALLTEL, and T-Mobile each accounted for more than 10% of our commercial revenues in 2006. We plan to continue to expand our customer base by selling directly to other wireless network operators and manufacturers of base station equipment, including internationally. During 2007, we formed a joint venture to gain access to the Chinese market.

 

Industry Background.  The ability to provide high quality service to subscribers is becoming increasingly difficult for wireless operators as the number of users grows, minutes of use increase and the market for wireless data services expands. Wireless service providers in both rural and urban areas are encountering radio frequency interference due to greater subscriber density and a larger number of users on adjacent channels. This reduced signal quality and higher percentage of dropped calls can lead to lower system utilization, decreased revenue and, ultimately, higher rates of customer churn. Some service providers are also facing network capacity constraints.

 

As a result, wireless carriers are seeking to cost-effectively reduce interference, increase capacity, expand coverage to improve the quality of their systems and, utilize their spectrum in the most efficient manner possible.

 

Our Solution.  We leverage our expertise in RF technology to cost effectively deliver interference protection and increased sensitivity to our wireless carrier customers. Our solutions provide the following quality-of-service improvements:

 

 

Our Products.  Our solutions consist of the following three product lines:

 

 

 

Our Strategy.  Our objective is to provide a full range of performance improvement solutions to wireless carriers by offering our field-proven solutions, innovative duplexer designs for antenna sharing and network overlays, ground-based sensitivity improvement solutions and high-performance multiplexers. The primary elements of our strategy include:

 

 

Government Contracts.  We also generate significant revenues from government contracts. We primarily pursue government research and development contracts which complement our commercial product development, but we also pursue government product opportunities. We undertake government contract work which has the potential to add to or improve our commercial product line. These contracts often yield valuable intellectual property relevant to our commercial business. We typically own the intellectual property developed under these contracts, and the Federal Government receives a royalty-free, non-exclusive and nontransferable license to use the intellectual property in the United States.

 

Corporate Information.  Our facilities and executive offices are located at 460 Ward Drive, Santa Barbara, California 93111, and our telephone number is (805) 690-4500. We were incorporated in Delaware on May 11, 1987. Additional information about us is available on our website at www.suptech.com. The information on our web site is not incorporated herein by reference.

 

Our Wireless Products

 

Wireless service providers can use our solutions to keep pace with the growing demand for wireless communications. Wireless providers may deploy our products in connection with the installation of additional base stations in a network, as well as with the installation of an entirely new network. Wireless service providers can also improve the performance of existing base stations and networks by retrofitting their equipment with our link enhancement products.

 

Our performance improvement solutions fit into three product families: SuperLink, AmpLink and SuperPlex.

 

 

Marketing and Sales

 

We sell solutions to wireless communication service providers in the United States and pursue selected international opportunities.

 

We have a concentrated customer base. Verizon Wireless and AT&T each accounted for more than 10% of our commercial revenues in 2007; Verizon Wireless, ALLTEL and T-Mobile each accounted for more than 10% of our commercial revenues in 2006 and 2005. We sell using a direct sales force in the U.S. to focus on the Tier I wireless carriers. We use indirect channels to market our products to select customers internationally.

 

We demonstrate our products at trade shows, and participate in industry conferences. Advertising, email campaigns, direct mailings, and contribution of technical and application reports to recognized trade journals, are all employed to communicate our solutions to potential customers. We also advertise our products through our website, brochures, data sheets, application notes, trade journal reports and press releases.

 

Our sales and marketing efforts are complemented by a team of sales applications engineers who manage field trials and initial installations, as well as provide ongoing pre- and post-sales support.

 

Our marketing efforts are focused on establishing and developing long-term relationships with potential customers. The initial sales cycle for our solutions can be lengthy, typically ranging from six months to twelve months. Our customers typically conduct significant technical evaluations of products before making purchase commitments. We typically negotiate general purchase agreements with our customers. These agreements specify the terms and conditions for the business relationship with our customers. Standard purchase orders are subject to cancellation, postponement or other types of delays.

 

We purchase inventory components and manufacture inventory based on sales forecasts.

 

Backlog

 

Our commercial backlog consists of accepted product purchase orders with scheduled delivery dates during the next twelve months. We had commercial backlog of $352,000 at December 31, 2007, as compared to $75,000 at December 31, 2006.

 

How We Use Government Contracts to Fund Technology Development

 

Our strategy is to continue to pursue government research and development contract awards which complement our commercial product and technology development and allow for commercialization of the underlying technology. Since our inception in 1987, a substantial part of our revenues have been from research and development contracts with the U.S. government or as a subcontractor to a supplier to the U.S. government. Nearly all of these revenues were paid under contracts with the U.S. Department of Defense. We interact with various government agencies to identify opportunities and actively solicit partners for product development proposals. Since 1988, we have successfully obtained a number of classified and non-classified government contracts for superconductor research, including one of the largest non-classified HTS awards from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) through the Office of Naval Research. In addition to actively soliciting government contracts, we have participated in the Small Business Innovative Research, (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. We have been awarded 34 Phase I SBIR/STTR contracts, each of which typically generates up to $100,000 in revenues. We have been successful in converting nine of these Phase I contracts into Phase II programs, each of which typically generates up to $750,000 in revenues, and we converted one of these contracts into a Phase III program valued at $2.2 million. Since our formation, government contracts have provided us approximately $98 million of revenue and remain a significant source of revenue today. We also develop and sell RF transceiver front-end products that utilize our unique HTS filter and cryogenics technologies to the US Government and we intend to continue growing this government products business.

Our Manufacturing Capabilities

 

Our manufacturing process involves the assembly of numerous individual components and precision tuning by production technicians. The parts and materials used by us and our contract manufacturers consist primarily of printed circuit boards, specialized subassemblies, fabricated housing, relays and small electric circuit components, such as integrated circuits, semiconductors, resistors and capacitors. Principal components of our AmpLink and SuperPlex products are produced by foreign manufacturers. We currently manufacture our SuperLink systems at our facilities in Santa Barbara, California.

 

In 1998, we opened a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Santa Barbara. We renovated these manufacturing areas in early 2003, the first in a series of moves that have enabled us to produce larger quantities of our SuperLink products. In 2003 and 2004, we expanded our controlled clean rooms, continued to develop and introduce new, state-of-the-art production and test equipment and processes, and implemented a continuous flow manufacturing strategy. In addition, performance testing and systems screening methods, along with optimized quality improvement techniques, have been instrumental in enabling our SuperLink units to reach Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) levels of more than 500,000 hours.

 

We have the physical infrastructure to manufacture up to 2,800 SuperLink units per year. This capacity is unchanged from the prior year. We are holding physical capacity and staffing at their current levels to conserve cash resources. We could expand manufacturing capacity to approximately 5,000 units per year in our current facility with minor additional equipment purchases and staffing increases.

 

Our internal capabilities include a proprietary manufacturing process for thin-film materials that is scaleable for high volume production. In addition, we have established a production operation that we use to produce thin films on wafers for wireless applications. Our radio frequency circuitry is designed, modeled and tested by internal engineering resources. We have in-house capabilities to pattern the superconducting material and all other aspects of radio frequency component production, including packaging the filters. We also have in-house capabilities to manufacture our cryogenic coolers. We have refined our supplier base to improve the quality of received parts, while lowering the cost and decreasing lead-times.

 

In early 2006, we launched our high volume AmpLink assembly and distribution center within the existing Santa Barbara site. The 3,200 square foot production facility has the capacity to produce 10,000 AmpLink units annually which can be increased to 20,000 units with no additional capital expenditure. The production line is supported by a newly refurbished 8,000 square foot warehouse and distribution center. The manufacturing and distributions centers are tightly linked to provide the most efficient and rapid order fulfillment capabilities for up to 200 AmpLink units per week.

 

A number of the parts used in our products are available from only one or a limited number of outside suppliers due to unique component designs as well as certain quality and performance requirements.

 

Intellectual Property

 

We rely upon trade secrets and patents to protect our intellectual property. We execute confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements with our employees and suppliers and limit access to, and distribution of, our proprietary information. We have an on-going program to identify and file applications for both U.S. and international patents for various aspects of our technology. We regard our product designs, design tools, fabrication equipment and manufacturing processes as proprietary and seek to protect our rights in them through a combination of patent, trademark, trade secret and copyright law and internal procedures and non-disclosure agreements. We also seek licenses from third parties for HTS materials and processes used by us, which have been patented by other parties. We believe that our success will depend, in part, on the protection of our proprietary information, patents and the licensing of key technologies from third parties.

We have an extensive patent portfolio for the technology relevant to our SuperLink products, government products and related business. As of December 31, 2007, we held 53 U.S. patents in the following categories which are currently relevant to this business:

 

 

We also had 24 U.S. patent applications pending as of December 31, 2007 which are currently relevant to our business. As of that date, we held 14 foreign issued patents and 31 foreign patents pending.

 

We have trade secrets, unpatented technology and proprietary knowledge about the sale, promotion, operation, development and manufacturing of our products. We have confidentiality agreements with our employees and consultants to protect these rights.

 

We own federally registered trademarks to Superconductor Technologies, Conductus and Improving the Quality of Wireless and have several other trademark registrations pending. We own other registered and unregistered trademarks, and have certain trademark rights in foreign jurisdictions.

 

From time to time we grant licenses for our technology to other companies for fields of use that are not relevant to our business. Specifically, we have granted licenses to, among others, (1) Bruker for Nuclear Magnetic Resonance application, (2) General Dynamics for government applications and (3) Star Cryoelectronics for Superconducting Quantum Interference Device applications, among others.

 

We use superconducting technology in our SuperLink solution to improve both the selectivity (rejection of adjacent band interference) and the sensitivity (ability to “hear” signals better) of a base station receiver. Superconducting materials have the ability to conduct electrical energy with little or no resistance when cooled to “critical” temperatures. In contrast, electric currents that flow through conventional conductors encounter resistance that requires power to overcome and generates heat. Substantial improvement in the performance characteristics of electrical systems can be made with superconductors, including reduced power loss, lower heat generation and decreased electrical noise. As these properties have been applied to radio and microwave frequency applications, new products, such as wireless filters, have been developed that are extremely small, highly sensitive and highly frequency selective.

 

The discovery of superconductors was made in 1911. However, a fundamental understanding of the phenomenon of superconductivity eluded physicists until J. Robert Schrieffer (a former director and Chairman of our Technical Advisory Board), John Bardeen (co-inventor of the transistor) and Leon Cooper proposed a theory explaining superconductivity, for which they were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1972. Until 1986, all superconductor utilization was done at extremely low temperatures, below 23K (-250°C). Superconductors were not widely used in commercial applications because of the high cost and complexities associated with reaching and maintaining such low temperatures. In 1986, high temperature superconductors with critical temperatures greater than 30K (-243°C) were discovered. In early 1987, yttrium barium copper oxide (“YBCO”) was discovered, which has a critical temperature of 93K (-180°C). Shortly thereafter, thallium barium calcium copper oxide (“TBCCO”) was discovered, which has a critical temperature of 125K (-148°C). These discoveries were important because these high temperature superconductors allowed for operating temperatures higher than 77K (-196°C), or the point at which nitrogen liquefies at atmospheric pressure. These high critical temperatures allow superconductors to be cooled using less expensive and more efficient refrigeration processes. We were formed following this discovery for the initial purpose of developing and commercializing high temperature superconductors.

 

We have historically TBCCO as the primary HTS material in our SuperLink product line. In the fourth quarter of 2004, we shifted all of our production from TBCCO to YBCO to lower the product manufacturing cost of the SuperLink. We have a non-exclusive license in the U.S. and selected foreign countries to the primary patents on YBCO from Lucent and TBCCO from the University of Arkansas. We use HTS materials as the base material to

produce “thin film” microelectronics, primarily RF filters, in our SuperLink product line. We manufacture YBCO using proprietary processes, including proprietary manufacturing techniques. We believe that the process technology we have developed produces state of the art HTS thin-films of the highest quality using YBCO.

 

As part of our strategy to maintain our technological leadership, we have focused our research and development activities on HTS materials, RF circuitry, cryogenic design and product application. We utilize a proprietary manufacturing process for HTS thin-film production, the base material for our filtering products. An in-house design team develops the filters, which are packaged into a vacuum-sealed container for thermal insulation. The filter package is integrated with our cryogenic cooler and the necessary control electronics into a complete system that is deployed in conjunction with new or existing wireless base stations.

 

We have devoted a significant portion of our engineering resources to design and model the complex RF circuitry that is basic to our products. The expertise of this highly qualified team has allowed us to design and fabricate very precise individual components, such as RF signal filters. We have developed computer simulation systems to design our products and this RF circuitry design capability has allowed us to produce extremely small, high-performance circuits. Some of our design and engineering innovations have been patented; others are the subjects of pending patent applications. We believe that our RF engineering expertise provides us with a unique competitive advantage. These capabilities also allow us to begin pursuing additional market segments, such as in the area of handset filters.

 

The availability of a low-cost, highly reliable, compact cooling technology is critical to the successful commercialization of our superconducting products. Prior to our efforts, no such cryogenic cooler had been commercially available. In response to this lack of availability, we developed a low-cost, highly reliable low-power cooler designed to cool to 77K (-196°C) with sufficient cooling capacity for our superconducting applications. Our SuperLink systems have logged in excess of 200 million hours of cumulative operation. The cryogenic coolers in our current models have demonstrated a “mean time between failure” (the industry standard measurement) of greater than one million hours. The design was based in part on patents licensed by us from Sunpower, Inc. We believe our internally developed cooler, which is both compact enough and reliable enough to meet the most demanding wireless industry standards, provides us with a significant and unique competitive advantage.

 

Cooling to cryogenic temperatures requires proper thermal isolation and packaging. Any superconducting or other cryogenically cooled device must be maintained at its optimal operating temperature, and its interaction with higher temperature components must be controlled. We have developed a variety of proprietary and patented cryogenic packaging innovations to satisfy this requirement.

 

Competition

 

The wireless communication market is intensely competitive. We face competition in various aspects of our technology and product development and in each of our target markets. Our products compete on the basis of performance, functionality, reliability, pricing, quality, and compliance with industry standards. Our current and potential competitors include conventional RF filter manufacturers and both established and newly emerging companies developing similar or competing HTS technologies. We also compete with companies that design, manufacture and sell antenna-optimizing multiplexers and companies that seek to enhance base station range and selectivity by means other than a superconducting filter. The primary competitors use tower mounted and ground mounted amplifiers, conventional filters, repeaters or “smart antenna” technologies. Tower mounted and ground mounted amplifiers pass an RF signal received by an antenna through a broad filter, followed by a low noise amplifier. These units are produced by a number of companies, which include most of the base station original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) such as Ericsson and Nokia. Filter manufacturers, including Andrew, Powerwave, and Radio Frequency Systems, also produce these units. Smart antennas allow base stations to focus energy more directly on individual wireless devices in order to improve capacity. Some competitors have significantly greater financial, technical, manufacturing, sales, marketing and other resources. Some competitors have achieved greater name recognition for their products and technologies.

 

In addition, we currently supply components and license technology to several companies that may eventually decide to manufacture or design their own HTS components, rather than purchasing or licensing our technology. With respect to our HTS materials, we compete with THEVA among others. In the government sector, we compete

with universities, national laboratories and both large and small companies for research and development contracts, and with larger defense contractors, such as Raytheon and Northrop Grumman for government products.

 

Employees

 

We employed a total of 129 people as of December 31, 2007: 54 in manufacturing, 35 in research and development, 19 in sales and marketing and 21 in administration. Nine of our employees have Ph.D.s, and fourteen others hold advanced degrees in physics, materials science, electrical engineering and other fields. Our employees are not represented by a labor union and we believe that our employee relations are good.

 

Environmental Issues

 

We use certain hazardous materials in our research, development and manufacturing operations. As a result, we are subject to stringent federal, state and local regulations governing the storage, use and disposal of such materials. Current or future laws and regulations could require substantial expenditures for preventative or remedial action, reduction of chemical exposure, waste treatment or disposal. Although we believe that our safety procedures for the handling and disposing of hazardous materials comply with the standards prescribed by state and federal regulations, there is always the risk of accidental contamination or injury from these materials. To date, we have not incurred substantial expenditures for preventive action with respect to hazardous materials or for remedial action with respect to any hazardous materials accident, but the use and disposal of hazardous materials involves the risk that we could incur substantial expenditures for such preventive or remedial actions. If such an accident occurred, we could be held liable for resulting damages. The liability in the event of an accident or the costs of such remedial actions could exceed our resources or otherwise have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

 

 

The following section includes some of the material factors that may adversely affect our business and operations. This is not an exhaustive list, and additional factors could adversely affect our business and financial performance. Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risk factors emerge from time to time and it is not possible for us to predict all such risk factors, nor can we assess the impact of all such risk factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. This discussion of risk factors includes many forward-looking statements. For cautions about relying on such forward looking statements, please refer to the section entitled “Forward Looking Statements” at the beginning of this Report immediately prior to Item 1.

 

Risks Related to Our Business

 

We have a history of losses and may never become profitable.

 

In each of our last five years, we have experienced significant net losses and negative cash flows from operations. If we fail to increase our revenues, we may not achieve and maintain profitability and may not meet our expectations or the expectations of financial analysts who report on our stock.

 

We may need to raise additional capital, and if we are unable to raise capital our ability to implement our current business plan and ultimately our viability as a company could be adversely affected.

 

In 2007, we incurred a net loss of $9.1 million and had negative cash flows from operations of $5.4 million. In 2006, we incurred a net loss of $29.6 million and had negative cash flows from operations of $7.3 million. Our independent registered public accounting firm has included in their audit report for fiscal 2007 and 2006 an explanatory paragraph expressing doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. Our prior independent registered public accounting firm included a similar explanatory paragraph in their audit report for 2005.

 

Our principal sources of liquidity consist of existing cash balances and funds expected to be generated from future operations. We believe one of the key factors to our liquidity will be our ability to successfully execute on our

plans to increase sales levels in a highly concentrated industry where we experience significant fluctuations in sales from quarter to quarter. Our cash requirements will also depend on numerous other variable factors, including the rate of growth of sales, the timing and levels of products purchased, payment terms and credit limits from manufacturers, and the timing and level of accounts receivable collections.

 

At December 31, 2007 we had $3.9 million in cash and in January 2008 we received the remaining $11.0 million from our investment agreement with Hunchun BaoLi Communication Co. Ltd., or BAOLI, whereby in exchange for $15.0 million in cash we issued to BAOLI and two related purchasers a total of (a) 3,101,361 shares of our common stock and (b) 611,523 shares of our Series A Preferred Stock (convertible under certain conditions into 6,115,230 shares of our common stock). If actual cash flows deviate significantly from forecasted amounts or if we believe operations require additional funding we cannot assure you that additional financing will be available on acceptable terms or at all.

 

If we issue additional equity securities to raise funds, the ownership percentage of our existing stockholders would be reduced. New investors may demand rights, preferences or privileges senior to those of existing holders of common stock. If we cannot raise any needed funds, it might be forced to make further substantial reductions in our operating expenses, which could adversely affect our ability to implement our current business plan and ultimately our viability as a company.

 

We rely on a small number of customers for the majority of our commercial revenues and the loss of any one of these customers, or a significant loss, reduction or rescheduling of orders from any of these customers, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

 

We sell most of our products to a small number of wireless carriers. We derived 75% of our commercial product revenues from Verizon Wireless and AT&T in 2007 and 96% of our commercial product revenues from ALLTEL, Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile in 2006. Our future success depends upon the wireless carriers continuing to purchase our products, and fluctuations in demand from such customers could negatively impact our results. Unanticipated demand fluctuations can have a negative impact on our revenues and business and an adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

 

In addition, our dependence on a small number of major customers exposes us to numerous other risks, including:

 

 

Many of our customers also provide minimal lead-time prior to the release of their purchase orders and have non-binding commitments to purchase from us. If we fail to forecast our customer’s demands accurately, we could experience delays in manufacturing which could result in customer dissatisfaction. Additionally, these factors further impact our ability to forecast future revenue.

 

The wireless communication industry is highly concentrated, which limits the number of potential customers, and further industry consolidation could result in the loss of key customers.

 

The wireless communication industry is highly concentrated in nature and may become more concentrated due to anticipated industry consolidation. As a result, we believe that the number of potential customers for our products

may be limited. We also face significant risks in the event any of our key customers is acquired by a company that has not adopted our technology or not adopted it to the same extent. In that event, we could face a significant decline in our sales to the acquired customer.

 

We experience significant fluctuations in sales and operating results from quarter to quarter.

 

Our quarterly results fluctuate due to a number of factors, including:

 

 

The nature of our business requires that we promptly ship products after we receive orders. This means that we typically do not have a significant backlog of unfilled orders at the start of each quarter. We have also regularly generated a large percentage of our revenues in the last month of a quarter. Our major customers generally have no contractual obligation to purchase forecasted amounts and may cancel orders, change delivery schedules or change the mix of products ordered with minimal notice and minimal penalty. As a result of these factors, we may not be able to accurately predict our quarterly sales. Any shortfall in sales relative to our quarterly expectations or any delay of customer orders would adversely affect our revenues and results of operations.

 

Order deferrals and cancellations by our customers, declining average sales prices, changes in the mix of products sold, increases in inventory and finished goods, delays in the introduction of new products and longer than anticipated sales cycles for our products have, in the past, adversely affected our results of operations. Despite these factors, we maintain significant finished goods, work-in-progress and raw materials inventory to meet estimated order forecasts. If our customers purchase less than the forecasted amounts or cancel or delay existing purchase orders, there will be higher levels of inventory that face a greater risk of obsolescence. If our customers desire to purchase products in excess of the forecasted amounts or in a different product mix, there may not be enough inventory or manufacturing capacity to fill their orders.

 

Due to these and other factors, our past results may not be reliable indicators of our future performance. Future revenues and operating results may not meet the expectations of stock analysts and investors. In either case, the price of our common stock could be materially adversely affected.

 

Our sales cycles are unpredictable, making future performance uncertain.

 

The sales cycle for telecommunications products includes identification of decision makers within the customers’ organizations, development of an understanding of customer-specific performance and economic issues, convincing the customer through field trial reports of the benefits of systems offered, negotiation of purchase orders and deployment. Customers who purchase our systems must commit a significant amount of capital and other resources. Our customers must consider budgetary constraints, comply with internal procedures for approving large expenditures and complete whatever testing is necessary for them to integrate new technologies that will impact their key operations. Customer delays can lengthen the sales cycles and have a material adverse effect on our business.

 

We depend on the capital spending patterns of wireless network operators, and if capital spending is decreased or delayed, our business may be harmed.

 

Because we rely on wireless network operators for product purchases, any substantial decrease or delay in capital spending patterns in the wireless communication industry may harm our business. Demand from customers for our products depends to a significant degree upon the amount and timing of capital spending by these customers for constructing, rebuilding or upgrading their systems. The capital spending patterns of wireless network operators depend on a variety of factors, including access to financing, the status of federal, local and foreign government regulation and deregulation, changing standards for wireless technology, overall demand for wireless services, competitive pressures and general economic conditions. In addition, capital spending patterns in the wireless

industry can be subject to some degree of seasonality, with lower levels of spending in the first and third calendar quarters, based on annual budget cycles.

 

Our reliance on a limited number of suppliers and the long lead time of components for our products could impair our ability to manufacture and deliver our systems on a timely basis.

 

A number of components used in our products are available from only one or a limited number of outside suppliers due to unique designs as well as certain quality and performance requirements. We currently purchase substrates for growth of high-temperature superconductor thin-films from a single supplier because of the quality of their substrates. A thin film is a thin layer of high-temperature superconductor material. There are additional components that we source from a single vendor due to the present volume. Key components of our conventional products are manufactured by sole foreign manufacturer. Our reliance on sole or limited source suppliers involves certain risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control. These include the possibility of a shortage or the discontinuation of certain key components. Any reduced availability of these parts or components when required could impair our ability to manufacture and deliver our systems on a timely basis and result in the delay or cancellation of orders, which could harm our business.

 

In addition, the purchase of some of our key components involves long lead times and, in the event of unanticipated increases in demand for our solutions, we may be unable to obtain these components in sufficient quantities to meet our customers’ requirements. We do not have guaranteed supply arrangements with any of these suppliers, do not maintain an extensive inventory of parts or components and customarily purchase sole or limited source parts and components pursuant to purchase orders. Business disruptions, quality issues, production shortfalls or financial difficulties of a sole or limited source supplier could materially and adversely affect us by increasing product costs, or eliminating or delaying the availability of such parts or components. In such events, our inability to develop alternative sources of supply quickly and on a cost-effective basis could impair our ability to manufacture and deliver our systems on a timely basis and could harm our business.

 

Our reliance on a limited number of suppliers exposes us to quality control issues.

 

Our reliance on certain single-source and limited-source components exposes us to quality control issues if these suppliers experience a failure in their production process or otherwise fail to meet our quality requirements. A failure in single-source or limited-source components or products could force us to repair or replace a product utilizing replacement components. If we cannot obtain comparable replacements or effectively return or redesign our products, we could lose customer orders or incur additional costs, which could have a material adverse effect on our gross margins and results of operations.

 

We expect decreases in average selling prices, requiring us to reduce product costs in order to achieve and maintain profitability.

 

The average selling price of our products has decreased over the years. We anticipate customer pressure on our product pricing will continue for the foreseeable future. We have plans to further reduce the manufacturing cost of our products, but there is no assurance that our future cost reduction efforts will keep pace with price erosion. We will need to further reduce our manufacturing costs through engineering improvements and economies of scale in production and purchasing in order to achieve adequate gross margins. We may not be able to achieve the required product cost savings at a rate needed to keep pace with competitive pricing pressure. Additionally, we may be forced to discount future orders. If we fail to reach our cost saving objectives or we are required to offer future discounts, our business may be harmed.

 

Our ability to protect our patents and other proprietary rights is uncertain, exposing us to possible losses of competitive advantage.

 

Our efforts to protect our proprietary rights may not succeed in preventing infringement by others or ensure that these rights will provide us with a competitive advantage. Pending patent applications may not result in issued patents and the validity of issued patents may be subject to challenge. Third parties may also be able to design around the patented aspects of the products. Additionally, certain of the issued patents and patent applications are

owned jointly with third parties. Because any owner or co-owner of a patent can license its rights under jointly-owned patents or applications, inventions made by us jointly with others are not subject to our exclusive control. Any of these possible events could result in losses of competitive advantage.

 

We depend on specific patents and licenses to technologies, and we will likely need additional technologies in the future that we may not be able to obtain.

 

We utilize technologies under licenses of patents from others for our products. These patents may be subject to challenge, which may result in significant litigation expense (which may or may not be recoverable against future royalty obligations). Additionally, we continually try to develop new products, and, in the course of doing so, we may be required to utilize intellectual property rights owned by others and may seek licenses to do so. Such licenses may not be obtainable on commercially reasonable terms, or at all. It is also possible that we may inadvertently utilize intellectual property rights held by others, which could result in substantial claims.

 

Intellectual property infringement claims against us could materially harm results of operations.

 

Our products incorporate a number of technologies, including high-temperature superconductor technology, technology related to other materials, and electronics technologies. Our patent positions, and that of other companies using high-temperature superconductor technology, is uncertain and there is significant risk that others, including our competitors or potential competitors, have obtained or will obtain patents relating to our products or technologies or products or technologies planned to be introduced by us.

 

We believe that patents may be or have been issued, or applications may be pending, claiming various compositions of matter used in our products. We may need to secure one or more licenses of these patents. There can be no assurances that such licenses could be obtained on commercially reasonable terms, or at all. We may be required to expend significant resources to develop alternatives that would not infringe such patents or to obtain licenses to the related technology. We may not be able to successfully design around these patents or obtain licenses to them and may have to defend ourselves at substantial cost against allegations of infringement of third party patents or other rights to intellectual property. In those circumstances, we could face significant liabilities and also be forced to cease the use of key technology.

 

We currently rely on specific technologies and may not successfully adapt to the rapidly changing wireless telecommunications equipment market.

 

Wireless telecommunication equipment is characterized by rapidly advancing technology. Our success depends upon our ability to keep pace with advancing wireless technology, including materials, processes and industry standards. For example, we had to redesign our SuperLink product to convert from thallium barium calcium copper oxide to yttrium barium copper oxide in order to reduce the product cost and compete with other technologies. However, even with the lower cost HTS material, SuperLink may not ultimately prove commercially competitive against other current technologies or those that may be discovered in the future.

 

We will have to continue to develop and integrate advances to our core technologies. We will also need to continue to develop and integrate advances in complementary technologies. We cannot guarantee that our development efforts will not be rendered obsolete by research efforts and technological advances made by others.

 

Other parties may have the right to utilize technology important to our business.

 

We utilize certain intellectual property rights under non-exclusive licenses or have granted to others the right to utilize certain intellectual property rights licensed from a third party. Because we may not have the exclusive rights to utilize such intellectual property, other parties may be able to compete with us, which may harm our business.

 

Our failure to anticipate and respond to developments in the wireless telecommunications market could substantially harm our business.

 

Our efforts are focused on the wireless telecommunications market, including the 2G, 2.5G and 3G markets. The dedication of our resources to the wireless telecommunications market makes us potentially vulnerable to

changes in this market, such as new technologies like WIMAX, future competition, changes in availability of capital resources or regulatory changes that could affect the competitive position and rate of growth of the wireless industry.

 

We may not be able to compete effectively against alternative technologies.

 

Our products compete with a number of alternative approaches and technologies that increase the capacity and improve the quality of wireless networks. Some of these alternatives may be more cost effective or offer better performance than our products. Wireless network operators may opt to increase the number of transmission stations, increase tower heights, install filters and amplifiers at the top of towers or use advanced antenna technology in lieu of purchasing our products. We may not succeed in competing against these alternatives.

 

We depend upon government contracts for a substantial amount of revenue and our business may suffer if significant contracts are terminated, adversely modified, or we are unable to win new contracts.

 

We derive a portion of our revenue from a few large contracts with the U.S. government. As a result, a reduction in, or discontinuance of, the government’s commitment to current or future programs could materially reduce government contract revenue.

 

Contracts involving the U.S. government may include various risks, including:

 

 

The programs in which we participate may extend for several years, but are normally funded on an annual basis. The U.S. government may not continue to fund programs under which we have entered into contracts. Even if funding is continued, we may fail to compete successfully to obtain funding within such programs.

 

All costs for services under government contracts are subject to audit, and the acceptance of such costs as allowable and allocable is subject to federal regulatory guidelines. We record contract revenues in amounts which we expect to be realized upon final audit settlement. Any disallowance of costs by the government could have an adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition. Audits and adjustments may result in decreased revenues and net income for those years. Additionally, because of our participation in government contracts, we are subject to audit from time to time for our compliance with government regulations by various agencies. Government agencies may conduct inquiries or investigations that may cover a broad range of activity. Responding to any such audits, inquiries or investigations may involve significant expense and divert management’s attention. In addition, an adverse finding in any such audit, inquiry or investigation could involve penalties that may harm our business.

 

Because competition for target employees is intense, we may be subject to claims of unfair hiring practices, trade secret misappropriation or other related claims.

 

Companies in the wireless telecommunications industry whose employees accept positions with competitors frequently claim that competitors have engaged in unfair hiring practices, trade secret misappropriation or other related claims. We may be subject to such claims in the future as we seek to hire qualified personnel, and such

claims may result in material litigation. If this should occur, we could incur substantial costs in defending against these claims, regardless of their merits.

 

If we are unable to forecast our inventory needs accurately, we may be unable to obtain sufficient manufacturing capacity or may incur unnecessary costs and produce excess inventory.

 

We forecast our inventory needs based on anticipated purchase orders to determine manufacturing requirements. If we overestimate demand, we may have excess inventory, and our suppliers may as well, which could increase our costs. If we underestimate our requirements, our suppliers may have inadequate inventory, which could interrupt manufacturing and result in delays in shipments and recognition of revenues. In addition, lead times for ordering materials and components vary significantly and depend on factors such as the specific supplier, contract terms and demand for any component at a given time. Accordingly, if we inaccurately forecast demand, we may be unable to obtain adequate manufacturing capacity from our suppliers to meet customers’ delivery requirements, which would harm our business.

 

Our success depends on the attraction and retention of senior management and technical personnel with relevant expertise.

 

As a competitor in a highly technical market, we depend heavily upon the efforts of our existing senior management and technical teams. The loss of the services of one or more members of these teams could slow product development and commercialization objectives. Due to the specialized nature of our products, we also depend upon our ability to attract and retain qualified technical personnel with substantial industry knowledge and expertise. Competition for qualified personnel is intense and we may not be able to continue to attract and retain qualified personnel necessary for the development of our business.

 

We have experienced difficulty recruiting senior management due to the high cost of living in the Santa Barbara area. We have a limited pool of qualified executives in Santa Barbara and may attempt to recruit qualified candidates from across the country. Some candidates have cited the high cost of housing in Santa Barbara as a significant negative factor when considering our employment offers. We have mitigated this problem to a limited extent by allowing some executives to maintain their existing residences in other parts of the country and effectively “commute” to our corporate headquarters in Santa Barbara as needed to perform their duties. Regardless, we expect the cost of housing in our area will continue to present a significant obstacle to recruiting senior executives.

 

Regulatory changes negatively affecting wireless communications companies could substantially harm our business.

 

The Federal Communications Commission strictly regulates the operation of wireless base stations in the United States. Other countries also regulate the operation of base stations within their territories. Base stations and equipment marketed for use in base stations must meet specific technical standards. Our ability to sell our high-temperature superconductor filter subsystems will depend upon the rate of deployment of other new wireless digital services, the ability of base station equipment manufacturers and of base station operators to obtain and retain the necessary approvals and licenses, and changes in regulations that may impact the product requirements. Any failure or delay of base station manufacturers or operators in obtaining necessary approvals could harm our business.

 

We may acquire or make investments in companies or technologies that could cause loss of value to stockholders and disruption of business.

 

We may explore opportunities to acquire companies or technologies in the future. Other than the acquisition of Conductus, Inc. in 2002, we have not made any such acquisitions or investments to date and, therefore, our ability as an organization to make acquisitions or investments is unproven. Entering into an acquisition entails many risks, any of which could adversely affect our business, including:

 

 

 

In addition, future acquisitions may result in potentially dilutive issuances of equity securities, or the incurrence of debt, contingent liabilities or amortization expenses or charges related to goodwill or other intangible assets, any of which could harm our business. As a result, if we fail to properly evaluate and execute acquisitions or investments, our business and prospects may be seriously harmed.

 

If we are unable to implement appropriate controls and procedures to manage our expected growth, we may not be able to successfully offer our products and implement our business plan.

 

Our ability to successfully offer our products and implement our business plan in a rapidly evolving market requires an effective planning and management process. Anticipated growth in future operations will continue to place a significant strain on management systems and resources. We expect that we will need to continue to improve our financial and managerial controls, reporting systems and procedures, and will need to continue to expand, train and manage our work force worldwide. Furthermore, we expect that we will be required to manage multiple relationships with various customers and other third parties.

 

Compliance with environmental regulations could be especially costly due to the hazardous materials used in the manufacturing process.

 

We are subject to a number of federal, state and local governmental regulations related to the use, storage, discharge and disposal of toxic, volatile or otherwise hazardous chemicals used in our business. Any failure to comply with present or future regulations could result in fines being imposed, suspension of production or interruption of operations. In addition, these regulations could restrict our ability to expand or could require us to acquire costly equipment or incur other significant expense to comply with environmental regulations or to clean up prior discharges.

 

The reliability of market data included in our public filings is uncertain.

 

Since we operate in a rapidly changing market, we have in the past, and may from time to time in the future, include market data from industry publications and our own internal estimates in some of the documents we file with the Securities Exchange Commission. The reliability of this data cannot be assured. Industry publications generally state that the information contained in these publications has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but that its accuracy and completeness is not guaranteed. Although we believe that the market data used in our SEC filings is and will be reliable, it has not been independently verified. Similarly, internal company estimates, while believed by us to be reliable, have not been verified by any independent sources.

 

Our international operations expose us to certain risks.

 

In November 2007, we signed a binding definitive agreement for a joint venture with BAOLI to manufacture and market our SuperLink^® interference elimination solution for the China market. In addition to facing many of the risks faced by our domestic business, if that joint venture or any other international operation we may have is to be successful, we (together with any joint venture partner) must recruit the necessary personnel and develop the facilities needed to manufacture and sell the products involved, must learn about the local market (which may significantly different from our domestic market), must build brand awareness among potential customers and must compete successfully with local organizations with greater market knowledge and potentially greater resources than we have. We must also obtain a number of critical governmental approvals from both the United States and the local country governments on a timely basis, including those related to any transfers of our technology. We must establish

sufficient controls on any foreign operations to ensure that those operations are operated in accordance with our interests, that our intellectual property is protected and that our involvement does not inadvertently create potential competitors. There can be no assurance that these conditions will be met. Even if they are met, the process of building our international operations could divert financial resources and management attention from other business concerns. Finally, our international operations will also be subject to the general risks of international operations, such as:

 

 

Risks Related to Our Common Stock

 

Our stock price is volatile.

 

The market price of our common stock has been, and we expect will continue to be, subject to significant volatility. The value of our common stock may decline regardless of our operating performance or prospects. Factors affecting our market price include:

 

 

Recent events have caused stock prices for many companies, including ours, to fluctuate in ways unrelated or disproportionate to their operating performance. The general economic, political and stock market conditions that may affect the market price of our common stock are beyond our control. The market price of our common stock at any particular time may not remain the market price in the future.

 

We have a significant number of outstanding warrants and options, and future sales of these shares could adversely affect the market price of our common stock.

 

As of December 31, 2007, we had outstanding warrants and options exercisable for an aggregate of 1,210,603 shares of common stock at a weighted average exercise price of $25.92 per share. We have registered the issuance of all these shares, and they will be freely tradable by the exercising party upon issuance. The holders may sell these shares in the public markets from time to time, without limitations on the timing, amount or method of sale. As our stock price rises, the holders may exercise their warrants and options and sell a large number of shares. This could cause the market price of our common stock to decline.

Our corporate governance structure may prevent our acquisition by another company at a premium over the public trading price of STI shares.

 

It is possible that the acquisition of a majority of our outstanding voting stock by another company could result in our stockholders receiving a premium over the public trading price for our shares. Provisions of our restated certificate of incorporation and bylaws and of Delaware corporate law could delay or make more difficult an acquisition of our company by merger, tender offer or proxy contest, even if it would create an immediate benefit to our stockholders. For example, our restated certificate of incorporation does not permit stockholders to act by written consent and our bylaws generally require ninety days advance notice of any matters to be brought before the stockholders at an annual or special meeting.

 

In addition, our board of directors has the authority to issue up to 2,000,000 shares of preferred stock and to determine the terms, rights and preferences of this preferred stock, including voting rights of those shares, without any further vote or action by the stockholders. The rights of the holders of common stock may be subordinate to, and adversely affected by, the rights of holders of preferred sock that may be issued in the future. The issuance of preferred stock could also make it more difficult for a third party to acquire a majority of our outstanding voting stock, even at a premium over our public trading price.

 

Further, our certificate of incorporation also provides for a classified board of directors with directors divided into three classes serving staggered terms. These provisions may have the effect of delaying or preventing a change in control of STI without action by our stockholders and, therefore, could adversely affect the price of our stock or the possibility of sale of shares to an acquiring person.

 

We do not anticipate declaring any cash dividends on our common stock.

 

We have never declared or paid cash dividends on our common stock and do not plan to pay any cash dividends in the near future. Our current policy is to retain all funds and earnings for use in the operation and expansion of our business. In addition, our debt agreements prohibit the payment of cash dividends or other distributions on any of our capital stock except dividends payable in additional shares of capital stock.

 

 

None.

 

 

We lease all of our properties. All of our operations, including our manufacturing facility, are located in an industrial complex in Santa Barbara, California. We occupy approximately 71,000 square feet in this complex under a long-term lease that expires in 2011. We believe that our Santa Barbara facilities are adequate to meet current and reasonably anticipated needs for approximately the next two years.

 

 

Settlement of Shalvoy Litigation

 

Mr. Shalvoy, a director and stockholder, executed two notes aggregating $820,244 in principal in connection with the exercise in December 2000 of two options to purchase Conductus, Inc. common stock prior our acquisition of Conductus, Inc. in December 2002. Through the third quarter of, 2005, we carried the principal (as “Notes Receivable from Stockholder”) and accrued interest (as “Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets”) for both notes as assets on our balance sheet.

 

We filed a lawsuit against Mr. Shalvoy on December 21, 2005 in the California Superior Court (Case No. 1186812) to collect both notes. In that same quarter, due to Mr. Shalvoy’s refusal to pay the notes voluntarily we recorded a reserve for the value of the notes (principal plus accrued interest) in excess of the market value of the collateral securing the notes.

 

On March 2, 2007, we entered into a Settlement Agreement and Mutual Release of All Claims with Mr. Shalvoy to settle the lawsuit. As per the agreement, we received a payment of $610,000 on April 2, 2007

in payment of one note, including interest and attorneys’ fees, and the rescission of Mr. Shalvoy’s second purported option exercise including cancellation of the related note.

 

Routine Litigation

 

We may be involved in routine litigation arising in the ordinary course of our business, and, while the results of the proceedings cannot be predicted with certainty, we believe that the final outcome of such matters will not have a material adverse effect on our financial position, operating results or cash flow.

 

 

Our 2007 Annual Meeting of Shareholders was held on October 23, 2007. The following matters were submitted to a vote of our shareholders:

 

1. Election of two Class 3 Directors. The following directors were elected to hold office until the 2010 Annual Meeting or until their successors are elected and qualified:

 

 

2. Approval to Amend the 2003 Equity Incentive Plan:

 

 

3. Ratification of the appointment of Stonefield Josephson, Inc. as the Company’s Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm for the year ending December 31, 2007.

 

 

 

Market for Common Stock

 

Our common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol “SCON.” The following table shows the high and low intraday sales prices for our common stock as reported by NASDAQ for each calendar quarter in the last two fiscal years:

 

Holders of Record

 

We had 123 holders of record of our common stock on February 29, 2008. This number does not include stockholders for whom shares were held in a “nominee” or “street” name. We estimate that there are more than 15,000 round lot beneficial owners of our common stock.

 

Dividends

 

We have never paid cash dividends and intend to employ all available funds in the development of our business. We have no plans to pay cash dividends in the near future, and our line of credit does not allow the payment of dividends.

 

Our ability to declare or pay dividends on shares of our common stock is subject to the requirement that we pay an equivalent dividend on each outstanding share of Series A Preferred (on an as converted basis).

 

Sales of Unregistered Securities

 

We did not conduct any offerings of equity securities during the fourth quarter of 2007 that were not registered under the Securities Act of 1933.

 

Repurchases of Equity Securities

 

We did not repurchase any shares of our common stock during the fourth quarter of 2007.

 

Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans

 

Stock Performance Graph

 

The graph and table below compare the cumulative total stockholders’ return on our common stock since December 31, 2002 with the Nasdaq Composite Index, and the Nasdaq Telecommunications Index over the same period (assuming the investment of $100 in our common stock and in the two other indices, and reinvestment of all dividends).

 

 

 

The information set forth below is not necessarily indicative of results of future operations and should be read in conjunction with our Financial Statements and Notes thereto appearing in Item 15 of Part IV of this Report and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”.

 

 

 

This Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations includes many forward-looking statements. For cautions about relying on such forward looking statements, please refer to the section entitled “Forward Looking Statements” at the beginning of this Report immediately prior to Item 1.

 

General

 

We design, manufacture, market and sell high performance infrastructure products for wireless voice and data applications. Our products are utilized in major wireless networks throughout the United States which support voice and data communications by use of cell phones and other wireless communication devices.

 

Our products help maximize the performance of wireless telecommunications networks by improving the quality of uplink signals from mobile wireless devices. Our products increase capacity utilization, lower dropped and blocked calls, extend coverage, and enable higher wireless data throughput — all while reducing capital and operating costs. Our SuperLink solution utilizes patented high-temperature superconductor (HTS) technology to create a receiver front-end that enhances network performance. Today, we are leveraging our expertise and proprietary technology in radio frequency (RF) engineering to continue to expand our product line beyond HTS technology. We believe our RF engineering expertise provides us with a significant competitive advantage in the development of high performance, cost-effective solutions for wireless telecommunications networks.

 

We have three product offerings:

 

 

We currently sell most of our commercial products directly to wireless network operators in the United States. Our customers to date include ALLTEL, Cingular, Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular and Verizon Wireless. We have a concentrated customer base. Verizon Wireless and AT&T each accounted for more than 10% of our commercial revenues in 2007 and Verizon Wireless, ALLTEL, and T-Mobile each accounted for more than 10% of our commercial revenues in 2006. We plan to expand our customer base by selling directly to other wireless network operators and manufacturers of base station equipment, but we cannot assure that this effort will be successful.

 

We also generate significant revenues from government contracts. We primarily pursue government research and development contracts which compliment our commercial product development. We undertake government contract work which has the potential to improve our commercial product offering. These contracts often yield valuable intellectual property relevant to our commercial business. We typically own the intellectual property developed under these contracts, and the Federal Government receives a royalty-free, non-exclusive and nontransferable license to use the intellectual property for the United States.

 

We sell most of our products to a small number of wireless carriers, and their demand for wireless communications equipment fluctuates dramatically and unpredictably. We expect these trends to continue and may cause significant fluctuations in our quarterly and annual revenues.

The wireless communications infrastructure equipment market is extremely competitive and is characterized by rapid technological change, new product development, product obsolescence, evolving industry standards and price erosion over the life of a product. We face constant pressures to reduce prices. Consequently, we expect the average selling prices of our products will continue decreasing over time. We have responded in the past by successfully reducing our product costs, and expect further cost reductions over the next twelve months. However, we cannot predict whether our costs will decline at a rate sufficient to keep pace with the competitive pricing pressures.

 

Recent Developments

 

BAOLI Investment.

 

Under a previously announced investment agreement with Hunchun BaoLi Communication Co. Ltd, or BAOLI, in August 2007, on February 27, 2008, we issued to BAOLI and two related purchasers a total of (a) 3,101,361 shares of our common stock (of which 953,065 must be voted in accordance with the votes of our other shares, effectively giving BAOLI no voting power over such shares) and (b) 611,523 shares of our Series A Convertible Preferred Stock, or Series A Preferred (convertible under certain conditions into 6,115,230 shares of our common stock). We received $15.0 million in cash, of which $4.0 million was funded in 2007 and the $11.0 million balance was funded in January 2008.

 

Subject to the terms and conditions of our Series A Preferred and to customary adjustments to the conversion rate, each share of our Series A Preferred is convertible into ten shares of our common stock so long as the number of shares of our common stock beneficially owned by BAOLI following such conversion does not exceed 9.9% of our outstanding common stock. Except for a preference on liquidation of $.01 per share, each share of Series A Preferred is the economic equivalent of the ten shares of common stock into which it is convertible. Except as required by law, the Series A Preferred will not have any voting rights. For a complete description of the terms of the Series A Preferred, please see the certificate of designations, a copy of which is available through our website at www.suptech.com or in our SEC filings available at the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.

 

With the issuance of the Series A Preferred, our ability to declare or pay dividends on shares of our common stock will be subject to the requirement that we pay an equivalent dividend on each outstanding share of Series A Preferred (on an as converted basis).

 

BAOLI Joint Venture.

 

We and BAOLI continue to work on our recently established joint venture to manufacture and market our SuperLink^® interference elimination solution for the China market. As previously announced, our agreements provide that BAOLI will provide the manufacturing expertise and financing in exchange for 55 percent of the equity and we will provide an exclusive license in the China market of the enabling technology in exchange for 45 percent of the equity and a royalty on sales. We continue to work on preliminary matters relating to the joint venture, including administrative and logistical matters, exploratory marketing initiatives, technical and market analysis and discussions with governmental officials.

 

The commencement of manufacturing and any actual sales by the joint venture, and the transfer of our technology to the joint venture, remain subject to success in these efforts and to a number of other conditions including certain critical approvals from the Chinese and United States governments. In particular, we are in discussions with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (or CFIUS), an inter-agency committee of the United States government that reviews the national security implications of foreign acquisitions of U.S. companies regarding our joint venture with and investment from BAOLI. There continues to be no assurance that these conditions will be met, or that all required approvals (if obtained) will be obtained on a timely basis. Even if these conditions are met and the approvals received, the results from our joint venture will be subject to a number of significant risks associated with international operations and new ventures (which are similar to those involved in acquisitions), some of which are set out in our public filings, including in particular the “Risk Factors” included in Item 1A of this document.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

 

Our discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based upon our financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. We continually evaluate our estimates, including those related to bad debts, inventories, recovery of long-lived assets, income taxes, warranty obligations, contract revenue and contingencies. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that we believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Any future changes to these estimates and assumptions could cause a material change to our reported amounts of revenues, expenses, assets and liabilities. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.

 

We believe the following critical accounting policies affect our significant judgments and estimates used in the preparation of the financial statements. We maintain allowances for doubtful accounts for estimated losses resulting from the inability of our customers to make required payments. If the financial condition of our customers were to deteriorate, resulting in an impairment of their ability to make payments, additional allowances may be required. We write down our inventory for estimated obsolescence or unmarketable inventory equal to the difference between the cost of inventory and the estimated market value based upon assumptions about future demand and market conditions. If actual market conditions are less favorable than those projected by management, additional inventory write-downs may be required.

 

Our inventory is valued at the lower of its actual cost or the current estimated market value of the inventory. We review inventory quantities on hand and on order and record, on a quarterly basis, a provision for excess and obsolete inventory and/or vendor cancellation charges related to purchase commitments. If the results of the review determine that a write-down is necessary, we recognize a loss in the period in which the loss is identified, whether or not the inventory is retained or disposed. Our inventory reserves establish a new cost basis for inventory and are not reversed until the related inventory is sold or otherwise disposed. Such provisions are established based on historical usage, adjusted for known changes in demands for such products, or the estimated forecast of product demand and production requirements. Our business is characterized by rapid technological change, frequent new product development and rapid product obsolescence that could result in an increase in the amount of obsolete inventory quantities on hand. Demand for our products can fluctuate significantly. Our estimates of future product demand may prove to be inaccurate and we may understate or overstate the provision required for excess and obsolete inventory.

 

Our net sales consist of revenue from sales of products net of trade discounts and allowances. We recognize revenue when evidence of an arrangement exists, contractual obligations have been satisfied, title and risk of loss have been transferred to the customer and collection of the resulting receivable is reasonably assured. At the time revenue is recognized, we provide for the estimated cost of product warranties if allowed for under contractual arrangements and return products. Our warranty obligation is affected by product failure rates and service delivery costs incurred in correcting a product failure. Should such failure rates or costs differ from these estimates, accrued warranty costs would be adjusted.

 

We indemnify, without limit or term, our customers against all claims, suits, demands, damages, liabilities, expenses, judgments, settlements and penalties arising from actual or alleged infringement or misappropriation of any intellectual property relating to our products or other claims arising from our products. We cannot reasonably develop an estimate of the maximum potential amount of payments that might be made under our guarantees because of the uncertainty as to whether a claim might arise and how much it might total.

 

Contract revenues are principally generated under research and development contracts. Contract revenues are recognized utilizing the percentage-of-completion method measured by the relationship of costs incurred to total estimated contract costs. If the current contract estimate were to indicate a loss, utilizing the funded amount of the contract, a provision would be made for the total anticipated loss. Contract revenues are derived primarily from research contracts with agencies of the United States Government. Credit risk related to accounts receivable arising

from such contracts is considered minimal. These contracts include cost-plus, fixed price and cost sharing arrangements and are generally short-term in nature.

 

All payments to us for work performed on contracts with agencies of the U.S. Government are subject to adjustment upon audit by the Defense Contract Audit Agency. Based on historical experience and review of current projects in process, we believe that the audits will not have a significant effect on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows. The Defense Contract Audit Agency has audited us through 2003.

 

In connection with the acquisition of Conductus we recognized $20.1 million of goodwill. At July 1, 2006, our market capitalization had declined to $25.5 million, an amount less than our total book value. We concluded that our declining stock price constituted an event under FAS 142 and required us to test for goodwill impairment as of July 1, 2006. We then proceeded with step two of the impairment analysis — determining the fair values of all our tangible and intangible assets and then aggregating and subtracting these values from our fair value. Our analysis led us to reasonably estimate at that time that our fair market value was less than our net assets excluding goodwill. Accordingly, we recorded a full write-down of the goodwill ($20.1 million) in the second quarter 2006.

 

We periodically evaluate the realizability of long-lived assets as events or circumstances indicate a possible inability to recover the carrying amount. Long-lived assets that will no longer be used in business are written off in the period identified since they will no longer generate any positive cash flows for us. Periodically, long-lived assets that will continue to be used by we need to be evaluated for recoverability. Such evaluation is based on various analyses, including cash flow and profitability projections. The analyses necessarily involve significant management judgment. In the event the projected undiscounted cash flows are less than net book value of the assets, the carrying value of the assets will be written down to their estimated fair value. Our future cash flows may vary from estimates.

 

Effective January 1, 2006, we adopted the provisions of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”) No. 123 (revised 2004), “Share-Based Payment” (“SFAS No. 123(R)”). Under this provision, the share-based compensation cost recognized beginning January 1, 2006 includes compensation cost for (i) all share-based payments granted prior to, but not vested as of January 1, 2006, based on the grant date fair value originally estimated in accordance with the provisions of SFAS No. 123, “Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation,” (“SFAS No. 123”) and (ii) all share-based payments granted subsequent to January 1, 2006, based on the grant date fair value estimated in accordance with the provisions of SFAS No. 123(R). Compensation cost under SFAS No. 123(R) is recognized ratably using the straight-line attribution method over the expected vesting period. Prior periods are not restated under this transition method.

 

Prior to 2006, as permitted under Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 123 (SFAS 123), “Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation”, we elected to follow Accounting Principles Board Opinion No. 25, “Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees” in accounting for stock options and other stock-based employee awards. Pro forma information regarding net loss and loss per share, as calculated under the provisions of SFAS 123, are disclosed in the notes to the financial statements. We accounted for equity securities issued to non-employees in accordance with the provision of SFAS 123 and Emerging Issues Task Force 96-18.

 

Prior to 2006, we did not recognize compensation expense for issuance of stock options to employees. If we had elected to recognize compensation expense for employee awards prior to 2006 based upon the fair value at the

grant date consistent with the methodology prescribed by SFAS 123, our net loss and net loss per share would have been increased to the pro forma amounts indicated below:

 

 

On December 1, 2005, the Compensation Committee of our Board of Directors approved the accelerated vesting of all time-vested outstanding out-of-the-money stock options held by current employees or consultants. For this purpose, the Compensation Committee defined “out-of-the-money options” as options having an exercise price equal to or greater than $5.80 per share (the market price on the date of the committee’s decision to accelerate the vesting). If we had elected to recognize compensation expense for employee awards, the pro forma cost impact of these accelerated options in 2005 would have been $3.7 million.

 

Our valuation allowance against the deferred tax assets is based on our assessments of historical losses and projected operating results in future periods. If and when we generate future taxable income in the U.S. against which these tax assets may be applied, some portion or all of the valuation allowance would be reversed and an increase in net income would consequently be reported in future years.

 

We have a contract to deliver several custom products to a government contractor. We are unable to manufacture the products for technical reasons. We have discussed the problem with the contractor and its government customer. They are considering the problem, and we expect further discussions. We do not believe that a loss is reasonably estimable at this time and therefore have not recorded any liability relating to this matter. We will periodically reassess our potential liability as additional information becomes available. If we later determine that a loss is probable and the amount reasonably estimable, we would record a liability for the potential loss.

 

Backlog

 

Our commercial backlog consists of accepted product purchase orders with scheduled delivery dates during the next twelve months. We had commercial backlog of $352,000 at December 31, 2007, as compared to $75,000 at December 31, 2006.

 

Results of Operations

 

2007 Compared to 2006

 

Net revenues decreased by $3.2 million, or 15%, from $21.1 million in 2006 to $17.9 million in 2007. Net revenues consist primarily of commercial product revenues and government contract revenues. We also generate some additional revenues from sublicensing our technology.

 

Net commercial product revenues decreased by $4.9 million, or 28%, to $12.8 million in 2007 from $17.7 million in 2006. The decrease is primarily the result of lower sales volume for some or our products. Average sales prices for our products decreased only slightly in 2007. Our two largest customers accounted for 75% of our net commercial revenues in 2007, as compared to 76% in 2006. These customers generally purchase products

through non-binding commitments with minimal lead-times. Consequently, our commercial product revenues can fluctuate dramatically from quarter to quarter based on changes in our customers’ capital spending patterns.

 

Government contract revenues increased to $5.1 million in 2007 from $3.4 million in 2006, an increase of $1.7 million, or 52%. This increase is primarily attributable to the addition of new or amended contracts in 2007.

 

Cost of commercial product revenues includes all direct costs, manufacturing overhead, provision for excess and obsolete inventories. The cost of commercial product revenues totaled $12.9 million for 2007 as compared to $15.9 million for 2006, a decrease of $3.0 million, or 19%. The lower costs resulted principally from lower production as a result of lower sales. There was also no restructuring expenses in 2007 and a lower provision for obsolete inventory. Our provision for obsolete inventories totaled $160,000 in 2007 as compared to $360,000 in 2006.

 

Our cost of sales includes both variable and fixed cost components. The variable component consists primarily of materials, assembly and test labor, overhead, which includes equipment and facility depreciation, transportation costs and warranty costs. The fixed component includes test equipment and facility depreciation, purchasing and procurement expenses and quality assurance costs. Given the fixed nature of such costs, the absorption of our production overhead costs into inventory decreases and the amount of production overhead variances expensed to cost of sales increases as production volumes decline since we have fewer units to absorb our overhead costs against. Conversely, the absorption of our production overhead costs into inventory increases and the amount of production overhead variances expensed to cost of sales decreases as production volumes increase since we have more units to absorb our overhead costs against. As a result, our gross profit margins generally decrease as revenue and production volumes decline due to lower sales volume and higher amounts of production overhead variances expensed to cost of sales; and our gross profit margins generally increase as our revenue and production volumes increase due to higher sales volume and lower amounts of production overhead variances expensed to cost of sales. Our inventory is valued at the lower of its actual cost or the current estimated market value of the inventory. We review inventory quantities on hand and on order and record, on a quarterly basis, a provision for excess and obsolete inventory and/or vendor cancellation charges related to purchase commitments. If the results of the review determine that a write-down is necessary, we recognizes a loss in the period in which the loss is identified, whether or not the inventory is retained or disposed.

 

The following is an analysis of our commercial product gross profit margins for 2006 and 2007:

 

 

We had a negative gross margin of $157,000 in 2007 from the sale of our commercial products as compared to a positive gross margin of $1.8 million in 2006. We experienced negative gross profits in 2007 primarily because the reduced level of commercial sales was insufficient to cover our fixed manufacturing overhead costs. Our gross margins were also adversely impacted by a $160,000 charge for excess and obsolete inventory. Gross margins were favorably impacted by $195,000 in 2007 and $700,000 in 2006 by the sale of previously written-off inventory. We regularly review inventory quantities on hand and provide an allowance for excess and obsolete inventory based on numerous factors including sales backlog, historical inventory usage, forecasted product demand and production requirements for the next twelve months.

 

Contract research and development expenses totaled $2.9 million in 2007 as compared to $2.4 million in 2006, an increase of $499,000 or 20%. The increase was primarily the result of higher expenses associated with performing a greater number of government contracts.

 

Other research and development expenses relate to development of new wireless commercial products. We also incur design expenses associated with reducing the cost and improving the manufacturability of our existing products. These expenses totaled $3.2 million in 2007 as compared to $3.5 million in 2006, a decrease of $316,000,

or 9%. The decrease is due to lower expenses associated with commercial products development and the result of our cost reduction efforts.

 

Selling, general and administrative expenses totaled $8.1 million in 2007 as compared to $9.1 million in 2006, a decrease of $1.0 million, or 11%. The lower expenses resulted primarily from $610,000 received from a settlement agreement with a former director and lower insurance premiums.

 

In connection with the acquisition of Conductus in December 2002 we recognized $20.1 million of goodwill. At July 1, 2006, we concluded that our declining stock price constituted an event under FAS 142 and required us to test for goodwill impairment. Our analysis led us to reasonably estimate at that time that our fair market value was less than our net assets excluding goodwill. Accordingly, we recorded a full write-down of the goodwill ($20.1 million) in the second quarter of 2006. We also recorded an impairment charge of $38,000 related to a note receivable from a Board member in 2006.

 

The following table summarizes our restructuring and impairment charges for 2006 and 2007:

 

 

Interest income decreased to $156,000 in 2007, as compared to $391,000 in 2006, primarily because of lower cash balances in 2007.

 

Interest expense in 2007 amounted to $39,000, as compared to $45,000 in 2006, as a result of lower borrowing levels.

 

Our loss totaled $9.1 million in 2007 as compared to $29.6 million in 2006.

 

The net loss available to common shareholders totaled $0.73 per common share in 2007, as compared to $2.37 per common share in 2006.

 

2006 Compared to 2005

 

Net revenues decreased by $3.1 million, or 13%, from $24.2 million in 2005 to $21.1 million in 2006. Net revenues consist primarily of commercial product revenues and government contract revenues. We also generate some additional revenues from sublicensing our technology.

 

Net commercial product revenues decreased by $3.4 million, or 16%, to $17.7 million in 2006 from $21.1 million in 2005. The decrease is primarily the result of lower sales and lower average sale prices of our products. Our three largest customers accounted for 96% of our net commercial revenues in 2006, as compared to 95% in 2005. These customers generally purchase products through non-binding commitments with minimal lead-times. Consequently, our commercial product revenues can fluctuate dramatically from quarter to quarter based on changes in our customers’ capital spending patterns.

Government contract revenues increased to $3.4 million in 2006 from $3.1 million in 2005, an increase of $254,000, or 8%. This increase is primarily attributable to the addition of new or amended contracts in 2006.

 

Cost of commercial product revenues includes all direct costs, manufacturing overhead, provision for excess and obsolete inventories. The cost of commercial product revenues totaled $15.9 million for 2006 as compared to $19.0 million for 2005, a decrease of $3.1 million, or 16%. The lower costs resulted from no restructuring expenses in 2006 and a lower provision for obsolete inventory. Restructuring and impairment expenses from severance and “fixed assets write off included in cost of goods sold” were zero in 2006 as compared to $109,000 in 2005. Our provision for obsolete inventories totaled $360,000 in 2006 as compared to $1.0 million in 2005.

 

Our cost of sales includes both variable and fixed cost components. The variable component consists primarily of materials, assembly and test labor, overhead, which includes equipment and facility depreciation, transportation costs and warranty costs. The fixed component includes test equipment and facility depreciation, purchasing and procurement expenses and quality assurance costs. Given the fixed nature of such costs, the absorption of our production overhead costs into inventory decreases and the amount of production overhead variances expensed to cost of sales increases as production volumes decline since we have fewer units to absorb our overhead costs against. Conversely, the absorption of our production overhead costs into inventory increases and the amount of production overhead variances expensed to cost of sales decreases as production volumes increase since we have more units to absorb our overhead costs against. As a result, our gross profit margins generally decrease as revenue and production volumes decline due to lower sales volume and higher amounts of production overhead variances expensed to cost of sales; and our gross profit margins generally increase as our revenue and production volumes increase due to higher sales volume and lower amounts of production overhead variances expensed to cost of sales. Our inventory is valued at the lower of its actual cost or the current estimated market value of the inventory. We review inventory quantities on hand and on order and record, on a quarterly basis, a provision for excess and obsolete inventory and/or vendor cancellation charges related to purchase commitments. If the results of the review determine that a write-down is necessary, we recognizes a loss in the period in which the loss is identified, whether or not the inventory is retained or disposed.

 

The following is an analysis of our commercial product gross profit margins for 2005 and 2006:

 

 

We had a positive gross margin of $1.8 million in 2006 from the sale of our commercial products as compared to a positive gross margin of $2.1 million in 2005. The gross margin percentage improved slightly on lower sales volumes primarily due to lower restructuring expenses, a lower provision for obsolete inventory and the positive results of our cost reduction efforts. Gross margin was also favorably impacted $700,000 by the sale of previously written-off inventory. We regularly review inventory quantities on hand and provide an allowance for excess and obsolete inventory based on numerous factors including sales backlog, historical inventory usage, forecasted product demand and production requirements for the next twelve months.

 

Contract research and development expenses totaled $2.4 million in 2006 as compared to $2.8 million in 2005, a decrease of $399,000 or 14%. The decrease was primarily the result of 2005 expenses totaling $759,000 on a contract for which no revenue was recognized. See “Contractual Contingency” under the Contractual Guarantees and Indemnities Note to the Financial Statements for a description of the non-revenue generating contract.

 

Other research and development expenses relate to development of new wireless commercial products. We also incur design expenses associated with reducing the cost and improving the manufacturability of our existing products. These expenses totaled $3.5 million in 2006 as compared to $4.2 million in 2005, a decrease of $726,000, or 17%. The decrease is due to lower expenses associated with commercial products development and the result of our cost reduction efforts.

Selling, general and administrative expenses totaled $9.1 million in 2006 as compared to $11.4 million in 2005, a decrease of $2.3 million, or 20%. The lower expenses resulted primarily from lower auditor fees, lower insurance premiums, lower legal expenses for other matters, no restructuring activities in 2006 and the payment in 2005 of retirement benefits for our previous Chief Executive Officer.

 

We implemented several restructuring programs since 2004. These activities were completed in 2005. In connection with the acquisition of Conductus in December 2002 we recognized $20.1 million of goodwill. At July 1, 2006, we concluded that our declining stock price constituted an event under FAS 142 and required us to test for goodwill impairment. Our analysis led us to reasonably estimate at that time that our fair market value was less than our net assets excluding goodwill. Accordingly, we recorded a full write-down of the goodwill ($20.1 million) in the second quarter. We also recorded an impairment charge of $38,000 related to a note receivable from a Board member.

 

The following table summarizes our restructuring and impairment charges for 2005 and 2006:

 

 

Interest income increased to $391,000 in 2006, as compared to $342,000 in 2005, primarily because of increased interest rates.

 

Interest expense in 2006 amounted to $45,000, as compared to $116,000 in 2005, as a result of lower borrowing levels.

 

Our loss totaled $29.6 million in 2006 as compared to $14.2 in 2005.

 

The net loss available to common shareholders totaled $2.37 per common share in 2006, as compared to $1.24 per common share in 2005.

 

Liquidity and Capital Resources

 

Cash Flow Analysis

 

As of December 31, 2007, we had working capital of $3.3 million, including $3.9 million in cash and cash equivalents, as compared to working capital of $10.2 million at December 31, 2006, which included $5.5 million in cash and cash equivalents. We currently invest our excess cash in short-term, investment-grade, money-market instruments with maturities of three months or less. Our investments have zero exposure to the auction rate securities market. We believe that all of our cash investments would be readily available to us should the need arise.

Cash and cash equivalents decreased by $1.6 million from $5.5 million at December 31, 2006 to $3.9 million at December 31, 2007. (In January 2008 we received the remaining $11.0 million from our investment agreement with BAOLI. See notes below in Financing Activities and Future Liquidity). Cash was used principally in operations and to a lesser extent for the purchase of property and equipment and for the payment of short and long-term borrowings. Cash and cash equivalents decreased by $7.5 million from $13.0 million at December 31, 2005 to $5.5 million at December 31, 2006. Cash was used in operations, for the purchase of property and equipment, for the payment of short and long-term borrowings. These uses were offset by gross cash proceeds of $12.5 million received from the sale of common stock in a public offering during the third quarter of 2005.

 

Cash used in operations totaled $5.4 million in 2007. We used $9.1 million to fund the cash portion of our net loss. We also used cash to fund a $2.1 million increase in accounts payable payments, accounts receivable and patents and licenses. These uses were offset by cash generated from lower inventory, lower prepaid and other assets totaling $3.0 million. Cash used in operations totaled $7.3 million in 2006. In 2006 we used $6.2 million to fund the cash portion of our net loss. We also used cash to fund a $1.8 million increase in inventory and accounts payable payments. These uses were offset by cash generated from lower accounts receivables and prepaid balances totaling $746,000.

 

Net cash used in investing activities totaled $165,000 in 2007. In 2007, sales of fixed assets generated $26,000 and were offset by fixed asset purchases totaling $191,000. Net funds used in investing activities totaled $229,000 in 2006 and $45,000 in 2005. In 2006 we purchased $229,000 of fixed assets and there were no sales of fixed assets. In 2005, sales of fixed assets generated $216,000 and essentially offset purchases of property and equipment totaling $261,000.

 

Net cash provided by financing activities totaled $4.0 million in 2007. In 2007, $4.0 million was received from BAOLI as an installment toward completion of a $15.0 million financing which was completed in February 2008. Cash used to pay long term debt was $14,000 and was offset by $26,000 provided by the exercise of stock options. Net cash used in financing activities totaled $19,000 in 2006 and was used to pay long term debt. In 2005 gross cash received from the sale of common stock totaled $12.5 million and borrowings against our line of credit totaled $662,000, offset by cash used to pay down our line of credit and long term debt of $1.6 million. Cash was also used to pay $1.9 million of offering expenses related to the sale of common stock in November 2004 and August 2005.

 

Financing Activities

 

We have historically financed our operations through a combination of cash on hand, equipment lease financings, available borrowings under bank lines of credit and both private and public equity offerings. We have effective registration statements on file with the SEC covering the public resale by investors of all the common stock issued in our private placements, as well as any common stock acquired upon exercise of their warrants.

 

We have an existing line of credit from a bank. It is a material source of funds for our business. The line of credit expires in July 2008. The loan agreement is structured as a sale of our accounts receivable and provides for the sale of up to $5.0 million of eligible accounts receivable, with advances to us totaling 80% of the receivables sold. Advances bear interest at the prime rate (7.25% at December 31, 2007) plus 2.50% subject to a minimum monthly charge. Advances are collateralized by a lien on all of our assets. Under the terms of the agreement, we continue to service the sold receivables and are subject to recourse provisions. There was no amount outstanding under this borrowing facility at December 31, 2007.

 

In 2007 and 2006, we did not complete a financing transaction. However, on August 17, 2007, we entered into the previously noted investment agreement with BAOLI and on February 27, 2008, the transactions contemplated by this investment agreement closed and in exchange for $15.0 million in cash we issued to BAOLI and two related purchasers a total of (a) 3,101,361 shares of our common stock and (b) 611,523 shares of our Series A Preferred Stock (convertible under certain conditions into 6,115,230 shares of our common stock).

Contractual Obligations and Commercial Commitments

 

We incur various contractual obligations and commercial commitments in our normal course of business. They consist of the following:

 

 

Our operating lease obligations consist of a facility lease in Santa Barbara, California and several copier leases.

 

 

We have entered into various licensing agreements requiring royalty payments ranging from 0.13% to 2.5% of specified product sales. Some of these agreements contain provisions for the payment of guaranteed or minimum royalty amounts. Typically, the licensor can terminate our license if we fail to pay minimum annual royalties.

 

 

In the normal course of business, we incur purchase obligations with vendors and suppliers for the purchase of inventory, as well as other goods and services. These obligations are generally evidenced by purchase orders that contain the terms and conditions associated with the purchase arrangements. We are committed to accept delivery of such material pursuant to the purchase orders subject to various contract provisions which allow us to delay receipt of such orders or cancel orders beyond certain agreed upon lead times. Cancellations may result in cancellation costs payable by us.

 

 

At December 31, 2007, we had the following contractual obligations and commercial commitments:

 

 

Capital Expenditures

 

We plan to invest approximately $700,000 in fixed assets during 2008.

 

Future Liquidity

 

Our principal sources of liquidity consist of existing cash balances and funds expected to be generated from future operations. We believe one of the key factors to our liquidity will be our ability to successfully execute on our plans to increase sales levels in a highly concentrated industry where we experience significant fluctuations in sales from quarter to quarter. Our cash requirements will also depend on numerous other variable factors, including the rate of growth of sales, the timing and levels of products purchased, payment terms and credit limits from manufacturers, and the timing and level of accounts receivable collections.

 

In 2007, we incurred a net loss of $9.1 million and had negative cash flows from operations of $5.4 million. In 2006, we incurred a net loss of $29.6 million and had negative cash flows from operations of $7.3 million. Our independent registered public accounting firm has included in their audit report for fiscal 2007 and 2006 an explanatory paragraph expressing doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. Our prior independent registered public accounting firm included a similar explanatory paragraph in their audit report for 2005.

 

At December 31, 2007 we had $3.9 million in cash and in January 2008 we received the remaining $11.0 million from our previously noted investment agreement with BAOLI whereby in exchange for $15.0 million

in cash we issued to BAOLI and two related purchasers a total of (a) 3,101,361 shares of our common stock and (b) 611,523 shares of our Series A Preferred Stock (convertible under certain conditions into 6,115,230 shares of our common stock). If actual cash flows deviate significantly from forecasted amounts or if we believe operations require additional funding we cannot assure you that additional financing will be available on acceptable terms or at all.

 

Net Operating Loss Carryforward

 

As of December 31, 2007, we had net operating loss carryforwards for federal and state income tax purposes of approximately $285.1 million and $154.7 million, respectively, which expire in the years 2008 through 2027. Of these amounts $88.3 million and $23.5 million, respectively, resulted from the acquisition of Conductus. Included in the net operating loss carryforwards are deductions related to stock options of approximately $24.1 million and $13.1 million for federal and California income tax purposes, respectively. To the extent net operating loss carryforwards are recognized for accounting purposes the resulting benefits related to the stock options will be credited to stockholders’ equity. In addition, we had research and development and other tax credits for federal and state income tax purposes of approximately $2.7 million and $1.3 million, respectively, which expire in the years 2008 through 2027. Of these amounts $661,000 and $736,000, respectively resulted from the acquisition of Conductus.

 

Due to the uncertainty surrounding their realization, we have recorded a full valuation allowance against our net deferred tax assets. Accordingly, no deferred tax asset has been recorded in the accompanying balance sheet.

 

Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code imposes an annual limitation on the utilization of net operating loss carryforwards based on a statutory rate of return (usually the “applicable federal funds rate”, as defined in the Internal Revenue Code) and the value of the corporation at the time of a “change of ownership” as defined by Section 382. We had changes in ownership in August 1999 and December 2002. Therefore, the ability to utilize net operating loss carryforwards of $97.3 million incurred prior to the ownership changes will be subject in future periods to an annual limitation of $1.3 million. In addition, we acquired the right to Conductus’ net operating losses, which are also subject to the limitations imposed by Section 382. Conductus underwent three ownership changes, which occurred in February 1999, February 2001 and December 2002. Therefore, the ability to utilize Conductus’ net operating loss carryforwards of $88.3 million incurred prior to the ownership changes will be subject in future periods to annual limitation of $700,000. Net operating losses incurred by us subsequent to the ownership changes totaled $99.5 million and are not subject to this limitation. We are currently evaluating the potential limitations on our ability to utilize our net operating loss carryforwards as a result of the recent investment by BAOLI.

 

Future Accounting Requirements

 

In February 2008, the FASB issued FSP 157-2 “Partial Deferral of the Effective Date of Statement 157” (FSP 157-2). FSP 157-2 delays the effective date of SFAS No. 157, for all non-financial assets and non-financial liabilities, except those that are recognized or disclosed at fair value in the financial statements on a recurring basis (at least annually) to fiscal years beginning after November 15, 2008. We are currently assessing the impact of SFAS No. 157 for non-financial assets and non-financial liabilities on our consolidated financial position and results of operations. We do not expect that the implementation of this standard, for financial assets and financial liabilities, will have a material impact on our consolidated financial position and results of operations.

 

In December 2007 the FASB issued Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 141 (revised 2007), “Business Combinations” (FAS 141(R) and No. 160, “Noncontrolling Interests in Consolidated Financial Statements, an amendment of ARB No. 51 (FAS 160)”. FAS 141(R) will change how business acquisitions are accounted for and FAS 160 will change the accounting and reporting for minority interests, which will be recharacterized as noncontrolling interests and classified as a component of equity. FAS 141(R) and FAS 160 are effective for fiscal years beginning on or after December 15, 2008 (January 1, 2009 for the Company). The adoption of FAS 141(R) and FAS 160 are not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

 

In June 2007 the FASB ratified EITF No. 07-3, or EITF 07-3, Accounting for Nonrefundable Advance Payments for Goods or Services to Be Used in Future Research and Development Activities. EITF 07-3 requires non-refundable advance payments for goods and services to be used in future research and development activities to

be recorded as an asset and the payments to be expensed when the research and development activities are performed. EITF 07-3 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2007. We are currently evaluating the impact of adopting EITF 07-3 on our results of operations and financial condition.

 

In June 2007, the FASB ratified EITF 06-11 “Accounting for the Income Tax Benefits of Dividends on Share-Based Payment Awards” (“EITF 06-11”). EITF 06-11 provides that tax benefits associated with dividends on share-based payment awards be recorded as a component of additional paid-in capital. EITF 06-11 is effective, on a prospective basis, for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2007. We are currently assessing the impact of EITF 06-11 on our consolidated financial position and results of operations.

 

In May 2007, the FASB issued FASB Staff Position (“FSP”) FIN 48-1 “Definition of Settlement in FASB Interpretation No. 48” (FSP FIN 48-1). FSP FIN 48-1 provides guidance on how to determine whether a tax position is effectively settled for the purpose of recognizing previously unrecognized tax benefits. FSP FIN 48-1 is effective retroactively to January 1, 2007. The implementation of this standard did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial position or results of operations.

 

In February 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No. 159 “The Fair Value Option for Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities” (SFAS No. 159). SFAS No. 159 permits entities to choose to measure many financial assets and financial liabilities at fair value. Unrealized gains and losses on items for which the fair value option has been elected are reported in earnings. SFAS No. 159 is effective for fiscal years beginning after November 15, 2007. We do not expect that the implementation of this standard will have a material impact on our consolidated financial position and results of operations.

 

Market Risk

 

We are exposed to various market risks, including changes in interest rates. Market risk is the potential loss arising from adverse changes in market rates and prices. We do not enter into derivatives or other financial instruments for trading or speculation purposes. Our money market investments have zero exposure to the auction rate securities market.

 

At December 31, 2007, we had approximately $3.7 million invested in a money market account yielding approximately 4.63%. Assuming a 1% decrease in the yield on this money market account and no liquidation of principal for the year, our total interest income would decrease by approximately $37,000 per annum. Also, at December 31, 2007, we had no amounts outstanding under a $5.0 million bank borrowing arrangement bearing interest at the prime rate (7.25% at December 31, 2007) plus 2.50%. Assuming a 1% increase in the prime rate interest and that the entire line was used for the entire year, interest expense would increase approximately $40,000 per annum.

 

Inflation

 

We do not foresee any material impact on our operations from inflation.

 

See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Market Risk.”

 

 

All information required by this item is listed in the Index to Financial Statements in Part IV, Item 15(a)1.

 

 

Not applicable.

 

Controls and Procedures

 

We have established disclosure controls and procedures to ensure that material information relating to us and our consolidated subsidiaries is made known to the officers who certify the Company’s financial reports, as well as other members of senior management and the Board of Directors, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosures. As of the end of the period covered by this report we carried out an evaluation under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including the our Chief Executive Officer and Controller (“Principal Financial Officer”), of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures pursuant to Rule 13a-15 of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934. Based upon that evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer and Controller concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures are effective in timely alerting them to material information related to us that is required to be included in our annual and periodic SEC filings.

 

There were no changes in our internal controls over financial reporting during the fourth quarter of the year ended December 31, 2007 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect our internal controls over financial reporting.

 

We do not expect that our disclosure controls and procedures or our internal controls will prevent all error and all fraud. A control system, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. Further, the design of a control system must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and the benefits of controls must be considered relative to their costs. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, have been detected.

 

Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

 

Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over our financial reporting (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended). Our management assessed the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting as of December 31, 2007. In making its assessment of the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting, our management used the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”) in Internal Control-Integrated Framework. Based on these criteria, our management has concluded that, as of December 31, 2007, our internal controls over financial reporting are effective. This annual report does not include an attestation report of our independent registered public accounting firm regarding internal control over financial reporting. Management’s report was not subject to attestation by our independent registered public accounting firm pursuant to temporary rules of the SEC that permit the company to provide only management’s report in this annual report.

 

We disclosed all the information required to be disclosed pursuant to Form 8-K during the fourth quarter of 2007.

 

 

Information regarding our executive officers and directors is incorporated by reference to the information set forth under the caption “Directors and Executive Officers” in our Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the Commission within 120 days after the end of our year ended December 31, 2007.

 

We have a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics for all of our employees, including our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer. The purpose of the code is to ensure that our business is conducted in a consistently legal and ethical matter. We have posted the text of the code on our website at www.suptech.com. We will post any material amendments or waivers to the code on our website. We will provide a

copy of our code free of charge to any person upon request by writing to us at the following address: Superconductor Technologies Inc., 460 Ward Drive, Santa Barbara, California 93111-2310, Attn: Corporate Secretary.

 

 

Information regarding executive compensation is incorporated by reference to the information set forth under the caption “Executive Compensation” in our Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the Commission within 120 days after the end of our year ended December 31, 2007.

 

 

Information regarding security ownership of certain beneficial owners and management is incorporated by reference to the information set forth under the caption “Voting Securities and Principal Shareholders — Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management” in our Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the Commission within 120 days after the end of our year ended December 31, 2007.

 

 

Information regarding certain relationships and related transactions is incorporated by reference to the information set forth under the caption “Transactions With Related Persons” and “Corporate Governance — Director Independence” in our Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the Commission within 120 days after the end of our year ended December 31, 2007.

 

 

Information regarding accounting fees and disclosures is incorporated by reference to the information set forth under the caption “Fees Paid to Independent Auditors” in our Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the Commission within 120 days after the end of our year ended December 31, 2007.

 

 

(a) The following documents are filed as part of this Report:

 

1. Index to Financial Statements.  Our financial statements and the Reports of Stonefield Josephson, Inc., Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, our former Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm , are included in Part IV of this Report on the pages indicated:

 

 

2. Financial Statement Schedule Covered by the Foregoing Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firms.

 

All other schedules are omitted because they are not applicable or the required information is shown in the financial statements or the notes thereto.

 

3. Exhibits

 

 

 

 

 

(b) Exhibits.  See Item 15(a) above.

 

To: The Board of Directors and Stockholders of Superconductor Technologies, Inc.

Santa Barbara, California

 

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Superconductor Technologies, Inc. and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2007 and 2006, and the related consolidated statements of operations, stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2007. Our audits also included the consolidated financial statement schedule listed in the Index at Item 15(a)(2) as of and for the years ended December 31, 2007 and 2006. These financial statements and schedule are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and schedule based on our audits.

 

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. We were not engaged to perform an audit of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Our audits included consideration of internal control over financial reporting as a basis for designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Superconductor Technologies, Inc. and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2007 and 2006, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2007 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Also, in our opinion, the related consolidated financial statement schedules as of and for the years ended December 31, 2007 and 2006, when considered in relation to the basic financial statements taken as a whole, presents fairly in all material respects the information set forth therein.

 

The accompanying financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, which contemplate continuation of the company as a going concern. As discussed in Note 2, the Company has incurred significant net losses since its inception and has an accumulated deficit of $199,985,000 and expects to incur substantial additional losses and costs. The foregoing matters raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. Management’s plans in regard to these matters are described in Note 2 of the accompanying financial statements. These financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of these uncertainties.

 

 

Los Angeles, California

March 27, 2008

To the Board of Directors and Stockholders of

Superconductor Technologies Inc.

 

In our opinion, the consolidated statements of operations, stockholders’ equity and cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2005 present fairly, in all material respects, the results of operations and cash flows of Superconductor Technologies Inc. and its subsidiaries for the year ended December 31, 2005, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. In addition, in our opinion, the financial statement schedule for the year ended December 31, 2005 presents fairly, in all material respects, the information set forth therein when read in conjunction with the related consolidated financial statements. These financial statements and financial statement schedule are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial statement schedule based on our audit. We conducted our audit of these statements in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, and evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. As discussed in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company has had recurring losses and used $9.4 million in cash for operations in 2005. These matters raise a substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. Management’s plans in regard to these matters are also described in Note 2. The consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.

 

 

Los Angeles, California

March 3, 2006, except for effects of

the reverse stock split discussed in Note 2,

as to which the date is March 13, 2006

 

 

See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements

 

 

See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements