EME Outlook - Issue 30

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ISSUE 30

THYSSENKRUPP ELEVATOR 10

Why the MULTI is an innovative answer to inner-city challenges

BUSINESS TRAVEL GUIDE 28 Stuttgart: A leading German destination for MICE tourism

G4S CASH SOLUTIONS NETHERLANDS 76

AB CONNECT 90 Changing British farming for the better

Embracing new technologies to handle all types of payments in the Netherlands

ALSO FEATURING: M I T S U B I S H I E L E C T R I C E U R O P E | A L N A B I L F O O D S | Ö S S U R

Business Travel Guides

A complete guide to EME’s leading business travel destinations

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S T U T T G A R T

This well-connected German city combines a fascinating mix of architecture and culture with a rapidly developing offering for the business traveller Writer: Tom Wadlow Project Manager: Jordan Levey

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apital of Germany’s BadenWürttemberg province, Stuttgart has a lot going for it.

Lying next to the Neckar River between the Black Forest to the west and the Swabian Alp to the south,

the city has enjoyed a regal past, characterised by a winemaking heritage and now also serving as a prominent industrial hub.

Although much of the city centre was destroyed during the Second World War, the rebuilt Stuttgart

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represents a mix of modern and historic architecture which managed to survive. This is reflected by the fascinating array of museums and galleries on offer, from the MercedesBenz Museum which charts the automaker’s illustrious history through

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to the tremendously varied exhibitions at the Staatsgalerie.

Stuttgarters carry a reputation for being business-like. Sharp dressers, fast drivers and hardworking, it is little wonder that the city is an economically thriving one. The fact its MICE tourism

STUTTGART

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EME industry is growing is also no surprise.

However, many visitors report a more relaxed vibe, helped by the many rustic wine bars and beer gardens that provide a welcome break from the day-to-day endeavours of Stuttgart working life.

The city’s surrounding vineyardladen hills are another essential escape, and with the Black Forest nearby, this destination serves many different travelling purposes.

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28 See page

Our Business Travel section not only gives executives the complete guide to the world’s most popular and populous locations, but also gives said locations the perfect opportunity to showcase their own businesses, events, venues and services to a truly international audience and readership of more than 395,000 each month.

To share in this unrivalled exposure and to put your own offering on our map, then please contact our Sales Managers, Joe Palliser, Jordan Levey or Matt Cole-Wilkin to find out more. joe.palliser@outlookpublishing.com

+44 (0)1603 959 676

jordan.levey@outlookpublishing.com

+44 (0)1603 959 668

matt.cole-wilkin@outlookpublishing.com

+44 (0)1603 959 669

W E L C O M E EDITORIAL Editorial Director: Tom Wadlow tom.wadlow@outlookpublishing.com Deputy Editor: Jonathan Dyble jonathan.dyble@outlookpublishing.com

PRODUCTION Art Director: Stephen Giles steve.giles@outlookpublishing.com Senior Designer: Devon Collins devon.collins@outlookpublishing.com Junior Designer: Matt Loudwell matt.loudwell@outlookpublishing.com

BUSINESS Managing Director: Ben Weaver ben.weaver@outlookpublishing.com Sales Director: Nick Norris nick.norris@outlookpublishing.com Operations Director: James Mitchell james.mitchell@outlookpublishing.com PROJECT DIRECTORS Joshua Mann joshua.mann@outlookpublishing.com Tom Cullum tom.cullum@outlookpublishing.com HEAD OF PROJECTS Callam Waller callam.waller@outlookpublishing.com Joe Palliser (Business Travel) joe.palliser@outlookpublishing.com Thomas Arnold thomas.arnold@outlookpublishing.com TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Eddie Clinton eddie.clinton@outlookpublishing.com SALES MANAGERS Jordan Levey (Business Travel) jordan.levey@outlookpublishing.com Matt Cole-Wilkin (Business Travel) matt.cole-wilkin@outlookpublishing.com PROJECT MANAGERS Josh Hyland josh.hyland@outlookpublishing.com Matthew Selby matthew.selby@outlookpublishing.com Richard Thomas richard.thomas@outlookpublishing.com Ryan Gray ryan.gray@outlookpublishing.com Vivek Valmiki vivek.valmiki@outlookpublishing.com

ADMINISTRATION Finance Director: Suzanne Welsh suzanne.welsh@outlookpublishing.com Administrative Assistant: Sophia Curran sophia.curran@outlookpublishing.com Office Manager: Daniel George daniel.george@outlookpublishing.com Digital & IT: Hamit Saka Helpdesk: James Le-May

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Innovation, innovation, innovation In 1886 Robert Bosch founded the Workshop for Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering with one journeyman and one errand boy completing his staff.

The early years, as is the case with many famous entrepreneurs, were defined by highs and lows, but fast-forward to the present day and Bosch stands as one of the most revered manufacturing and technology brands in the world.

Employing more than 402,000 people who help to generate over €78 billion in annual revenue, the company is synonymous with innovation, innovation which continues to be nurtured from its base in Cluj, Romania.

This is the focus of our lead feature. Despite being a relatively new addition to the Bosch network, in just five years the Cluj operation has established itself as a formidable force within the wider group and automotive industry writ large, working for some of the world’s leading OEMs in the field of electronics.

“We have been able to build ourselves up as a key supplier to these major automotive producers, not only here in Europe but around the world,” says Konrad Kachek, Plant Manager and Bosch veteran who is about to enjoy a wellearned retirement. “This is a huge achievement for us as these customers have extremely stringent requirements and standards, and we have been able to meet these needs.”

The same stringent attention to detail can be applied to the production of orthopaedics, with Icelandic specialist Össur another longstanding pioneer in its field. We caught up with EVP of R&D Kim De Roy, himself a below the knee amputee, discussing the latest innovations coming out of this agile, growing business.

This edition features many other examples of innovating enterprises, including exclusive insights from thyssenkrupp Elevator, Mitsubishi Electric Europe and Munich Airport’s LabCampus, while we also focus strongly on the food and drink sector with features from Al Nabil Foods, Dale Farm and AB Connect.

Completing our feature line up is G4S Cash

CONTACT

Solutions Netherlands, a company which has had

EME Outlook East Wing, Ground Floor, 69-75 Thorpe Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR1 1UA, United Kingdom.

Sales: +44 (0) 1603 959 652 Editorial: +44 (0) 1603 959 657 SUBSCRIPTIONS Tel: +44 (0) 1603 959 657 Email: tom.wadlow@outlookpublishing.com www.emeoutlookmag.com Follow us on Twitter - @EME_Outlook Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/emeoutlook

to adapt to the changing landscape of payments by catering to all forms of transaction alongside its core business of handling cash.

Finally, be sure to read our business travel guide on Stuttgart, an up and coming business travel hub Tom Wadlow Editorial Director, Outlook Publishing

just outside of the beautiful Black Forest.

Enjoy the issue!

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In this issue...

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NEWS

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EXPERT EYE

TOPICAL FOCUS

Around Europe and the Middle East in seven stories

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BREXIT

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DESTINATION FOCUS: DISNEYLAND PARIS

Evaluating the need for both competition and collaboration in the financial sector

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TECHNOLOGY

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SPORT

S P E C I A L F E AT U R E S

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The New Anatomy of Innovation A look inside LabCampus at Munich Airport A Summer of Cricket Looking ahead to the World Cup and Ashes series

CONSTRUCTION

Uplifting Urban Mobility Thyssenkrupp Elevator’s innovative answer to inner-city challenges

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A quickfire history of this longstanding family favourite

BUSINESS TRAVEL GUIDES

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Mixed Messages A look at research into the impact of Brexit on automotive and tech sectors

MANUFACTURING

The Ingenuity of Industry 4.0 Mitsubishi Electric Europe on automotive manufacturing: A Q&A

STUTTGART

A leading German destination for MICE tourism

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SHOWCASING LEADING COMPANIES Tell us your story and we’ll tell the world

F O O D & D R I N K

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MANUFACTURING

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ROBERT BOSCH SRL

Thriving on Optimism and Opportunity The GCC’s answer to food service excellence

A new, strong pillar of Bosch in Eastern Europe Celebrating five years of landmark progress in Cluj

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AL NABIL FOODS

C H A I N

G4S CASH SOLUTIONS NETHERLANDS

Money Made Simple Embracing new technologies to handle all types of payments in the Netherlands

AB CONNECT

Binding Innovation with Agriculture Changing British farming for the better

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DALE FARM

Bolstering the Dairy Boom 1,300 cooperative farmers, one coherent direction

H E A L T H C A R E

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ÖSSUR

Facilitating Freedom Investing in innovation to redefine the realm of prosthetics

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F O C U S

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THE BUSINESS SHOW

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RESTAURANTS, CAFÉS & LOUNGES

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FOODEX SAUDI

Europe’s largest business event

MINEX EUROPE 2019 A regional forum for mining industry experts

Catering to the rapidly changing consumer environment Saudi Arabia’s Leading International Food & Drink Trade Exhibition

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Around Europe and the Middle East in seven stories…

CONSTRUCTION

T E C H N O L O G Y

Telecom Italia, Ericsson launch Italy’s first 5G connected airport

PHOTO: IMRE SOLT

Dubai’s Mina Rashid Port

Emaar and P&O Marinas unveil $6.8 billion real estate project Emaar Properties and P&O Marines, a division of DP World, have announced plans to undertake a $6.8 billion redevelopment in the area around Dubai’s Mina Rashid Port.

The redevelopment, set to include a new mall, hotels, a yacht club and private beach spanning 12,600 square metres, will be built upon an area that is currently being used to receive cruise liners.

Further elements, according to a statement, will include promenades, parks, a 500-metre-long canal, art galleries, a theatre and a museum.

“Our venture with Emaar will contribute to the city’s cruise tourism and create another strong economic catalyst,” said Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Chairman and CEO of DP World, and Chairman of the Ports, Customs & Free Zone Corporation.

National telecommunications provider Telecom Italia (TIM) and Ericsson have teamed up to launch a new VR and 5G demonstration area at Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci Fiumicino Airport.

The technology-led experience will enable tourists to take a virtual tour of the city owed to ultra-low latency 5G. Raimondo Anello, Head of Innovation at TIM Customer Unit within Ericsson stated: “Making virtual reality available at Fiumicino Airport is a prime example in the consumer sphere of how greater connectivity combined with low latency can open the door to innovative and interactive new services. As for industry, airports could benefit from 5G for automating and digitalising operating processes.”

high after a series of strong returns in recent months.

The upturn can be somewhat attributed to CEO Kasper Rorsted, who placed a major focus on bolstering Adidas’s profitability since taking on the role in 2016.

A change in strategy since this time has seen the company expanding its ecommerce presence in North America and Asia in an attempt to gain greater margins, while simultaneously lowering marketing costs.

Shares of German sportswear maker As a result, the company’s Adidas rose 6.5 percent in the most ecommerce sales were up 40 percent recent quarter, reaching a new record in the latest quarter.

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GO TO WWW.EMEOUTLOOKMAG.COM/NEWS FOR ALL OF THE LATEST NEWS FROM EUROPE & MIDDLE EAST

PHOTO: IMRE SOLT

PHOTO: PATRIK RAGNARSSON FROM LINKÖPING, SWEDEN - NEW SHOES, CC BY 2.0

Adidas shares hit record high

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RTA, Careem to roll out bike rental service in Dubai

Formula One, Italian Grand Prix reach new Monza agreement

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and Careem have partnered up to bring a new bike rental service to the city, TimeOut Dubai has revealed.

The collaboration will see 3,500 push bikes introduced to Dubai’s streets and will support the city’s health goals such as the Dubai Fitness Challenge. Further, RTA will install 350 dedicated bike stations across the city as part of the agreement.

The organisers behind the Italian Grand Prix have announced that they have reached a new agreement with Formula One to keep the national race at the Monza circuit until 2024.

Monza, situated just north of Milan, has held more F1 races than any other track in the competition’s history, with the new deal set to maintain this status ahead of the upcoming 70th edition of the Italian Grand Prix.

The announcement comes as talks over the British Grand Prix continue, the future of which remains in doubt beyond 2019 due to ongoing discussions.

The bikes themselves will be tracked by GPS technologies and connected to a wireless network using Careem’s in-house state-of-theart technologies, also allowing cyclists to pay for their usage in a variety of ways.

R E T A I L

Sainsbury’s launches UK’s first checkoutfree supermarket

O I L & G A S

Saudia Arabia to lead $1 trillion regional energy investment surge According to new research from the Arab Petroleum Investments Corporation, the energy sector in the Middle East and North Africa is expected to receive $1 trillion in new investments during the next five years.

Planned investments account for much of this forecast, with $613 billion worth of commitments already in the pipeline.

Equally, the power sector accounts for the largest share of these at $348 billion, with an increasing number of countries looking to diversify their energy mix with the introduction of LNG-led and renewable solutions.

Within this, Saudi Arabia is leading the way with $140 billion worth of existing investments having already been announced, followed by Iran, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

UK supermarket giant Sainsbury’s has unveiled the UK’s first checkout-free store, allowing its customers to scan and pay for their shopping using a smartphone app.

The firm’s existing store in Holburn Circus, London was remodelled for the new technology, having had its checkout area and tills removed in preparation for the three-month pilot that is now underway.

“This is an experiment rather than a new format for us – it hasn’t been done in the UK before and we’re really excited to understand how our customers respond to the app experience,” said Clodagh Moriarty, Chief Digital Officer of Sainsbury’s.

The news comes after Sainsbury’s merger with Asda fell through, a deal that had been valued at £14 billion.

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Banks, Digital Banks, Fintechs: Friends or Foes?

As technological advancements in the financial sector continue to excel, a fine line between competition and collaboration is emerging. Igor Pejic discusses Written by: Igor Pejic, Head of Marketing at BNP Paribas PF AT

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anks are increasingly pitted against fintechs and their digital counterparts. At conferences delegates are asked to group into incumbents and challengers, and the media have feasted on the David versus Goliath image too. But does that narrative of opposition hold true in reality?

The figures give an unequivocal answer to this. According to KPMG, fintechs globally pocketed a record $57.9 billion in the first half of 2018, the bulk of it coming from incumbents.

Examples of successful cooperation are abundant. Blockchain fintech R3 recently received over $100 million from financial behemoths in yet another funding round, while JPMorgan pumped money into restaurant payments startup LevelUp. But what about the other side – surely it must be the goal of fintechs to disrupt the finance industry, for which they need to be independent? Not quite. A survey among fintech decision makers querying them about their major corporate goal revealed that three out of four strive for cooperation with established institutions. Looking to their role models, this comes as no surprise. Even PayPal, the fintechs’ poster child, relies on a wide bank partnership network. It simply adds a layer on top of the existing financial system.

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ABOUT THE EXPERT Igor Pejic is the Head of Marketing at BNP Paribas PF AT, part of Europe’s largest banking group.

Previously a business journalist, he regularly comments on payments, transactions and blockchain in the media. He was voted by McKinsey and the Financial Times as one of three finalists in the Bracken Bower Prize for his work on blockchain in 2019, which resulted in the publication of his book Blockchain Babel on March 3, 2019.

The tricky relationship

Digital banks or neo-banks are a particular type of fintech – namely one with a banking license. This means they not only facilitate payments, but also hold their customers’ money. In this sense, unlike many other fintechs that are merely technology providers, digital banks are competitors.

Upon first glance, there is not much possibility to partner with traditional banks as both groups are vying for

the same customer groups. The most famous examples – N26, Monzo or Revolut – are classic opponents, usually providing the same basic services with a no-frills approach.

Berlin-based N26 is the best example.

The mobile bank offers an account and a Mastercard for free, which usually covers the needs of the average consumer. The customer experience is clean and completely branchless, an account can be set up in eight minutes using nothing more than a smartphone and a selfie to fulfill the KYC-requirements. A premium version of the card insures paying customers, yet one reason why neo-banks can offer basic services at a zero-pricing is their focus on a few core products.

This leaves plenty of room for partnerships. N26 does not offer its own loan product, for example, but partners with the fintech auxmoney.

As it moves to expand its product portfolio, partnering with incumbent banks is also likely.

Cooperating with competitors is not something that has been introduced with the advent of digital banking.

Under the label “co-opetition”, banks and financial technology companies have been partnering for decades.

The longer value chains have gotten, the more specialisation has occurred, allowing financial companies to build unmatched scale and hard-coded

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collaboration into the banking sector’s character.

Aside from selling products to each other or using joint sales channels, cooperation largely happens through investments. Consider this: The world’s five largest direct banks are all either arms of or affiliated with a traditional bank, and among the top 20, 15 are.

It doesn’t always have to be that extreme. Often fintechs are funded only partly by incumbents.

To drive or end co-opetition?

Looking at financial history, one rule can be discerned – with each technological advancement, banking systems get more complex, need a higher level of specialisation and expertise, and eventually end up making the value chain longer. Today banking is at the verge of no less than three transformational technologies: cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and blockchain. No company can be expected to be leading in all of them, so technological advances enforce collaboration. Yet, blockchain

stands out among the three. It can circumvent the entire payments system that was built layer-by-layer over the last decade. I can send value without banks, processors, or credit card companies being involved. So, from a technical vantage point, it holds the key to ending co-opetition, but the workings of the market are more complex than that, especially when they rely on network effects, as is the case with payments.

From academic research we know that every innovation passes three phases – fluid, transitional, and specific. Each of these phases requires a company to have different strengths to be successful. In the fluid phase everybody is looking for the right use case and the killer application. Agile companies that are quick and effective in product design are the champions at this stage. It is all about doing the right thing. In the transitional phase companies then also need to look at

doing things right.

Product features and cost structures are fine-tuned, before they are industrialised and scaled in the ultimate specific phase.

This model of innovation dynamics initially favours small and flexible fintechs, before the strengths of big banks become the major arbiter of success. You need both. It is crucial to be the first to have in place the right product for the right customers.

But it is equally important to have the necessary funding, operational resources to absorb skyrocketing demand, and a strong brand recognition and customer base.

Don’t forget that technologies such as blockchain heave banking into the digital age. Thus, all mechanisms of the digital era apply, including the winnertakes-all principle. While technology enables fintechs to bypass the current system, from a business perspective cooperation between incumbents and challengers has never been as needed as it is today. You can be sure that despite blockchain’s ground-breaking setup, we will still see enough of it.

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Uplifting Urban Mobility

In the eyes of thyssenkrupp Elevator and MULTI, circular elevator systems will be crucial if we are to effectively sustain rapidly rising urban populations Writer: Jonathan Dyble

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he world’s first passenger elevator didn’t look like much compared to the finished articles that can be found in today’s buildings.

Launched at the Haughwout Department Store in central New York back in 1857, it was viewed as more of a tourist attraction, propelled by a steam engine and travelling at highly inefficient speeds of just 40 feet per minute.

The need for elevators has somewhat changed since this time, no longer considered a luxury or novelty, but rather an essential function of towering structures.

However, while it is true that elevators have progressed in keeping with the upward curve of urbanisation, their operational concept has remained largely unchanged, leading to architectural headaches in recent years.

“The elevator industry has been around for 160 years, but it hasn’t deviated much.

Most elevators only move in vertical shafts, but the world – and cities specifically – have adapted. Traditional elevators are fast becoming a bottleneck for the building industry. They have limited capacity for moving people, and they occupy excessively inefficient floor space.”

For Michael Cesarz, an established architect by trade, the question of mobility issues in cities was growing with a lack of the innovative thinking required to address such challenges.

This was his motivation behind joining thyssenkrupp Elevator.

“Our first attempt to pioneer new thinking in this space came in 2002, with the TWIN system,” he recalls.

“With two cabins per shaft and a 30 percent increase in transport capacity, combined with a 30 percent reduction in the elevator footprint in buildings, it was an achievement in its own right.

But MULTI takes this further.

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“When I saw the concept, I was captivated. It sparked my imagination, and I knew I had to be part of the team.”

The innovative answer to urban mobility

So, what is MULTI? For Cesarz, now CEO of the MULTI division, it presents infinite possible solutions to the challenges posed by outdated elevator technologies.

Removing traditional suspension ropes, the technology instead combines specialised motors,

“With this system, shaft transport capacities will increase by 50 percent and elevator footprints in buildings can be reduced by up to 50 percent” – Michael Cesarz, MULTI

EME allowing cabins to move not only vertically, but also horizontally.

“You may have heard of paternoster elevators – systems that consist of a chain of open compartments,” he reveals. “They move slowly in a loop, up and down inside a building without stopping.

“This circular system is central to MULTI. To enable modern elevator cabins to move in a loop, MULTI will use rope-less linear motor technology to operate elevators that can move sideways. The mechanism holding the cabin can rotate 90 degrees, allowing them to move along a new track.”

The core difference between MULTI and the paternoster systems, however, is speed. MULTI’s elevators will be able to travel at five metres per second, and with many multiple cabins in a loop, the system will enable nearconstant access to an elevator cabin – approximately every 15 seconds.

“With this system, shaft transport capacities will increase by 50 percent and elevator footprints in buildings can be reduced by up to 50 percent,” Cesarz adds.

Considering this, MULTI has the potential to benefit a number of verticals, and horizontals, whether it’s saving space in skyscrapers that can be used to house more apartments or offices or opening up new directions of travel in metro networks.

“There is expected to be a 2.5 billion increase in urban population numbers in the next three decades,” Cesarz adds. “With severe restrictions on space, taller buildings have proven to be the most economically and environmentally viable developments to accommodate rapidly growing populations. They occupy less land, leaving essential space for green areas, and they also allow for centralised intelligent control of energy and resources.

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“As such, buildings are surpassing expectations in terms of scale. In 2000, the average height of the world’s 50 tallest buildings was 315 metres, while in 2013, that same average reached 390 meters; a 25 percent increase in just over a decade.”

Against this backdrop, efficient mobility in buildings will only become a more pressing matter, and MULTI may very well may be the innovative answer that is needed.

Endless possibilities

2019 will see thyssenkrupp beginning to more actively market MULTI, owed to its Elevator’s Rottweil-based test tower that has progressively powered the technological developments.

This facility is readily equipped

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“Being part of a wider group opens us up to different kinds of innovation and generates new thinking, which is invaluable” – Michael Cesarz, MULTI

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The MULTI test tower offers tremendous views of Rottweil and the surrounding landscape

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with everything needed to trial sophisticated elevator systems, featuring nine test shafts that are dedicated to both TWIN and MULTI and a 240-tonne pendulum that can simulate vibrations and adverse weather conditions, enabling engineers to conduct real-life test runs.

“On a side note,” Cesarz adds, “the tower boasts Germany’s highest visitor platform, with a 360-degree panoramic view, and on good days you can see the Swabian Alb and Swiss Alps. I would highly recommend a visit.”

What’s more, the Rottweil tower is situated close to the firm’s elevator plant in Neuhausen, less than 100 kilometres north by road. Here, roughly 1,500 thyssenkrupp Elevator experts are building next-generation industry solutions.

“Being part of a wider group opens us up to different kinds of innovation and generates new thinking, which is invaluable,” Cesarz explains. “We’re able to gather knowhow and expertise from various branches and individuals.

“One example is our expertise in linear motor technology. This was driven by other innovators in the

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thyssenkrupp group, specifically those responsible for developing technology for the magnetic levitation trans-rapid train. This technology fed into the development of MULTI and so, without it, the elevator may not have existed.”

With the prototype in place as a result of these innovations and collaborations combined, MULTI seeks to transition into commercial rollout moving forward.

“We have already accumulated many substantial project leads from all over the world, from passenger transport in airport terminals with MULTI running like a sky train above the pedestrians to use in skiing areas,” Cesarz concludes. “It’s far more than just an elevator – the possibilities are endless.”

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The New Anatomy of

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reviously named Europe’s Best Airport 11 times when pitted against 550 others, Munich Airport is unsurprisingly the continent’s first and only five-star aviation centre.

As you’d expect, these accolades have stemmed from multiple roots.

Incipiently, Munich is redefining customer experience when it comes to air travel, removing the negative stigmas of stress and congestion that are readily associated with airports through the use of state-of-the-art systems such as automated passport control technologies and digital maps.

In addition, however, alongside its aviation service excellence, the

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Munich Airport’s upcoming innovation centre LabCampus is looking to produce a blueprint for the city of the future Writer: Jonathan Dyble

transit hub is pioneering a number of innovative non-aviation services, transforming Munich Airport from just a travel channel into an exciting and prosperous campus.

On this front, Flughafen München GmbH (FMG), the operator of

Munich Airport, has been providing consultancy, management and training services to numerous airports around the world, more recently inaugurating its very own Information Security Hub last year that brings together IT experts from both FMG itself and high-

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profile companies around the world to develop new combative solutions.

Having seen the successes of the latter in particular during the past 16 months, the airport is now looking to expand this proven model in new ways and become an all-encompassing facilitator of collaboration in the pursuit of global companies, institutions and governments alike embracing collective innovation.

This aforementioned emphasis is set to come in the form of LabCampus.

Marc Wagener, CEO, explains: “Past ways of approaching innovation, generally driven by central research sites, are reaching maximised capacity.

We now live in a world of distributed

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EME world, no person or company can solve the challenges of innovation alone, but what it requires is cooperation between companies of different backgrounds, of different regions, of different industries, between startups, stalwarts and academia.

“This is the ethos that underlies LabCampus – cooperation.”

From tests to technologies

Based on-site in the northwest corner of Munich Airport, LabCampus will span 500,000 square metres, essentially acting as a major innovation centre for not only the airport, nor just the city, but for the entirety of Germany and beyond.

For Wagener, the goal of the indevelopment tech hub is to support and pioneer the development of future-ready urban infrastructure by attracting a mixture of suitable partners from the private sector and global R&D community, then empowering cooperation between them.

The idea is that this will catalyse and accelerate the growth of new, innovative products and solutions that will be effective in overcoming existing and future challenges in mobility, automation and connectivity.

“It’s not our goal to only provide innovation; startup innovation; the physical space for this,” Wagener business model innovation; where affirms, “but equally we’re hoping nobody can really see where the next to play an active role in fostering wave of innovation will come from. ecosystem innovation by setting “If you look at blockchain at the impulses, curating cooperation beginning, nobody would have dared and stimulating R&D among these to anticipate what it might have partners.” become in terms of the impact that it This collaborative network has can have when you consider that seven already begun to grow, the renowned years ago a few people put together Senseable Lab at Massachusetts the idea of Bitcoin.

Institute of Technology (MIT) having “Having worked with businesses like agreed to work with Munich Airport Carl Zeiss and Siemens, I’ve seen how in the development of the LabCampus large companies have struggled to deal Innovation Centre. with such fundamental changes in the “This partner network will be innovation ecosystem and are looking crucial as different technologies and for answers. specialisms continue to become “What we believe is that in this new increasingly interconnected,” Wagener

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MUNICH AIRPORT’S LABCAMPUS LabCampus is set to become Germany’s number one location for innovation and cross-industry cooperation, based on-site at Munich Airport in its northwest corner.

Set to stretch across 500,000 square metres, the campus will house experts and specialists from a variety of companies, startups, research institutes and a number of other organisations, all contributing towards the R&D value chain.

The innovation centre will be a wholly-owned subsidiary of FMG – the operator of Munich Airport itself.

The first of four quarters will provide space for approximately 4,000 employees over an area of 12,000 square metres, with construction set to begin later this year and occupancy earmarked for 2021. The entire quadrant is slated for completion by 2025.

continues. “No single technology will be hailed as the be-all and end-all of disruption. They will all entwine to enable new trends.

“Artificial intelligence works in tandem with big data, which in turn work to power other capabilites such as robotics and the ubiquitous world of the cloud. Considering huge increases in computing power, combined with progressive software layers, we’re beginning to take the next steps, but collaboration will crucial to wholesale, circular success.”

Alongside MIT, other potential key

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partners include companies such as Siemens and Design Offices, alongside research organisations including the Frauhofer Institute, Friedrich Alexander Universität ErlandenNurnberg and UternehmerTUM – the startup incubator of the Technical University of Munich.

Each of these entities will bring something different to the table, offering varying components and expertise that will be fundamental to the network’s ability to accelerate technological development.

A blueprint for the city of the future

Speaking with Wagener, his belief that Munich Airport provides the perfect environment to both facilitate such cooperation and equally foster innovation was clear to see. And realistically, it’s hard to argue.

Housing spacious test areas that are rarely found in Europe’s major cities, combined with consolidated access to 150,000 passengers each day and fantastic local, national and international connections, Munich Airport is a thriving ecosystem – an ecosystem that LabCampus can

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EME leverage at ease, and one that often poses the same challenges as city centres themselves.

Wagener explains: “If we talk about distributed energy systems, it’s a topic for us as an airport; we have our own energy generation. If we talk about advanced mobility, it’s an area we explore both internally and externally to enhance efficiency.

Looking at big data and the internet of things, it applies to us in areas such as baggage handling. If we talk about cybersecurity, we have mission critical infrastructure to protect. We also have modernised health monitoring infrastructure for passengers.

“What I’m trying to say is that a lot of the technical trends and specifications surrounding smart cities can be found in our airport campus metropolis, so what better place to test transformative technologies before rolling them out?”

Right now, approximately 1.3 million people move into cities every day.

Equally, by 2040, it is estimated that 65 percent of the world’s population will be living in urban centres. These statistics alone suggest the importance that smart city technologies will have to play in the coming decades, and LabCampus will be crucial in their development as a collaborative centre of excellence.

Wagener concludes: “If you go to any innovation conference, everyone talks about cooperation. But, to be honest, if you look at the past, especially here in Europe, although everyone’s speaking about it, it hasn’t yet happened at scale.

“This is what we’re here to address.”

“...a lot of the technical trends and specifications surrounding smart cities can be found in our airport campus metropolis”

Like to be part of LabCampus?

Contact us here.

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C R I C K E T

With the World Cup and Ashes series arriving this summer, we look ahead to an important season of cricket for England Written by: Tom Wadlow

A SUMMER OF

CRICKET E

ngland is commonly referred to as the home of cricket, and for good reason.

Not only was the game developed in the country many centuries ago, it is living up to its billing this summer as it (and Wales) welcome the world’s best one-day nations and players before playing host to the sport’s most notorious test series with Australia – the Ashes.

It is sure to be a festival-like celebration. Barmy atmospheres, batting and bowling masterclasses and perhaps even some fine English summer weather – in short, it all adds up to a cricketing fan’s dream summer.

In anticipation of the season ahead, here is a brief rundown of what to expect.

Part One – World Cup

Kicking off with England and South Africa on May 30 at The Oval, home of County Championship champions Surrey, the 50-over showcase will see more than six weeks of big hitting and

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brave bowling.

Tournament hosts England rightly arrive as favourites to lift the trophy, the side currently ranked number one in the world by the International Cricket Council (ICC), just ahead of

India who too will fancy their chances.

Australia, a team which will now include prize players David Warner and Steve Smith following their high-profile suspension, go into the competition as holders. Despite now ranking fifth in

WORLD CUP - FORMAT AND KEY FIXTURES All 10 teams will play each other once in a round robin format, the top four sides qualifying for the semi-finals.

Below are some fixtures to keep an eye on: May 30 ��������������������������������England v South Africa (The Oval) June 6 ����������������������������������Australia v West Indies (Trent Bridge) June 9 ����������������������������������India v Australia (The Oval) June 16 �������������������������������India v Pakistan (Old Trafford) June 19 �������������������������������New Zealand v South Africa (Edgbaston) June 25 ������������������������������England v Australia (Lord’s) July 4 �����������������������������������England v New Zealand (Chester-Le-Street) July 9 & June 11 �����Semi-finals (Old Trafford and Edgbaston) July 14 ����������������������������������Final (Lord’s)

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the world, it would be unwise to rule them out.

Joining these sides in the 10-team tournament are Bangladesh, India, New Zealand, Pakistan and Lanka, all of which qualifying via their ICC oneday ranking.

The West Indies, somewhat surprisingly, had to qualify through a separate tournament held in Zimbabwe, and could be something of a wildcard punt. Completing the line is Afghanistan, rank outsiders at 100/1.

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Part Two – Ashes

The unrelenting summer of cricket continues with the Ashes kicking off a little over a fortnight after the final of the World Cup. It is one of the oldest sporting rivalries, the first test between England and Australia being held in the late 1800s and being formalised as the Ashes in 1884.

Generally held every other year, 2019’s instalment sees the two nations compete on a neck and neck ICC

ASHES 2019 – FIXTURES AND VENUES The Ashes begins in Birmingham before heading to London and the home of cricket for the Second Test.

The series then ventures north to Leeds and Manchester before finishing in the capital at the Oval.

August 1-5: First Test, Edgbaston August 14-18: Second Test, Lord’s August 22-26: Third Test, Headingley September 4-8: Fourth Test, Old Trafford September 12-16: Fifth Test, The Oval

ranking, Australia just ahead courtesy of the number of so-called weighted matches, which takes into account more recent games.

However, England will enter the series as favourites, not least because Joe Root’s side are extremely difficult to beat in their own favourable conditions. Indeed, Australia have not won a test series in England since 2001, although the most recent Ashes series held Down Under saw them claim a 4-0 victory.

Another point of interest for this series will be the return of both Smith and Warner and possibly opening batsman Cameron Bancroft, also involved in the ball tampering scandal

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which rocked the sport in March 2018 during a test match against South Africa in Cape Town.

If these players return and hit form, overcoming the undoubted hostile reception they will receive, then Australia may sniff an upset.

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M I T S U B I S H I

E L E C T R I C

E U R O P E

The Ingenuity of

Industry 4.0

In the opinion of Klaus Petersen, the importance of digital transformation mustn’t be understated. Speaking to Mitsubishi Electric Europe’s Marketing Director of Factory Automation, we find out why Writer: Jonathan Dyble

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ndustry 4.0 and connected manufacturing alike are concepts that are readily referred to as the future of heavy industry. However, as we move through 2019, many of these terms are becoming more of a reality.

Recent forecasts, for example, have predicted that the smart factory market is already valued at $153.7 billion, while it is expected to grow at a rate of roughly 9.76 percent per year for the next five years, propelled by IoT developments, new technologies, industrial robotics and much, much more.

One individual all too familiar with such statistics is Klaus Petersen. A former specialist quality engineer, working at BMW’s Research and Innovation Centre in Munich, Petersen now stands as the Marketing Director of Factory Automation EMEA for Mitsubishi Electric Europe BV, responsible for the expansion of the company’s industrial automation business.

Speaking with Petersen, we discovered what to expect from the fast-moving and increasingly technologically-enabled sphere of automotive manufacturing.

Klaus Petersen

EME of predictive maintenance solutions, from industrial controllers and edge computing, through to SCADA and right up to cloud connection.

EMEO: How is Mitsubishi Electric enabling its automotive customers to boost their manufacturing efficiencies?

KP: The key for any industry going forwards is the digital transformation of the business, and the automotive sector is no different. In this context we are supporting our customers not simply with automation technologies but with support in further developing their vision. This builds on our e-F@ ctory concept, offering innovative solutions for industrial automation and information technology. This includes systems to meet the needs of data collection, handling and management – from filtering, control, analysis, trends and visualisation, right up to cloud connectivity.

EMEO: Are there any key investments or processes that you wish to speak of on this front?

KP: The requirements of today’s enterprises are now often so complex that one company alone can no EME Outlook (EMEO): Could you longer represent this. That’s why we firstly provide a brief overview of founded our partner network, the e-F@ctory Alliance – an integral part Mitsubishi Electric Europe itself? under the e-F@ctory umbrella with Klaus Petersen (KP): Mitsubishi over 300 members worldwide. The Electric Europe has been a driving global network includes manufacturers force in industrial automation of industrial components as well as technology in Europe for more than specialised system integrators and 40 years. The brand is synonymous with innovative, high-quality industrial software providers. These partner automation solutions for almost every companies collaborate at an individual level to offer flexible, optimised sector. In the automotive industry, technologies and solutions for various for example, our guided operator customer requirements. solutions for picking processes are supporting digitalisation and improving EMEO: How have these quality by helping operators ensure they use the right parts and take the technologies evolved across the automotive manufacturing industry in correct actions. recent years?

With all sectors of industry looking KP: The degree of customisation to increase productivity and reduce within automotive production has seen downtime, we are providing a variety

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manufacturing systems move beyond discrete automation to increasingly intelligent automation solutions within a networked digital production environment. This is where we begin talking about ‘smart factories’.

Increasingly, the technologies involved to make the digital factory a reality are beyond the scope of any single automation equipment supplier and require the seamless integration of advanced technologies from a number of different suppliers. Hence the e-F@ctory Alliance, which combines the expertise of multiple technology partners.

It’s an approach that we have been following for 15 years. Adaptable and scalable solutions mean automotive companies can start small or begin in individual sections of the plant, and build from there, step by step.

Companies can see the ‘quick wins’ from their investments and build the business case for ongoing investment to a full smart factory.

EMEO: In your view, how extensive will the transformative effects of industry 4.0 become in relation to the automotive industry?

KP: The automotive industry is one of the sectors at the forefront of innovation and industry 4.0, having seen early on the need for processes which would enable increased product customisation and would manage increasingly complex supply chains.

The result was that as early as 2000,

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EME for 10 years to come. But that is why it’s so important to have a digitalisation strategy – to implement what makes sense, what is genuinely helpful and what will deliver real return on investment over a defined timescale.

“Without doubt artificial intelligence is going to play an increasingly important role in the digital factory, across all sectors of industry” even though the terms hadn’t been coined, they were already moving towards what we would now describe as digitalisation of their plants and the building of digital twins.

That transformation is continuing at a pace, with huge interest in the digitalisation of production processes

to reap potentially significant cost savings. A good example is the simulation of the assembly process for new car models and series. There are still so many possibilities for digitalisation that we’ll be talking about the transformative effects of industry 4.0 in the automotive sector probably

EMEO: Looking ahead, how can Mitsubishi Electric help its automotive customers to continue to maximise their productive potential and remain ahead of the curve?

KP: Without doubt artificial intelligence is going to play an increasingly important role in the digital factory, across all sectors of industry. It’s a core technology for Mitsubishi Electric, and you’ll find it across solutions such as vision systems, controllers and more. We see AI’s learning and process optimisation capabilities as offering huge potential in automotive production.

Big data analysis is another important area that we are focused on and where AI is also increasingly being used. We are currently developing a solution featuring AI functionality for applications in the area of edge computing that will serve the need for real-time data analysis on the plant floor, with a typical application being predictive maintenance. Using an appropriate sensor technology, for example, different machine states could be recorded in real time to recognise the current machine status, detect potential faults on the horizon, and immediately offer recommendations for actions to the machine operator – or even initiate remedial actions autonomously.

Due to the importance of artificial intelligence for our company, we have said that we want to position our developments in the field of AI as its own brand, Maisart (Mitsubishi Electric’s AI creates the state-of-theart in technology). Thus, this puts the emphasis on the fact that Mitsubishi Electric is strategically active in this field.

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B R E X I T

Mixed MESSAGES

As the UK’s departure from the European Union continues to be delayed, research into the possible impact of Brexit on automotive and technology sectors reveals varying sentiments Writer: Tom Wadlow

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rexit has uncoiled into an unprecedented political mess.

Splintered parties, three years of ongoing EU negotiations, and a prime minister who was only put into power because her predecessor lied to the nation when he said he would not resign in the event of a referendum defeat – these are times quite like no other in the UK. For business, which above all values stability, there is still little sign of calming waters just yet.

With organisations calling for some degree of certainty regarding the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union, the dismay at the political class’s failure to negotiate and execute a departure appears to be at least one sentiment uniting commerce.

However, the impact of Brexit on numerous industries continues to be cause for impassioned debate. While

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the true impact of Brexit will never be known until it has happened, this hasn’t prevented a deluge of research being published in attempts to forecast what might be on the horizon.

Here is a look at some of the sentiments coming out of the automotive and technology sectors.

Automotive – damage limitation

The automotive industry appears to be fairly united in its response to Brexit, the key message being the need to avoid a so called no deal scenario which would see the UK trade with the European Union on World Trade Organization terms (and the introduction of tariffs and possible border check delays).

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) is a prominent trade association representing the interests of around 800 automotive companies.

It has set out a series of priorities geared around securing tariff-free access to European and other global markets, as well as ensuring the industry can continue to recruit the sector’s best talent.

Speaking in response to the most recent extension of Article 50

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agreed in March 2019, SMMT Chief Executive Mike Hawes said: “It is utterly unacceptable that, more than two years since negotiations started, industry still does not know what the UK’s relationship with the EU will be in the coming weeks and months.

Uncertainty has already caused serious damage – car plants are on enforced shutdown, investment has been cut and jobs lost.

“This cannot go on. Government and parliament must use this extension purposefully to take ‘no deal’ off the table for good, and guarantee a positive long-term resolution that delivers frictionless trade. If they fail, we face yet another devastating ‘no deal’ precipice.”

According to the SMMT, a WTO

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of respondents said such an outcome would be very negative or fairly negative for their business.

However, there are more positive sentiments emerging from tech circles than most industries.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan, a staunch remain supporter, last year delivered a speech at a Wired Live event that detailed how the city’s tech scene will thrive post-Brexit. In the speech he outlined how the UK capital is emerging as a global fintech and AI hub.

Another study, this time by PwC, found that technology companies are more likely to be positive about Brexit’s impact than organisations from other sectors.

Indeed, 57 percent of tech respondents believe it will have either a very positive or quite positive impact compared to the 41 percent average found across the entire research covering many industries.

Jass Sarai, UK Technology Industry Leader at PwC, commented on the release of the research: “Technology companies are used to facing disruption and are arguably more agile than most and less affected by new barriers to physical trade, so it may come as no surprise that they feel more positive than other industries

EME

“Uncertainty has already caused serious damage – car plants are on enforced shutdown, investment has been cut and jobs lost” about their Brexit preparedness.

“As most industries continue their journey to become tech enabled, demand remains high for core technology products and services.

Companies in the sector also tend to have more of a global view as they strive for rapid growth.”

In what is an almost impossibly difficult topic to fully grasp and accurately forecast, Brexit has and surely will continue to stir different emotions among businesses in a great many sectors beyond automotive and technology. Until the process is completed, such debates will only continue to rage.

tariff of 10 percent on imports and exports would combine to cost the UK around £4.5 billion a year. In its view, a Norway-plus-style relationship with the European Union would deliver most of the automotive industry’s priorities.

Technology – the most upbeat sector?

Unlike the automotive industry, technology businesses present a more mixed impression of Brexit and its potential implications.

Of course, some research shows an equally fearful attitude towards a no deal scenario – for example, a recent techUK study found that 70 percent

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D I S N E Y L A N D

P A R I S

DE S T IN ATION FOC US:

Disneyland Paris For more than a quarter of a century this theme park has welcomed guests from all around the world. Here we track some of the major milestones achieved to date DISNEY – ARGUABLY the world’s most recognisable media company of the past century. From Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the oldest feature length animated film released in 1937, to the recently revamped Star Wars franchise, the brand is synonymous with on-screen entertainment. Not only this, such has been the brand’s immense appeal

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down the decades, fans are flocking to numerous theme parks around the world dedicated to their favourite characters.

In Paris, this has been the case since 1992 when what was then known as Euro Disney opened its doors. This followed five years of planning and construction, the original agreement between French authorities and Disney

being struck in 1987. In 1994, the resort changed its name to Disneyland Paris, and has since witnessed well over 320 million visitors pass through its gates.

The late 1990s saw continual additions to the park. For example, Space Mountain (now known as the Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain) arrived in 1995, while Eurostar began running train services directly to the

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NEWPORT BAY CLUB

MUST VISIT

Having enjoyed a total renovation in 2016, Disneyland Paris’s Newport Bay Club is the place to stay when booking a visit.

Located a short walk from the parks, this 1900s coastal mansion sits next to Lake Disney and offers an element of luxury to any guest’s experience.

site just a year later.

Walt Disney Studios Park opened alongside Disneyland in 2002, the number of guests already hitting the 100 million mark by this time. This was followed in 2007 by Toon Studio with larger-than-life rides and the chance to explore the art of Disney animation.

The quarter of a billion guest mark was passed in 2011, just before the

theme park’s 20-year anniversary celebrations which were capped by a spectacular night show and parade.

Fast-forward to the present day and Disneyland Paris continues to welcome visitors of all ages and investing in new attractions. According to a new Disney blog, a multi-year expansion project will be taking place, including the installation of new Marvel-themed rides.

Situated in the Compass Club is the Presidential Suite, the top of range accommodation measures with views over the lake and additional services to ensure maximum comfort. Sleeping up to six people, the suite comprises a large living room, alcove and separate large bedroom along with a dining area and two bathrooms.

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S T U T T G A R T

This well-connected German city combines a fascinating mix of architecture and culture with a rapidly developing offering for the business traveller Writer: Tom Wadlow Project Manager: Jordan Levey

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apital of Germany’s BadenWßrttemberg province, Stuttgart has a lot going for it.

Lying next to the Neckar River between the Black Forest to the west and the Swabian Alp to the south,

the city has enjoyed a regal past, characterised by a winemaking heritage and now also serving as a prominent industrial hub.

Although much of the city centre was destroyed during the Second World War, the rebuilt Stuttgart

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to the tremendously varied exhibitions at the Staatsgalerie.

Stuttgarters carry a reputation for being business-like. Sharp dressers, fast drivers and hardworking, it is little wonder that the city is an economically thriving one. The fact its MICE tourism

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EME industry is growing is also no surprise.

However, many visitors report a more relaxed vibe, helped by the many rustic wine bars and beer gardens that provide a welcome break from the day-to-day endeavours of Stuttgart working life.

The city’s surrounding vineyardladen hills are another essential escape, and with the Black Forest nearby, this destination serves many different travelling purposes.

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The Business End Porsche Museum

FACTS & FIGURES

Tourists taking a tour of the Mercedes-Benz Museum

STUTTGART IS IN the centre of the largest industrial zone in southwest Germany, known for holding various trade fairs and congresses, and renown for being home to leading automotive brands Daimler and Porsche.

Tourism, especially related to business travel, is a thriving sector. Karina Grützner, Director of Convention Marketing at the Stuttgart Convention Bureau (SCB), comments: “I am excited about the future.

Stuttgart is steadily increasing its meeting and incentive infrastructure.

“Around 3,000 new hotel rooms will add to hotel infrastructure in the next few years. In the autumn the new Mövenpick Hotel Stuttgart Messe & Congress will provide significant meeting capacities and 260 rooms.

Combined with Wyndham Stuttgart Airport Messe and Mövenpick Hotel Stuttgart Airport, 800 hotel rooms

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are available at the main entrance to ICS International Congress Center Stuttgart and in walkable distance to the airport.

“Convention Center Filderhalle, close to Stuttgart Airport, will expand its capacity with 400 square metres of flexible meeting space. Design Offices will open their third venue in the heart of Stuttgart, combining workspaces and creative meeting rooms. Last year the new V8 Hotel added special experience and concepts into the meetings infrastructure portfolio of Stuttgart. Where else can you sleep in a Mercedes Benz or a Car Wash? The new Jaz Stuttgart Hotel is the only such example in Germany and worth a visit.”

Beyond tourism, the city is well known as a publishing centre and is the home of a number of advertising, marketing, and communication-related firms.

Province: Languages: Area: Population (2016): Currency: Time zone: Dialling code: Internet TLD: Climate:

Baden-Württemberg German 207.4 km² 628,032 Euro Central European +49 .de Temperate

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Enjoy warm hospitality at the Mövenpick Hotel Stuttgart Airport, situated in a unique location only 50 metres from Stuttgart airport.

The 4-Star superior hotel invites you to enjoy the comfort of attentive business services in a modern atmosphere.

attentive service

excellent design

Coming soon: In 2019, a second Mövenpick Hotel will open directly at the airport and the trade fair: The Mövenpick Hotel Stuttgart Messe & Congress. This effective combination of hotels will create one of the largest hotel meeting and event spaces in southern Germany.

Mövenpick Hotels Stuttgart Flughafenstraße 43+50 | 70629 Stuttgart +49 711 55344 0 hotel.stuttgart.airport@movenpick.com

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YOUR HOTEL OF CHOICE IN STUTTGART Exceptional service, stylish rooms and suites and an innovative kitchen.

Energize yourself with a run or walk through the Schlossgarten and in the 24/7 gym.

Recreate @ LeSPA with three saunas, jacuzzi and a spacious pool.

Don’t hesitate to contact us via phone +49 711 2221 2990 or email reservations@lemeridienstuttgart.com with the key word “government”.

We will ensure a tailored offer that meets your needs.

LE MERIDIEN Stuttgart Willy-Brandt-Straße 30 70173 Stuttgart Germany lemeridienstuttgart.com

N 48 46‘ E 9 11‘ DESTINATION UNLOCKED

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Out & About FROM ENJOYING THE fineries of regional wine, beer and food to a unique mix of palaces, museums and art galleries, there is plenty to occupy visitors in Stuttgart.

“One of the best ways to explore Stuttgart is a steps tour,” Grützner adds. “Owing to Stuttgart’s geographic location in a valley basin, it has more flights of steps – known to the locals as “Stäffele” and originally built by winemakers to access the vineyards – than most other towns.

Idyllic paths and beautiful scenic lookouts guarantee so much variety on this original circular walk with no shortage of steps, so you won’t get bored, even after the 100th flight.”

The view from the top of the Fernsehturm scales not only the city itself, but also the surrounding blanket of forest and hills

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The aforementioned TV tower, or Fernsehturm, is another key landmark, not least because it represents the first of its kind in the world. The view from the top scales not only the city itself, but also the surrounding blanket of forest and hills.

Grützner also points to destinations out of town which can form the basis of a day trip.

“I also strongly recommend a visit to Esslingen and Ludwigsburg,” she adds. “These cities are only a short drive out of Stuttgart and impress with the largest baroque palace – Ludwigsburg – and Germany’s oldest sparkling wine producer, Kessler.”

Owing to Stuttgart’s geographic location in a valley basin, it has many flights of steps – known to the locals as “Stäffele”

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Have a look @ Swabian sophisticated style Occupying a tranquil spot within the heart of Baden-Wuerttemberg’s capital, the Maritim Hotel Stuttgart adds a modern twist to the state’s unmistakable style. Regional specialties such as Swabian noodles are served in the hotel’s stylish restaurants, while cool cocktails and live performances by local artists can be enjoyed in its trendy bar. Comforts such as Smart TVs complement the cosiness of the 555 rooms. Use of the swimming pool and wi-fi is free for guests.

The state-of-the-art conference infrastructure includes 15 spaces of varying sizes.

Maritim Hotel Stuttgart · Seidenstrasse 34 · 70174 Stuttgart · Germany · Tel. +49 (0) 711 942-0 · info.stu@maritim.com · www.maritim.com Business premises of Maritim Hotelgesellschaft mbH · Herforder Strasse 2 · 32105 Bad Salzuflen · Germany Image 4c 160 96 STU Convention Bureau 4.19.indd 1

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Stuttgart Convention Bureau THE STUTTGART CONVENTION Bureau is mandated with the promotion of the German city as a go-to MICE destination, established in 1994 and developing into an important trade association.

Karina Grützner, discussing both SCB’s remit and Stuttgart’s tourism scene, answers more of our questions.

EME Outlook (EMEO): Can you firstly talk me through the origins of the Stuttgart Convention Bureau, how it came about, and its initial vision?

Karina Grützner (KG): Stuttgart Convention Bureau started its work in 1994. One can say we were among the Convention Bureau pioneers in Germany. This underlines the importance of meetings, conventions and events in Stuttgart. Our vision is to connect people to unlock ideas and gain knowledge. The SCB team passionately promotes Stuttgart as a meetings destination, its easy accessible meetings infrastructure, innovative economy and strong local heritage. Event professionals, corporate meeting planners and incentive organisers appreciate us as

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Karina Grützner

the first point of contact; they value our local expertise and services, saving them a lot of time. We offer free impartial advice, while the largest local location database and venue sourcing support is especially valuable for international planners. We initiate connections with service partners that care for the needs of our client, like venues, hotels, special locations, DMCs – we organise site inspections and provide accommodation service free of charge.

EMEO: Since inception, how has the Stuttgart Convention Bureau developed and progressed in terms of its key objectives and the messages it tries to get across?

KG: Our staff has increased from one person at the beginning to four women in 2019. In 2012, a strategic partner model was installed with the largest convention venues like Messe Stuttgart/ICS International Congress Center Stuttgart and Convention Center Liederhalle, Stuttgart Airport, Stuttgart Region Economic Development Corporation, other convention centres and hotels.

The partners strongly support our work and clients benefit from this strong local network. Thanks to this development, Stuttgart could extend its presence in international markets like the UK and US and intensify its domestic marketing activities.

Collaboration is key. Today Stuttgart is amongst the top German trade show and conference destinations.

EMEO: How would you say Stuttgart has developed in recent years as a business travel hub and what are the key reasons behind its growing appeal?

KG: Stuttgart’s tourism industry continues to expand steadily and reached a new all-time high in 2018.

With 3.91 million overnight stays overall and an increase of 3.4 percent compared with the year before, in 2018 the state capital’s tourism sector chalked up its best results. Business travel is consistently strong in Stuttgart and accounts for around 70 percent of all overnight stays. Key reasons are the strong local economy, easy accessibility and attractive meeting venues, as well as expanding meeting capacities and hotel rooms.

In 2007 Messe Stuttgart moved to

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its new venue. The location is unique in Germany – only 355 steps away from Stuttgart International Airport.

120,000 square metres of hall area are complemented by around 33 rooms that offer flexible use in the adjoining ICS (International Congress Center Stuttgart). Since the opening of these new capacities, Stuttgart has hosted larger trade shows, congresses and corporate events. Messe Stuttgart hosted 65 trade fairs alone in 2018, like the world’s leading trade fair for roller shutters, doors/gates and sun protection systems R+T and is the meeting point for the metal working industry AMB. Today Messe Stuttgart is one of the best occupied trade fair venues in Europe.

EMEO: Why, in your opinion, should someone visit Stuttgart?

KG: Inventive, cultivated, relaxing

“Messe Stuttgart hosted 65 trade fairs alone in 2018... and is one of the best occupied trade fair venues in Europe”

centre is perfectly walkable and is in a valley surrounded by hills. The location, with more than 200 metres height difference, makes it unique in Germany in terms of topography. Vista points invite one to relax with a drink and a fantastic panoramic view over the city after work.

EMEO: Are there any specific attractions, landmarks or places to eat and drink that you would and enticing at the same time – that recommend? for me describes Stuttgart best.

KG: Stuttgart is famous for being the In Stuttgart, nature goes hand in cradle of mobility, so it is no surprise hand with technology, and tradition that the iconic museums of Mercedeswith innovation. Its architecture is both Benz and Porsche are amongst the baroque and ultramodern. It spans the most visited attractions. They are also diversity of the pulsating economic unique event locations that impress metropolis and a wealth of culture on with outstanding architecture and the highest level. And all of this is to be unforgettable experiences. found amidst idyllic, topographically Stroll along Schlossplatz (Palace appealing green scenery. Stuttgart city Square) and enjoy the scenery of the

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Schlossplatz Kunstmuseum

New and Old Palace, get snacks at the historic market hall. In convenient walking distance, many options invite visitors to indulge in local food like potato salad and Maultaschen (Swabian Ravioli) or beef roast with Spätzle, wine and beer. The

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Leonhardsviertel is the place to go for after work drinks.

Stuttgart has been named the number one culture capital for the fourth time because of the diverse cultural attractions. For culture lovers I recommend visiting the impressive art exhibitions at Stuttgart Art Museum – an amazing glass cube with a great view over Schlossplatz or the State Gallery. An evening in the awardwinning Stuttgart State Theatre and Opera is also highly recommended.

A short ride by underground from Schlossplatz is the world’s first television tower with a fantastic view over the city and the lush green scenery.

Stuttgart also stages festivals throughout the year, i.e. the second largest beer festival in Germany and worldwide and the

Kunstmuseum

wine festival where visitors can taste local wine specialities. The picturesque Christmas market is also worth a visit.

EMEO: What trends are transforming the tourism industry in Stuttgart at present? How are you responding to these trends?

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the successful future development.

Stuttgart has thus positioned itself as the first China Pay city in Germany.

With 68,554 overnight stays in 2018, they represented Stuttgart’s fourth-largest foreign visitor market. Chinese users of Alipay and WeChat Pay can pay with their preferred payment option as of now in around 65 local contact points, including retailers, museums, restaurants and hotels. The aim is to offer Alipay and WeChat Pay in as many businesses relevant to this target group as possible. Stuttgart also has been one of the first German cities providing free Wi-Fi at public places like Schlossplatz since 2015.

KG: Travelling is about experience and convenience. We focus on consistently developing the destination and creating additional attractions. Collaboration is key to success for us. Creating high-grade offers and strategically expanding the infrastructure are decisive factors for

EMEO: Is there more news that you wish to highlight?

KG: This year we celebrate two anniversaries – 10 years of the Porsche Museum and 10 years of MotorWorld Stuttgart. Both are exciting event venues with diverse meeting options or can be enjoyed by automotive enthusiasts during an individual visit. Outletcity Metzingen – home of the fashion label Hugo Boss and Europe’s number one outlet opened 16 additional stores recently and provides exclusive options for individual shopping or incentives. What about a scenic drive in a rented Porsche through lush nature and stop by in Metzingen?

Just recently, the Outletcity Metzingen was named the European leader in economic performance in the Outlet Centre Performance Report Europe 2018. There is a regular “shopping shuttle” to Stuttgart’s city centre. We are also excited about hosting IBA2027 in Stuttgart Region.

Exactly 100 years after avant-garde architects from throughout Europe presented their radical “exemplary residential programme for modern metropolitan man” at Stuttgart’s Weissenhofsiedlung, the IBA 2027 aims

Weissenhofsiedlung was designed by Hans Scharoun in 1927

to find new answers to the questions of how we live, work and house in today’s digital, globalised world.

EMEO: Are you optimistic about the future of the tourism industry in Stuttgart?

KG: Stuttgart is a hidden champion.

It is not only a business destination – it is also about enjoyment of life, great food experiences and cultural highlights. Stuttgart offers so much to explore and surprises its visitors.

I invite all excited readers to get in touch with us to create their own Stuttgart experience.

Get in touch For more information on venue sourcing, accommodation services, and the largest local location database, visit: www.congress-stuttgart.com Contact: info@congress-stuttgart.de

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Outlook Recommends “In this, the capital of Baden-Württemberg, city slickers and down-to-earth country kids walk hand in hand, with no need to compromise” – Lonely Planet

HOTELS

VENUES

RESTAURANTS

Maritim Hotel Stuttgart

MHP Arena

Hupperts

Mövenpick Hotel Stuttgart Airport

Waggenhallen

Weinstube Am Stadtgraben

Mercedes-Benz Arena

Restaurant Christophorus

Le Méridien Stuttgart 38

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GALLERIES AND MUSEUMS

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Bürgerzentrum Waiblingen Meetings with a Difference www.buergerzentrum-waiblingen.de

Staatsgalerie

Outlook Creative Services

Outlook Publishing’s awardwinning in-house team is now utilising its extensive production skills to offer a full and bespoke range of editorial, design and marketing services via its new Outlook Creative Services division.

Mercedes-Benz Museum

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Transport Links

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Above: Modern metro station in Feuerbach. Top right: Stuttgart Rack Railway - the only urban rack railway in Germany, and one of only four rack railways operating in the country

ticket for delegates. If visitors book their hotels through our reservation system, they receive a free public transport ticket for the duration of their stay (valid until 2020 in dedicated partner hotels).”

In terms of getting to the city, Stuttgart is typically well-connected to other German and international PHOTO: PASCAL KOBEH

AS WITH MANY German cities, Stuttgart is bicycle-friendly with no fewer than 45 call-a-bike stands offering 30 minutes of free rental and very reasonable rates thereafter.

There is also a wealth of public transport options, as described by Grützner.

“I recommend the public transport system – underground, commuter trains and busses. Did you know that Stuttgart is the only German city where a rack railway and a funicular are part of the public transport network?

“The rack railway experience is amazing because you have a fantastic panoramic view over the city and towards the Stuttgart television tower.

We offer a special priced conference

destinations.

Grützner adds: “Generally, Stuttgart is very easy to get to: Stuttgart Airport connects more than 100 destinations and Frankfurt Airport is only 75 minutes by speed train from the city centre. Rail and road access are also very convenient.”

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Landmark Attractions The Porsche Museum

“A vision becomes reality. Immediately next to the headquarters of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen, you can today find one of the most spectacular car museums in the world” – Porsche

Fernsehturm

“Whether you think it a marvel or a monstrosity, the 217 metre-high Fernsehturm is one of Stuttgart’s most visible landmarks, with its needle-thin concrete spire poking up above the city. Built in 1956, it was the world’s first TV tower and the prototype for all to come” – Lonely Planet

Schloss Solitude

“Solitude Castle in the forests to the west of Stuttgart also is the work of the constructional minded Duke Carl Eugen” – Stuttgart Tourist

Weissenhof Estate

“Architecture enthusiasts are thrilled by the recent opening of the Weissenhof Estate, following many years of restoration. Built in 1927 for the Deutscher Werkbund exhibition, the estate showcases the pioneering modern architecture of the age, bearing the clean aesthetic imprint of 17 prominent architects, among them Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Le Corbusier and Walter Gropius” – Lonely Planet

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Reaching a combined audience of more than 395,000 people, EME Outlook covers a full range of industrial sectors: agriculture, construction, energy & utilities, finance, food & drink, healthcare, manufacturing, mining & resources, oil & gas, retail, shipping & logistics, technology and travel & tourism.

In joining the leading industry heavyweights already enjoying the exposure we can provide, you can benefit from FREE coverage across both digital and print platforms, a FREE marketing brochure, extensive social media saturation, enhanced B2B networking opportunities, and a readymade forum to attract new investment and to grow your business.

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Marketi ng Oppo

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ISSUE 30 ROBERT

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A new, strong C pillar of Bosch in Eastern Europe

luj-Napoca – the unofficial capital of Transylvania and hub of north-western Romanian culture, history and commerce.

Renowned for its landmarks dating to Saxon and Hungarian periods of rule, the city is also home to the vibrant and modern, from distinguished universities and reputable music festivals to bohemian cafes and vigorous nightlife.

The remit of modern further extends into industry, no better demonstrated than by the arrival of German manufacturing and technology giant Bosch in 2013.

Passing a five-year operational milestone, the German company’s facilities in the city of Cluj have emerged as a leading light in its automotive electronics operation

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Building on successful operations elsewhere in Romania, a country it has been present in for 25 years, the decision was taken to establish a new hub for automotive technology in both production and research capacities.

Enter Konrad Kaschek, renowned German engineering expert and Bosch veteran of more than three decades.

A company stalwart and about to enter retirement, his final chapter has involved overseeing the development of the Cluj facilities into an esteemed part of the organisation’s automotive and mobility solutions setup.

Kaschek’s Bosch journey began in 1985. “When I had finalised my studies at university, I wanted to prove myself to academics and the industry and find the right environment to work,” he recalls. “I wanted to discover my place in the sector.

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Konrad Kaschek, Plant Manager

“I remember visiting a Bosch site in 1985 and finding it a tremendously rewarding and interesting experience because there was so much visible talent. All the scientists and engineers were working with a career mission to

EME transform the world of automotive electronics – in 1985 there still was not as much in the way of automotive electronics as today, but I would say our work back then was the beginning of the boom that we see now.

“Bosch at the time also had a very clear, responsible mission which was to create clean, safe and economic mobility, and this was motivating up and coming engineers straight out of university. The company was ahead of its time, and the last three decades have shown that.”

Asked why he first joined the firm and the reason for remaining there for the rest of his career, Kaschek cites the group’s founding father.

“I am proud to be called a Bosch veteran,” Kaschek muses after being labelled as such.

rtunity

EME ROBERT BOSCH SRL, AUTOMOTIVE ELECTRONICS

Celebrating five years of landmark progress in Cluj

Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Thomas Arnold

P ELEVATOR 00 THYSSENKRUP an innovative Why the MULTI is answer to inner-city challenges

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Stuttgart: A leading for MICE tourism

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Changing British farming

for the better

Embracing new technologies the Netherlands all types of payments in

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+44 (0) 1603 959 650 ben.weaver@outlookpublishing.com

www.emeoutlookmag.com/get-involved

ROBERT

BOSCH

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A new, strong C pillar of Bosch in Eastern Europe

luj-Napoca – the unofficial capital of Transylvania and hub of north-western Romanian culture, history and commerce.

Renowned for its landmarks dating to Saxon and Hungarian periods of rule, the city is also home to the vibrant and modern, from distinguished universities and reputable music festivals to bohemian cafes and vigorous nightlife.

The remit of modern further extends into industry, no better demonstrated than by the arrival of German manufacturing and technology giant Bosch in 2013.

Passing a five-year operational milestone, the German company’s facilities in the city of Cluj have emerged as a leading light in its automotive electronics operation Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Thomas Arnold

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Building on successful operations elsewhere in Romania, a country it has been present in for 25 years, the decision was taken to establish a new hub for automotive technology in both production and research capacities.

Enter Konrad Kaschek, renowned German engineering expert and Bosch veteran of more than three decades.

A company stalwart and about to enter retirement, his final chapter has involved overseeing the development of the Cluj facilities into an esteemed part of the organisation’s automotive and mobility solutions setup.

Kaschek’s Bosch journey began in 1985. “When I had finalised my studies at university, I wanted to prove myself to academics and the industry and find the right environment to work,” he recalls. “I wanted to discover my place in the sector.

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Konrad Kaschek, Plant Manager

“I remember visiting a Bosch site in 1985 and finding it a tremendously rewarding and interesting experience because there was so much visible talent. All the scientists and engineers were working with a career mission to

EME transform the world of automotive electronics – in 1985 there still was not as much in the way of automotive electronics as today, but I would say our work back then was the beginning of the boom that we see now.

“Bosch at the time also had a very clear, responsible mission which was to create clean, safe and economic mobility, and this was motivating up and coming engineers straight out of university. The company was ahead of its time, and the last three decades have shown that.”

Asked why he first joined the firm and the reason for remaining there for the rest of his career, Kaschek cites the group’s founding father.

“I am proud to be called a Bosch veteran,” Kaschek muses after being labelled as such.

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“I am also a big fan of the man himself, Robert Bosch. He had a huge impact on society in many different ways and was a pioneer – just think that the company was already a global player more than one hundred years ago.

“Bosch was the right place for me, and I have always bought into the group slogan of INVENTED FOR LIFE.” Almost a century before Kaschek joined, in 1886, Robert Bosch founded the Workshop for Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering with one journeyman and one errand boy completing his staff.

Based in Stuttgart, it was the birth of what is now a global enterprise, characterised by strength in innovation and social commitment.

The early years, as is the case with many famous entrepreneurs, were defined by highs and lows, a major breakthrough coming in the late 1890s and early 1900s when Bosch started

installing a superior model of magneto ignition devices into automobiles.

This paved the way for the company to make its mark on the global stage, and today it employs more than 402,000 people who help to generate over €78 billion in annual revenue.

The group has been an automotive mainstay ever since it pioneered these early industry solutions, and in 1931 the founder coined a phrase that has very much remained at the heart of Bosch to this day.

“Never forget your humanity, and respect human dignity in your dealings with others,” he said, a human side to a technology-heavy enterprise that Kaschek himself values dearly.

Powering the present

Fast-forward more than 130 years and Bosch remains a forward-thinking, expansive enterprise defined by a social conscience and desire to positively impact the world.

SPEA

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ince 1976 we have been developing and producing innovative automatic test systems for all fields of electronics manufacturing. Efficient cooperation and sustainable partnerships - this is what we are practicing with global successful electronics producers.

You will find SPEA test systems in all hi-tech industries like space flight and aviation, telecommunication, automotive, medical technology and many more. The application fields of our testsystems ranges from microchips to electronic boards to backplanes and complete electronic systems.

Our products • Flying probe testers - the fastest, the most accurate • Bed-of-nail testsystems – from a manufacturing defects analyser to a high-performance system for complex functional tests or test of power modules • Equipment for semiconductor industries – reel-to-reel handler, pick-and-place handler, burn in board loader, burn in board unloader • Software for repair, quality data management and process optimisation in the electronics manufacturing Our service • Preparation of test- and customer specific adapters • Creation of test programmes (ICT, OBP, FKT)

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• Complete solutions from a single source

• Efficient service and support around the topic of testing SPEA test systems provide highest fault coverage at maximum test speeds. This guarantees maximum productivity and reduced test costs. That’s why we are number one in Europe in the field of ICT. An important part of Bosch Romania’s Cluj operation is to train up graduates

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SPEA GmbH Ruhberg 2, 35463 Fernwald, Germany T +49 6404 697 0 / +49 6404 697 120 E spea.germany@spea.com

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Inline contactin contacting unit

Drawer receiver

Pylon interface

Connector interface

Customer-specific interfaces

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TEST THE VEHICLES OF TOMORROW TODAY

Overcome rapidly changing test requirements and innovate with confidence using an open and easily upgradable platform that is designed for test system flexibility.

ni.com/automotive

Š2019 National Instruments. All rights reserved. National Instruments, NI, and ni.com are trademarks of National Instruments.

Other product and company names listed are trademarks or trade names of their respective companies. 34534

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This attitude reverberates throughout the company’s manufacturing operation in Cluj, a relative newcomer in the grand scheme of Bosch’s illustrious history.

“I have loved working in Romania and in such a vibrant city like Cluj,” Kaschek says.

“In principle we combine cutting edge R&D, manufacturing and shared service capabilities here on site. This is something new because the classical setup is to have a production plant or an engineering site separate to these other services, but in the Cluj County it is all here.”

The facility based in Jucu, for which Kaschek has served as Plant Manager, falls under the mobility solutions umbrella and specialises in automotive electronics.

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I am also a big fan of the man himself, Robert Bosch. He had a huge impact on society in many different ways and was a pioneer”

Since October 2013 it has been producing components designed for areas such as driving assistance, safety and comfort management. To give an idea of scale, in 2017 alone the plant made more than 43 million electronic

parts, including control units for parking assistance systems and solutions for engine controls and airbags.

The site has embraced the newest technologies and adopted industry 4.0 practices, allowing it to pioneer in many different fields.

“We have a very young and committed workforce determined to find the next solutions in automotive and mobility technology,” Kaschek adds.

“This includes a new branch looking closely into two-wheel powertrain systems, producing electronics for things like pedelecs, bicycles where the rider’s pedalling is assisted by an electric motor.

“This is a high-volume consumer industry – lifestyle products which are growing in popularity around the world, especially in places like Europe,

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ehicles and drivers are gaining a new level of safety from ADAS. Safety systems were once only backup cameras and parking assistance. Now, they are being fused with other subsystems and integrated with new technology to provide life-saving features like emergency braking. In the years or months to come, autonomous vehicles will change the way we view transportation and even live our lives. NI is working with experts like Bosch to make this vision of the near and distant future a reality.

NI’s platform-based approach combines best-in-class hardware with software tools designed to increase test coverage while reducing the cost of test. With this native support for the wide breadth of I/O in vehicles and decades of investment in timing and synchronisation, NI helps any automotive manufacturer better test the sensor fusion techniques used in vehicles today. And because NI’s tools are modular and flexible, you can future-proof your test systems and adapt to new technology as it makes its way into the vehicles of today and tomorrow.

Technologies like radar, cameras, and RF communications will work together to give a vehicle a more complete view of the world around it. As these technologies and systems are used in more safety-critical applications, the testing to ensure they function properly needs to be more rigorous while adapting to rapid innovation. Additionally, to ensure that autonomous vehicles are safer than human drivers, they will need extensive testing to both help with the design of vehicle components and validate that the hardware and software perform correctly.

Using NI’s flexible platform-based approach means Bosch can own the test system IP and make changes quickly rather than solely relying on a third-party vendor. This flexible platform-based approach enables companies like Bosch to take a comprehensive systems approach to design, test, and give the world a new generation of electric vehicles in addition to vehicle autonomy.

NI is a proud preferred supplier of Bosch for modular instrumentation in production and validation testing. Companies around the world like Bosch, continue to rely on NI products and services to build sophisticated automated test and measurement systems as well as allow for easier integration and more accurate test data, which has already resulted in reduced time to market for Bosch.

NI offers a single, software-centric, platformbased approach to automotive tests that can natively integrate all the I/O types needed to test today’s and tomorrow’s ADAS technology. The same platform can then be used in all aspects of system design from characterisation through verification and validation and even onto the production floor.

Work with NI to overcome the pressure of these rapidly changing test requirements using an open and easily upgradable platform that offers the test system flexibility you need to test the vehicles of tomorrow today.

T (+40) 364 803 500 E ni.romania@ni.com ni.com/automotive

31 years in the service of environmental protection

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Japan and the United States. Bosch sells over a million e-bike powertrain products a year, and in Cluj we produce the electric control units for these systems.”

Five years and counting

The two-wheel powertrain niche is just one of many specialisms the Cluj operation has become renowned for within the Bosch Group.

In just five years, the division has recorded a number of sizable achievements, in no small part because of the knowledge and dedication of both Kaschek and his team of employees.

“One of the things I am most proud about is the group of young, ambitious and talented employees that has emerged here in Cluj,” he says.

“We hire directly from local universities and they are very technology-focussed – our plant is very modern and our specialism in automotive electronics naturally means we need the brightest

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technological minds in Romania.”

Perhaps the greatest accolade, however, is how in such a short time the plant has managed to secure prominent supplier relationships with some of the world’s largest automotive OEMs, companies whose supply chains are notoriously difficult to break into.

Overseeing one of the most complex product lifecycles of anything manufactured, automakers are understandably rigorous in their examinations of which suppliers to place their valuable trust in.

“We have been able to build ourselves up as a key supplier to these major automotive producers, not only here in Europe but around the world,” says Kaschek. “For example, we supply OEMs as far away as Japan.

“This is a huge achievement for us as these customers have extremely stringent requirements and standards, and we have been able to meet these needs.”

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Landmark contracts with these companies have provided a steady stream of business for the Cluj site, helping it to achieve production volumes that bely its short existence and are to the envy of many, more established manufacturing facilities.

“In terms of figures, we have delivered more than 150 million control units to the market during the last five years, which points to the fact we have won the trust of customers thanks to our focus on quality,” Kaschek adds.

“Further, we have made sure we are part of the future in terms of Bosch standards and its strategic development of mobility products.

“After five years, it is extremely satisfying to know we have been accepted as a full member of the Bosch global manufacturing network for some of the most knowledgeable, experienced and reliable parts of the Bosch business. We are, ultimately, contributing to Bosch’s strong

competitiveness in the global market.

You simply will not get the business if you are not good, especially in a sector like this where customer trust is everything.”

A Romanian mainstay

Cluj represents the newest in a series of Bosch locations in Romania, operating under five entities: Robert Bosch SRL, Bosch Automotive SRL, Bosch Rexroth Sales SRL, Bosch Service Solutions SRL, and BSH Electrocasnice SRL. The first was established in 1994 in the form of a sales office in Bucharest, now headquarters of the company’s national operations.

In 2007 in Blaj, around 100 kilometres south of Cluj, the firm, under its Bosch Rexroth subsidiary, opened a plant to produce linear motor and assembly technologies. The site also specialises in electric drives and controls, industrial hydraulics and industry 4.0 solutions.

BENOPLAST

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ased on its 15 years of experience in the sector, Benoplast aims to have “the highest quality in production and service” in order to supply the demands of its domestic& international customers and to compete by creating differences that go beyond the price issues.

Benoplast is providing high quality goods to automotive, electronics, logistics, textile, pharmaceutical, agriculture, chemical and food companies.

In addition to being identified as a socially and environmentally friendly company, Benoplast maintains its leadership position through its outstanding service approach and its facilities that are equipped with the latest technologies.

For Benoplast; quality, customer satisfaction and sustainability are not only entrenched in the values and traditions of the company, but it is also the absolute foundation for long-term corporate success.

The company will not give up the principle of establishing long-term customer relations based on mutual trust and understanding and will always continue to sustain its place in the sector by respecting to customers, competitors, suppliers, employees and social environment.

Currently, the export of Benoplast covers more than 65 countries around the world and this number is expanding based on common respect and gainxxxxxxxxx with our Xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx growing customer network.

Built to last…

www.benoplast.com Xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx

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Further west in Timisoara, Bosch Service Solutions operates as one of the leading providers of business process outsourcing (BPO) services.

Working in more than 18 languages, this unit’s work covers customer relations management, IT and technical support, as well as support for business processes such as sales and marketing, finances and accounting, and purchasing.

Combined, these entities employ more than 7,000 people, known as Bosch associates, a marked rise on the 4,800 people working for the firm just a year earlier.

In 2017, the Romanian group turned over €416 million in consolidated revenue, a figure which rises to €931 million once sales of non-consolidated companies and internal deliveries to affiliated businesses are taken into account. This represents strong growth on 2016, a year which saw consolidated revenue of €332 million

and total net sales of €592 million.

While Bosch has been enjoying a concerted period of growth over recent years, its footprint in Romania can be traced back far further than many may have anticipated, including Kaschek. Indeed, the firm has been selling goods into the country for more than 100 years.

“I have seen an original catalogue that dates all the way back to 1914,” Kaschek explains, “and it shows that in Romania Bosch was offering more than 1,000 automotive products.

“The automotive nervous system was very much in Romania and very advanced back then, and this, I have to say, surprised me somewhat when I discovered it.”

Forward thinking

This longstanding presence shows no sign of slowing down, not least because Bosch is heavily investing in research and development in Cluj

DICO AND TIGANAS

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ico and Tiganas – architecture and engineering are together with Bosch in Romania for 15 years, designing, building and maintaining…and for the last 5 years in Jucu, Cluj.

As architects, spatial planners and engineers we are engaged with our clients and partners to think the future research, design and production facilities. Among many principles and technical issues concerning the complexity of such projects, there is one above the other: Every new project is meant to be better than the previous, for progress through innovation, feedback, and collaborative design.

Buildings are designed by people for people to use them and work in the best conditions for their purposes. Inspiring Working Conditions, a programme by Bosch based on a philosophy oriented to people behaviour, and enhancing the performance and satisfaction of the users, is implemented in the new generation of buildings.

Sustainability is our main common goal referring to all perspectives and scales: people, communities, buildings, nature, activities, or business. To achieve better and better results we use integrated design and BIM, building information modelling, allowing us all (designer, investor and user) to envision not only the future environment, but also to analyse at every moment its performance and to improve and adapt spaces for new uses, in time.

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are together with

Realized by Bosch Real Estate in Cooperation with DICO si TIGANAS design office SRL www.dicositiganas.ro

We develop all

projects in

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alongside its prolific production operation.

The Bosch Engineering Center opened its doors in 2013, its remit being to focus on automated driving, electric mobility, connected industry and local innovation. Engineers at the

MANUFACTURING IN ROMANIA A BRIEF RECENT HISTORY The fall of Communism in 1989 prompted a conflict of interest between former managers of heavy industry, who opposed the transition to a market economy, and many labourers, who sought what was then seen as radical reform.

Lighter industry appeared a hopeful prospect and began to attract the attention of multinational investors through the 1990s and after the turn of the millennium.

Indeed, the machine building and metal processing sectors still account for about 20 percent of Romania’s entire industrial production.

A strong tendency to concentrate on modern subsectors such as electronics is a trend that has characterised the country’s recent manufacturing development, further highlighted by Bosch’s arrival in the mid-1990s. The young, bright labour force, coupled with a strategic proximity to Western Europe, has been a major lure for international organisations.

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R&D hub develop ideas covering a great array of specialisms, including software solutions and algorithms for image processing, real time object detection in different driving situations, software solutions for enhanced connectivity of electric vehicles, as well as smart sensors and industry 4.0 solutions. The centre also provides engineering services to all Bosch locations and local customers.

More than 500 Bosch associates are involved in activities here, contributing towards a huge global R&D team of almost 68,700 employees which commands an overall annual expenditure of €6 billion.

“Bosch I would say is one of the real technology companies,” says Kaschek.

“We are not a one-product company or purely focussed on one service – we can provide expertise on a very wide range of areas, including software.

“A clear target of ours for example, is to enter the cloud platform business sector with globally competitive solutions. The company therefore invests a lot of money in software research, for example with our Bosch Automotive Cloud Services and the Bosch IoT-Suite.”

This portfolio of connected mobility solutions makes it possible to develop, operate, and sell services for connected cars, systems which are designed to fundamentally transform the way we move from A to B. It is Bosch’s vision to help create emissions-free, stress-free, and accidentfree mobility, tapping into a market that PwC predicts will constitute more than 470 million connected vehicles by 2025.

By 2022, the market for mobility services and associated digital services will be worth some €140 billion.

“As well as competing, we also cooperate with the big platform companies on projects such as in autonomous driving,” continues Kaschek. “For instance, in China we are partnering with other companies to map Chinese traffic situations.”

PLASTIC TECHNOLOGY SERVICE Plastic industry looks to “smart factory” Companies looking to the digital transformation of their production from a very early stage - prepare and secure your competitiveness. What is needed to implement this? Online production organisation and management combined with flexible automation, process control, integration of order and process data are all components for networked production.

Sequences can be implemented, enabling fast and secure data exchange between machines, tools, products and peripheral equipment, and process and ordering management systems, based on cloud solutions.

Plastic, like many other industries, is more than ready to use all the benefits of the “smart factory”.

• Traceability is important, from the finished part back to the granulate. Meet the increasing documentation requirements such as those in automotive or medical manufacturing.

• Synchronising production and material supply due to material verification via bar code scanning.

• Automatic assignment and documentation of material data to orders – including information on the current batch, previous dying process or combination of mixture.

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• Specific identification via bar code for moulds or robot grippers.

• Part identification with process data such as date, order number, material and batch.

• Online order immediately triggers production order.

• Carrier information product by laser/ print QR code or memory chip or RFID integration Digitisation of the factory makes it possible to integrate processes with flexibility to respond to changes.

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a solely trade partner in the field of plastics processing machinery on Romanian market, at disposal of the customer to supply equipment as well as service and technical assistance promptly and in efficient way, during warranty and after the warranty period.

Leader in the field, produces electrical, hybrid and hydraulic injection moulding machines with closing forces from 125 to 6,500 kN, robotic systems, designed turnkey projects, as well as solutions for production management by implementing the concept Industrie 4.0

The assets of our partners, here on the right, who all are leading manufacturers of industrial equipment combined with our expertise consultancy and projects is resulting in the winning formula handed over to our customers Our aim is to increase the business of our clients, helping to: - reach more effectiveness by optimization, - increase their production capacity using all machinery features - enter new market fields - drive and manage any development related to plastic processing - enter the new era of Industrie 4.0

- adiabatic systems - mk evo Green: the new generation of cooling /refrigerant gas

Producing performant models of pickers and robot systems, as well as automation cells for various application, for standard injection moulding machines: eDesign, sDesign, xDesign and xLine

International leader recognized for its innovations in temperature control technology Thermo 5: adjusts and controls the temperature in the mould by: completely automatic process monitoring and continuous monitoring for temperature, flow and pressure

"Have goals ?

We have solutions" We can rely to confim on: Flaro Prod SA, Harplast srl, 4 MMP SRL, Harting Manufacturing SCS, Marquardt Schaltsysteme SCS, Bosch Automotive SRL, Continental Powertrain Romania SRL, Dedienne Roumanie SRL, Sumida Romania SRL, Oechsler Romania SRL, Minimold International SRL, a.s.o.

Dedicated cooling systems using the last technologies with concern for minimum effect on the environment

New: Thermo 5 with water for 230°C

Develops and produces feeding, dosing and drying systems for plastic materials processing industry with concern for low energy consumption and original solutions.

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Indeed, the company is working to transform the transport landscape with many other mobility providers in areas including rail transport, car sharing and parking space management, among others.

Bosch is uniquely placed to combine its IT competence with extensive automotive knowhow and understanding of vehicle data, underpinned by its long-lasting expertise in mobility services.

Investing in the future

Such knowhow has been acquired and spread throughout the enterprise via more than a century of knowledge sharing, a process which continues to serve it honourably to this day and one that is no better emphasised than by Kaschek himself.

“If you want to enjoy a long career here, you have to be committed as a leader and as a team player,” he says, going on to describe the many ways

Bosch involves itself in educational activities in Romania.

“Our engineering colleagues are running an event at the end of May involving many universities in the country, inviting them to participate in a competition to investigate and develop creations geared towards the future of mobility technology like AI. “This will help generate awareness on both sides – for us to identify the best talents and for the students themselves to be aware of what we at Bosch are doing in the country. Cluj has very strong academic institutions and Romania generally has a well-educated population.”

Another development is in the form of a dual school education system.

Through this programme, Bosch has developed partnerships with high schools and vocational schools in Cluj-Napoca, Blaj and Alba Iulia, giving students the opportunity to expand their practical knowledge in a real

GRUP ENERGOINSTAL SA

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eadquartered in the city of Cluj-Napoca, Romania, Grup Energoinstal SA is a company specialised in mounting installations systems in industrial and civil buildings.

Set up in 1988, the company has continuously developed the technological infrastructure for installations systems and the passage to new and efficient solutions, motivated by the highest levels of customer satisfaction.

Due to the dedication of our personnel, we are one of the first Romanian companies to offer a full suite of services for the entire process of the installations execution, from consulting to mounting of the installations systems and servicing during warranty and postwarranty.

This ample diversification of the company allows us to efficiently build its strategies for any con-tracted investment project.

Some of our customers include Bosch (Germany), Emerson (USA), De’Longhi (Italy), Rigips (Great Britain), Scandia (Romania), La Lorraine (Belgium), Harting (Germany), Ecolor (Sweden), Thimm (Germany), Pfeiffer (France).

Our training policies are always a key focus, both domestically and internationally, allowing us to consistently improve the quality of the works performed and offer our customers services that are tailored to their individual requirements.

Our company values include Xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx responsibility, quality and conformity – we answer for all the compa-ny’s actions, and readily understand all the applicable, laws, regulations, domestic and internation-al regulations, applying them effectively when necessary.

Our company treats all the parties interested in doing business with us with professionalism, pro-moting the principle of equal opportunities, with a correct conduct toward customers, employees, suppliers, authorities or competitors.

www.gei.ro

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• Design and technical consulting • Mounting of installations systems • Service and maintenance 400397 Cluj-Napoca, jud. Cluj, ROMANIA, Calea Dezmirului no 8 T 0040-264-438 352 | F 0040-264-453 261 E office@gei.ro | ofertare@gei.ro | aprovizionare@gei.ro Representative of South Area - Bucharest - Ing.Victor RADUCA T 0727 228 642 E victor.raduca@gei.ro

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working environment. So far, more than 400 pupils have started careers at the company via these schemes.

“We have a lot of automation and robots involved with our operations,” Kaschek continues. “Bosch therefore needs extremely smart engineering and maintenance people to manage these machines to the highest level of professional craftsmanship.

“German industry through time has been defined by its approach to this type of education, and we want to establish this in Romania and other countries we are in.”

In the realm of higher education, 2017 saw Bosch launch a master’s programme in electrical engineering and an automated driving course in collaboration with the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca.

“There is more activity to come on this front, especially in the direction of industry 4.0 given that Bosch is a big user and supplier,” adds Kaschek. “The

city is becoming an IT hub and has a lot of capability in the area of software engineering.

“Another important consideration is that Bosch must continue to be attractive for the next generation of engineers, both in terms of the products we make, the facilities we operate in and the culture in which we work. Robert Bosch as a brand is still building itself up in Romania even though it has been here for many decades.”

Several other developments have helped to this end. For example, in 2017 the firm opened a dedicated training centre inside the Jucu plant, with modern training rooms designed for Bosch associates and students in the dual education system.

The same year saw the company offer its staff over 2,500 training days in Romania, while 800 employees developed their competencies at Bosch locations outside of the country,

GLOBAL SOURCE

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lobal Source is a high-level technology equipment provider, offering customised solutions across a broad range of applications, including microscopy, sample preparation, measurement, testing and analysing, industrial and laboratory furniture, and a variety of production tools.

Our wide range of capabilities is reflected in our work in multiple industry fields, such as electronics, medical, automotive, aerospace, universities and research institutions.

We are proud of our partnership with Robert Bosch, providing the company with microscopy solutions for quality control and inline inspection, ESD and technical furniture, as well as customised technical equipment.

Our company’s main focus is to offer the best support and service for all equipment provided. We guide our customers to make the most suitable decisions by offering consultancy, free demos or trials, and also on-site training and installation. Through our customer support and our dedicated engineers, we are committed to assist and to offer expert use and care advice to fully benefit from every equipment.

Get a free product demo by contacting us at +40 368 002 528 or contact@globalsource.ro

www.globalsource.ro

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Zoltan Marko Business Development Manager E z.marko@globalsource.ro T +40 729 917 391 Xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx

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initiatives which follow the global group mantra of creating inspirational places to work.

Motivated by sustainability

Another oft-cited inspiration for prospective and current recruits at Bosch is its unflappable commitment to developing solutions which have sustainability at their core.

Put simply, sustainability means securing the company’s long-term success while at the same time protecting the natural environment on which present and future generations depend. The company slogan that Kaschek identifies himself with, INVENTED FOR LIFE, not only applies to the fundamentals of the business, but also its outlook on socioenvironmental responsibility.

This is summed up by the straightforward desire to create products and services that improve people’s lives and conserve natural

resources at the same time, whether it be making renewable energy systems more efficient or developing emissionand accident-free mobility solutions.

For Kaschek, this is a major differentiator.

“The focus of Bosch and its supplier network on sustainability is without doubt one of the company’s biggest strengths.

“It is one of our main motivations, and we are in Cluj to create a sustainable investment that is working long-term to benefit the lives of people and the environment around them.

The dynamic between humans and machines will be vital in this equation.”

This ethos of Bosch is backed up by raw numbers. Of the €7.3 billion groupwide spend on R&D in 2018, 54 percent went towards products covering environmental and safety areas.

Bosch also has a worldwide series of targets concerning its own emissions and environmental footprint, and

PROMIK

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roMik, ever since its foundation in 1995 offers a most comprehensive suite of tools and systems for the programming of standalone/embedded Flash memories and represents state of the art technology and a de-facto standard in the industry. It ranges from portable devices for development, new product introduction to complex systems for volume in-line, on-board production.

Sourced by strong collaboration with the semiconductor industry, ProMik is one of the most innovative companies that offers Flash programming solutions for newest semiconductors well before its market introduction.

Regardless of the market segments, continuous sustainable success can only be achieved by highest quality and reliability. Moreover, in the manufacturing area programming equipment must offer attributes like fastest programming time (meeting line cycle time), easy installation and handling, conclusive traceability and highest programming quality. Thus, undivided attention is being granted this production process that significantly determines customer’s overall production cost and product quality, short-term and long-term.

Bosch, our esteemed worldwide customer and partner does value our advantageous production solutions in broadest range and in many factories around the globe. ProMik’s homogenous programming systems allow far-reaching benefit from reuse of knowledge, time-xxxxxxxxxxx and money-efficient Xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx production moves around the globe and cost efficient requalification processes.

It is ProMik’s continuing determination to guide and to support Bosch throughout the entire process, from product development to full production ramp ensuring a seamless plug and play introduction of complex Flash programming solutions.

T +49 (0) 911 25 26 65-0 F +49 (0) 911 25 26 65-66 E info@promik.com

www.promik.com

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The next technology for on-board flash programming in production Innovation in the automotive industry is determined by increasing complexity of electronic applications and subsequent major challenges for suppliers to meet automotive OEM requirements. The programming process in electronic manufacturing is becoming increasingly critical for the success of tier 1 companies. Modern on-board programming of microcontrollers and flash memories are replacing classic chip level programming approaches due to its manifold advantages.

For almost a quarter of a century ProMik has addressed the challenge of on-board flash programming by developing smart and very efficient flash programming system solutions.

“PARALLEL FLASH PROGRAMMING SOLUTIONS AT THE PHYSICAL LIMITS OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES” • Deep knowledge of newest microcontroller technologies and embedded applications • Programming solutions for parallel programming at physical limits • Margin verify, software-controlled programming voltage and control of watch dog behavior • Highest programming quality at maximum throughput, shortest cycle times “SCALABLE PROGRAMMING EQUIPMENT FOR PRODUCTION” • Modular and scalable, standard hardware and software tools for easy integration in the production environment MSP2150Net 19” rack solution • Seamless adaption to project specific use cases • High-speed programming via native (JTAG, CSI, QSPI, etc.) as well as fieldbus interfaces (CAN, CAN-FD, FlexRay, BroadR-Reach) MSP2150Net 19” rack sution “SMART-ICT – PROMIK`S INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO COMBINE DIFFERENT PROCESS STEPS” • Smart solutions embracing classical production processes • Combining In-Circuit-Test functions, flash programming and functional test • Reduced investment costs and floor space

“HOMOGENOUS SOLUTIONS FROM DEVELOPMENT TO FULLY AUTOMATED IN-LINE SYSTEMS FOR PRODUCTION” • Customized manual adapters for development and sample production • Robot operated semi-automated systems • Fully automated in-line systems • Project specific customized fixtures • Fully tested plug & play solutions for production “DEVELOPING AND INTEGRATING OF CYBER SECURITY SOLUTIONS” • Broad knowledge of customized cyber security requirements • Intuitive handling concept for administrators and operators with ProMik`s excellent FlashTask Pro production suite software.

• Time optimized set-up and resulting reduced operational costs in manufacturing • Encrypted key handling throughout the complete process chain • Management of diverse and complex Cyber Security requirements • Implementation of microcontroller specific security mechanisms Throughout numerous successful realizations of flash programming solutions, ProMik has gained deep understanding of production needs related to Flash Programming challenges, including Cyber Security solutions, linking of Manufacturing Execution Systems to the programming process, and application specific flash solutions.

Are you looking for world-class engineered solutions eliminating your on-board programming bottleneck, managing of your Cyber Security challenges, reducing total costs of ownership, and having a reliable partner when it comes down to timely support?

Then we are looking forward to hearing from you and supporting you in your upcoming projects.

PLEASE CONTACT US: Phone: +49 (0) 911 25 26 65-0 | Fax: +49 (0) 911 25 26 65-66 E-Mail: info@promik.com www.promik.com

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BUNZL DISTRIBUTIE

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e are a focused and successful specialised international distribution group with activity in Romania since 2005. Our products covers four areas: personal protection, professional cleaning, packaging and gastro equipment.

By outsourcing to us the purchasing, consolidation and distribution of a broad range of everyday items, our customers are able to focus on their core businesses.

The value we are adding continuously to numerous businesses around the globe, has made Bunzl a well-known and recognised international distribution company.

Bunzl is adapting constantly to the evolving business environment and is focussing on organic growth, acquisitions and operating efficiencies.

www.bunzlromania.ro

MORPHOZA promising progress has been made in recent years.

For example, it has reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 32.8 percent (2017 figure) since 2007, well on its way to 2020’s goal of 35 percent.

In terms of annual targets, 2017 saw a 2.7 percent year-on-year reduction in waste, comfortably more than the two percent target, which also applies to water reduction. In this area, Bosch recorded a 6.5 percent drop.

Sustainability at the organisation also covers many other elements, including health and safety. Here, Bosch has an ambition to reach 1.7 accidents per million hours worked by 2020, the current figure sitting at 2.3.

The group further aims to carry out 1,000 environmental and occupational health and safety audits at suppliers between 2010 and 2020 – so far it

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has completed more than 740 such inspections.

Another aspect of sustainability involves managerial diversity and growing the proportion of women who fill leadership positions. Currently, around 16.1 percent of such roles are occupied by females, a figure which Bosch hopes to raise to 20 percent by 2020.

A corporate Romanian citizen

Bosch’s definition of sustainability also extends into addressing a great number of other social issues.

This naturally intertwines with its corporate social responsibility agenda, something which is taken extremely serious by Kaschek and the Cluj operation as well as in other locations throughout Romania.

In 2017-2018 alone, Bosch involved

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osch Corporate department for Real Estate in close co-operation with Morphoza developed an Inspiring Working Conditions design for Bosch Jucu Plant, Romania, Morphoza driving the change management process as well as the definition of the new working conditions.

In order to design a workplace that encourages creative and productive practices and makes efficient use of the existing resources, Morphoza analysed the interactions between teams and their needs, without losing focus of the company’s business objectives. Based on interviews with more than 200 associates, we developed a tailor-made design that combines the corporate requirements with local influences and the associates’ aesthetic preferences and ergonomic needs.

T +40 264 276 687 E office@morphoza.ro

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We support businesses all over the world with a variety of products that are essential for our customers in the successful operation of their businesses.

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itself in more than 100 CSR activities in the country.

Such endeavours include long-term support for charitable organisations working with disadvantaged citizens and on environmental and educational projects.

In recent years, this has involved close collaboration with groups such as SOS Satele Copiilor, Concordia Association, Mai Mult Verde, Habitat for Humanity, and Regina Maria Foundation/Adfaber Association. Work with these bodies has taken the form of renovating social care centres, organisation of activities with children, and supporting afforestation, recycling and environmental protection campaigns.

“Since we started in Cluj, we have supported the community in the form of many activities, be it environmental initiatives or financial aid for educational institutions,” adds

Kaschek. “We are also supporting regional society activities like festivals where different ethnic groups participate and enjoy together.

“The main focus of our CSR, however, concentrates on enhancing the development of young people – our brand is very visible, especially in education circles.”

Bosch’s day-to-day business also seeks to support the regional economy through use of local suppliers, part of a balanced approach to procurement that also sees the Cluj operation utilise the Bosch group’s purchasing organisation’s international buying power.

“We have a mixture of global and local suppliers,” Kaschek explains. “For example, Bosch has a high demand for plastic moulding and mechanical parts for things like connecters, housings and so on, and our philosophy for these products is to buy in the region

NORDSON ASYMTEK

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ordson ASYMTEK supplies automated fluid dispensing and conformal coating systems globally to a wide range of industries.

We are a customer focused, technology driven company, which means customers like Bosch approach us with very specific requirements and practical challenges from the production floor.

Our goal is to provide a solution by either offering one of our existing systems or by jointly developing an entirely new one to meet the customer’s needs. We use the learnings from close collaborations we have with partners like Bosch, to further develop products which meet the current and future industry demands.

A great example of this is our new S-Line, designed to overcome the challenge of limited floorspace that many customers in Europe face, by offering a footprint efficient solution.

Tell us about your challenge!

nordsonasymtek.com

PLM GmbH

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or 20 years we have been the partner for the production of resistance welding electrodes.

Since 2006 we have been working in close cooperation with various Bosch plants worldwide. Our core competency is the production of new electrodes,but also the regeneration of used electrodes.

The continuous optimisation of the manufacturing processes makes us a reliable and competent partner. From the incoming inspection of the used electrodes to the documented final inspection, we guarantee process stability and the same quality of new and regenerated electrodes. We only use materials from renowned manufacturers to guarantee you the best possible quality.

T +49 72 34 / 9 46 41 -0 E info@plm-gmbh.de

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EME

The perfect coating line solution for your business. ∙ Up to a 50%

footprint savings compared to other coating lines

∙ Single supplier

∙ Central line control ∙ Automated inspection

Panorama™ S-Line

Conformal Coating. Start to Finish.

∙ Full traceability ∙ Low cost of ownership

Contact us now! +31 493 352 752 info-emea@nordsonasymtek.com nordsonasymtek.com

Industry 4.0

Productive, high-performance, with the human touch Our high-performance and innovative family-owned company supplies industrial and research & development institutions nationally and internationally with state-of-the-art technology and trend-setting production processes.

We are the specialist to go to for the processing of refractory metals and high-purity metals such as molybdenum, tungsten, tungsten alloys, tantalum, platinum, gold, silver, palladium, etc.

A state-of-the-art machinery plant guarantees our partners the realization of all their requirements, from the planning to the completion of specific components – everything from a single source.

We are a competent partner with technical advice on how to bring your ideas to the page and manufacture prototypes, single parts, and series.

PLM GmbH Am Sägewerk 11 D-75242 Neuhausen Phone: +49 72 34 / 9 46 41 -0 Fax: +49 72 34 / 9 46 41 -99 eMail: info@plm-gmbh.de

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for the region. Eastern Europe has a strong manufacturing base for these components and Romania is now starting to build up its capacity.

Itself being part of a hugely complex automotive supply chain, Bosch knows what it takes to succeed as a supplier to this fast-moving industry.

“Step by step we can contribute to develop the knowledge and experience at local startups,” explains Kaschek. “We also like to cooperate with local branches of proven suppliers. There is also a strong growth potential for small and mid-size engineering companies to thrive in this area in Romania, as currently we are relying a lot on limited capacities of providers from countries like Austria and Germany for these services. This is especially valid for industrial and machine building related software development.”

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A corporate global citizen

Kaschek quite rightly points to the visibility of the Bosch brand, not only in Romania but around the world, both in terms of its core business and social activities.

“A huge amount of work is also carried out by the Robert Bosch Foundation,” he adds, “an organisation within the group which spends millions per year globally to deepen ties between Europe and other parts of the world.”

Also known as Robert Bosch Stiftung, the body was set up in 1964 and has been continuing the public welfare legacy imparted by its founder.

It is funded through shareholder dividends of the group, and is active in the areas of healthcare, science, society, education, and international relations. Recent years have seen it adopt a more focused approach,

working on three issues: migration, integration, and participation; social cohesion in Germany and Europe; and viable living environments.

The foundation supports around 700 projects a year under this remit, with a particular focus on peace given the rising number of conflicts occurring worldwide.

In 2017 this equated to €100.5 million of project grants, around one third of this being devoted to research at institutes like the Robert Bosch Hospital and international relations activity.

Strengthening international economies is another means of addressing instability and social inequality, and Bosch is again active in this field. For example, the company’s four local foundations in Brazil, China, India, and the United States spent just under €9 million on regional aid projects in 2017.

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LONGSTANDING TOP PARTNERS FOR HIGH-TECHNOLOGY

• Built-in quality and reliability • Large range of standard products • Custom Solutions • Worldwide Sales • Worldwide Service support

GRINDING MACHINES

Brands of

www.elb-schliff.de www.aba-grinding.de

www.nutek.com

The Intelligent Solutions Company Supporting Automotive Electronics Manufacturing, with Industry Leading Technologies

Quiptech is a proud partner of the Bosch Automotive Electronics Plant and Engineering Centre.

Congratulations on your 5 year anniversary in Cluj, Romania

IT systems that suit your business best; Full tech support for software and hardware, from installation to configuration; Modern hardware equipment, such as systems, servers, peripherals.

WWW.QUIPTECH.COM WWW.EMEOUTLOOKMAG.COM

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Embracing the future

The conversation with Kaschek soon turns to the future, and inevitably the topic of industry 4.0 reemerges.

“This is key to connected industry and standardisation,” he says, pointing towards the mass of valuable data being created by the company’s activities in Cluj.

“Here we have a fully-integrated database system that is covering our production – every individual device we make is traceable with around 400 kilobytes of data recorded real time for each product. When you consider the 150 million devices we have produced so far, that is a lot of information.

“Our automotive production is fully networked around the world, and we are one of the pacesetters for industry 4.0 globally. We have many visitors to our Cluj plant, and they are often amazed at the level of sophistication and connectivity involved.”

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Kaschek also pays homage to Bosch Rexroth, the division dedicated to supporting and deploying industry 4.0 solutions in mechanical and plant engineering environments, referring to it as a market leader in drive and control technologies.

Whether it is helping in the economical production of small batch sizes or saving energy while concurrently increasing productivity and output, Rexroth has emerged as a formidable supporting partner to not only Bosch’s but other manufacturers’ operations globally.

Its base in Romania is one of many spread around Europe, Asia Pacific, Africa and the Americas, the subsidiary employing 32,300 staff and generating sales of €6.2 billion in 2018. As with its parent company, Bosch Rexroth is defined by its commitment to innovation, the division channelling anywhere between 4.5 and 6.5 percent of sales revenue into R&D activity.

Cluj’s next chapter

Innovation, of course, will also determine the future direction of developments back in Cluj.

Kaschek has succeeded in building the regional unit up both within the wider Bosch Group and the automotive industry writ large, and is determined for this pioneering, proactive work to continue long after he has entered retirement.

“We are focussing on being one of the main drivers of the automotive agenda,” he adds. “Bosch still is prominent in the combustion engine sphere and will continue to be so, but we are also a frontrunner and main contributor in the areas of powertrain electrification and automatic driving technology.

“The biggest challenge for us is to master the major changes, both in terms of our industry and society at large in terms of mobility. Our capabilities here in Cluj and elsewhere

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will allow us to open new markets – we have already discussed the twowheel work we are doing, but there are many others coming.”

Success also relies on a positive backdrop in which to operate,

something not lost on the outgoing inTime_78x96_Bosch.indd 1 Bosch veteran.

“The business environment is going to be important,” he continues. “The automotive industry is changing, and we are leaders in many different areas that are coming into fruition.

“I see myself as a citizen of Europe.

We need stability, in our political and financial systems, as well as a continuously improving infrastructure.

Such conditions will carry the society and the industry to implement proper solutions to deal with the challenges of the future.

Romania with its 20 million citizens is a very important part of Europe’s future.

“The site in Cluj is, however, very well prepared for the challenges of the future, whatever they may be. The young team of Bosch in Cluj is committed to the Bosch values and to contributing as a European pillar to deliver products

that are ‘INVENTED FOR LIFE’.”

01.04.2019 14:47:15 Kaschek ends the conversation by restating his confidence in his successors to lift the Cluj site to new heights, responding coyly to any suggestion that retirement means putting his feet up.

“Now I’ve reached 65 years I am ready to retire and hand over to the next generation. This doesn’t mean I plan to sit down and do nothing – I have some plans to work on a business in the software industry, so this will certainly help to keep me busy.”

Robert Bosch SRL Tel: +40 372 544 100 contact@bosch.ro www.bosch.ro

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Made Simple G4S Cash Solutions Netherlands is providing a one-stop payment handling solution in the Netherlands, its Ops 2020 vision geared towards efficiency, ingenuity and seamless customer service. The division acts as an excellence centre, a template which is targeted for global roll out Writer: Tom Wadlow Project Manager: Richard Thomas

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t is no secret that more consumers and businesses are making payments via cashless methods.

In Europe, the UK is by far the largest cashless market, with an annual €106.7 trillion in non-cash transactions in 2017, followed by Germany (€55.8 trillion), France (€27.2 trillion) and the Netherlands (€23.7 trillion).

From contactless debit cards and biometrics to mobile wallets and wearable payment rings, the options

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facing us are steadily growing.

This does not suggest that cash is no longer a significant form of transaction, however.

Far from it. In the Netherlands, for instance, 29 percent of all payments made by people aged 19-24 years are completed using cash. This is the lowest proportion across all age brackets, the figure rising to 38 percent for 45-54-year-olds and over 50 percent for people aged over 65.

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G4S CASH SOLUTIONS NETHERLANDS AN INTRODUCTION G4S Cash Solutions is the leading supplier of integrated cash management solutions in the Netherlands and is expanding its scope to cover all forms of payments, including electronic and e-commerce payments Its CASH360 solution is a fully automated system that manages cash from the point of sale to deposit into a bank account, backed up by industry-leading equipment for retailers such as its CAS safe.

This automated smart safe counts every banknote or coin, checks it for authenticity and transfers the funds to the client’s account on the same or next working day. G4S is able to detect when the CAS Smart safe is almost full, triggering a collection.

The company still provides its traditional solutions such as cash transportation, cash processing and redistribution as well as complex ATM and vending machine management solutions.

Next to this, G4S acts as a security advisor in many branches on handling cash and payments, both in terms of process and cyber and infrastructural contexts.

Interestingly, the youngest age bracket measured by Statista, 12-18 years, reported 57 percent of all payments being made with physical money.

For companies like G4S Cash Solutions Netherlands, despite the fact it is adapting for the modern day, its core market of cash shows no sign of disappearing anytime soon.

“When the opportunity to join G4S came up, my first question was: Will there still be cash in 10 years’ time?” recalls Ab van Eck, the firm’s Operations Director. “Fast-forward 12 years and there very much still is cash”.

“Although the proportion of cash payments is dropping, we are finding that the absolute volume of cash, both banknotes and coins, in the market is actually increasing as more and more transactions take place, which means we are growing.”

Van Eck is a G4S Cash Solutions veteran having served for more than two decades at supply chain specialist firms like Penske.

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MACTWIN Mactwin: Cash Security Specialists Mactwin Cash Security delivers smart physical security solutions for ATMs and CIT operations that render a criminal Modus Operandi impossible and/or irreversibly degrade any cash. Thus fighting the criminal’s motivation to perform an attack.

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MactwinBox: Pavement protection system MactwinBox is the intelligent cash box that fits seamlessly into any CIT pavement operation. Thanks to our high energy degrading module, nothing but paper remnants remain after activation. The size and weight of the banknotes are irreversibly altered. These banknotes will never be accepted by people, nor automated payment terminals. The reliability and low TCO of the MactwinBox are unparalleled.

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Ab van Eck, Operations Director

“I was born and raised in a distribution company and got a feel for the logistics industry, and because it touched me, I decided to study the subject formally,” he adds.

“This experience has translated into G4S – while we are known as a security company, I would say we

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+31 (0) 26 479 22 33

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OCS CASH MANAGEMENT

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CS Cash Management Solutions is a specialist Cash solutions company established in 2008, and a subsidiary of OCS Consulting Plc, an established IT services business operating in UK and Europe.

OCS focuses on providing cash management solutions for retail, financial services, hospitality and cash-in-transit customers where the efficient and secure management of cash is a daily challenge and business priority.

Together with our leading CIT and hardware partners G4S, Glory, Suzohapp, Arca, LincSafe, CT Coin, CPI and others, OCS has the knowledge and experience to define, implement and support an appropriate cash automation solution for your business.

With broad and deep experience of design and development of complex business applications, the OCS journey in the cash industry began in 2008 with a successful pilot project for G4S to provide an internationalised, touchscreen application to automate the cash office of our retail customers.

actually operate more like a supply chain company and act as an integrated solutions provider driven by our customers. We put a big emphasis on making our solutions and services easy for the customer. Security forms our boundaries, but logistics still shapes the core of our business.”

Cash is king

G4S has engineered its own niche in the Netherlands thanks to the recent bankruptcy of a competitor operating in the retail segment, as well as the acquisition of a competitor in the banking segment, making it among the largest companies in the country to handle cash.

It does so by working from seven operational branches spread across the Dutch landmass, its fleet comprising around 300 vehicles serving predominantly banks and retailers with solutions such as

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transport, cash processing (notes and coins), ATM and machine maintenance, among others.

“We are also growing in the wider payment business,” van Eck comments. “This includes payments by phone, by cards and everything in between. A retailer can therefore partner with us on a one-stop shop basis, gaining insight on all transactions in a simple way.”

It is van Eck’s target to build on this customer-first mantra, a plan which is presented in the form of Ops 2020, a G4S vision statement looking at how it can further improve its solutions.

“In 2015 we took a look at where we wanted to be five years ahead,” he recalls. “This includes making greater use of technology, new materials for our vehicles, and new business processes revolved around data and the deployment of smart, self-learning algorithms.

The software provides a key component in the G4S CASH360™ proposition to enable G4S’ customers to achieve significant operational and financial benefits. In addition to enhancing staff efficiency, reducing shrinkage and optimising CIT operations, CASH360™ is enabling customers to achieve cash flow benefits from same day credit.

“With a consistent track record of IT services delivery to G4S for over 20 years, OCS are our trusted software development and support partner forxxxxxxxx CASH360™ solutionsxxxxxxxxx since 2008.

Xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx We look forward to further successful collaboration to deliver the benefits of CASH360™ to our customers,” says Ab van Eck, Operation Director of G4S NL. With over 750 live CASH360™ installations in 10 countries in the UK, Europe and North America, OCS continues to focus on technological innovation to deliver new capabilities. OCS’s new cash operations management solution to enable remote management of large estates of cash devices is now operational in G4S Greece, bringing the the Internet of things to the cash management sector.

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For a free no-obligation consultation to discuss how OCS can help your business, please get in touch at: www.ocs-cashmanagement.com | + 44 (0) 20 8731 4335 | info@ocs-cashmanagement.com

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“To keep our customer base growing we have to offer more services covering more payment types in the most efficient way possible, and this is the essence of Ops 2020. We have the basics in place already which gives us the ability to move to the next level and look ahead three to five years at a time.”

Enabled by technology

Technology is proving itself as a key facilitator of G4S Cash Solutions’ vision for the Netherlands market.

For example, the company has conducted a detailed strategic branch review, a process which involved different algorithms calculating the optimised locations for its branches as far ahead as 2035, along with the number and types of vehicles required.

“We are also using technology to forecast the future of our retail machines,” van Eck adds. “This will ensure we are emptying machines just

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in time in combination with optimal efficiency across the network of retailers and banks we work with.

“By being able to forecast the volume of cash being accepted by each smart safe, drop-box or recycling machine, we can plan routes and optimise our operations accordingly.

For example, retailers are busier at the weekends and at Christmas, so what impact will this have on our planning?

These are the important questions our forecasting tools can address.”

Van Eck also reveals that G4S is looking into automatic storage facilities, again helping to streamline functions such as the loading and unloading of vehicles at company depots.

“With all of our services and processes we have been looking ahead at where we should be in five years,” he continues. “Some strong progress has been made since 2016 and it is very much a story of continuous improvement.”

ELECTRONIC APPLICATION LABORATORY G4s Cash Solution and EAL Apeldoorn secure your transport For many years, G4s and EAL have cooperated to secure communications between the control room and the vehicles.

Based on Dutch development of hardware, software and clear enduser demands, the solution combines high-end communication techniques with user friendly transport navigation facilities such as centrally controlled stop lists, phone functionalities and more.

This means that the central G4s dispatching centre has a continuous overview of vehicle fleets, their locations, current transports and driver details. The communication between this central system and the vehicles is based on a multi-carrier technique.

Backward compatible development G4s and EAL began cooperating in 2012 and continued development after a successful initial implementation of the fleet hardware and central software. This means existing and new technologies are working together sideby-side, communicating to one central platform.

Investments based on add-on technology without large system depreciation Due to the fact that these EAL vehicle technologies are backward compatible, the implementation of new Xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx technologies in vehicles can be done easily as an add-on without any major or unexpected depreciation of existing budgets or big new investments by G4s.

New and existing EAL vehicle technologies can work together by offering an optimal combination of state-of-the-art technology and financial flexibility.

T +31 (0)55 5394900 F +31 (0)55 5394901 E info@eal.nl

www.eal.nl

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Another important element of this technology-focussed operation is maintenance.

G4S Cash Solutions works with a number of G4S engineers who are responsible for the upkeep of all of its machines housed in banks, retailers and its vehicles.

“This wasn’t the case just four years ago,” says van Eck, “but now we have around 25 certified G4S engineering teams driving around the Netherlands making sure all devices are available and working properly for our customers. These are serviced by a mixture of our own engineers and OEM partners as G4S believes in close partnerships to provide best-in-class solutions.”

Futureproofing

This story of continuous improvement can also be applied to the company’s vehicle fleet.

Set for renewal from May this

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G4S phone scanner

year, van Eck describes how G4S has completed a new design with the help of its drivers, facilitating what will be a more efficient, comfortable and safer

vehicle for them to use.

“It is a lighter, environmentally friendly van that is easier to handle,” he adds.

“But crucially it does not compromise on the safety features – the standardised equipment is more or less the same, but we’ve made it easier to use – in other words simplicity is the key. For example, you can stand straight up in the vehicle and push a button with your feet to open doors instead of using your hands.”

New cash counting machines and a single mobile device for drivers (as opposed to three which they have to use at the moment) will also be rolled out, again helping to make life easier for the people responsible for transporting such high value loads.

In terms of security, the new generation fleet is electronically

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safeguarded, fitted with finger scanning and volume detection devices which ensures the correct load and driver is in the vehicle.

If at any time this information does not tally with the finger scan and volume check given by the driver at the beginning of a shift, the van will not start. Further, in the event of an attack, as a last resort all monetary contents will stained with ink-dye and be spoiled, acting as an extra deterrent for potential thieves.

“Technology is allowing us to join up all the dots,” van Eck says, explaining how G4S’s vehicles are connected to its network, an ecosystem of data covering all aspects of operations, from the amount of banknotes in its machines to the driver responsible for collecting deposits.

“By connecting the dots, we are able to provide an optimal service for our customers. This is all about information, gathering as much

as possible so we can see what is happening, and effective route planning also means we can cut down our environmental footprint.”

These landmark investments, both in vehicles and other technologies across the G4S Cash Solutions operation, will ensure the company is ready to enter the next five-year chapter of its story as 2020 nears.

With the fulfilment of Ops 2020 coming to a conclusion as the current five-year period draws to a close, the organisation is already designing the next five-year plan. Focus is very much on strengthening its already strong market position, keeping cash available in the most efficient and safest way.

As well as expanding its total solutions offering, encompassing all elements of payments beyond cash transactions, van Eck is quick to reemphasise the need to consolidate its core competency of servicing customers.

He concludes with a nod to his family of staff: “Our major priorities are to grow our customer base and maintain the high levels of quality regarding our service, which isn’t possible without a dedicated team of employees, who we want to show our appreciation for.

“G4S is a family, and anything we can do to keep our people, we will do. It is becoming more and more challenging to find the right people, and if they feel at home, they will look after our business.”

G4S Cash Solutions Tel: +31 (0)900 447 22 74 customer.servicedesk@nl.g4s.com www.g4spay.com

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Thriving on Optimism and Opportunity An intelligent, intuitive, proactive business, Al Nabil Foods is defining the meaning of food service excellence throughout the GCC Writer: Jonathan Dyble | Project Manager: Matthew Selby There’s a big focus on food quality and food safety in the GCC and Middle East at the moment. Production facilities are becoming modernised, major investments are being made into quality assurance and quality control, while influencers and more defined packaging are helping to keep the consumer well informed.

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“In addition, these consumers are also concerned about the healthiness of their food, where it comes from and its impact – trends that have led to the industry being swept by innovation, from product differentiation to environmentally friendly packaging to energy saving machines.”

For Al Nabil Foods, a major Jordanian fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) business and its CEO, Ahmad Sallakh, the Middle Eastern food industry is an exciting space right now.

According to a recent report from MEED, food imports into the GCC are forecast to reach $53.1 billion by 2020, owed to changing preferences and progressive tastes. This in mind, Nabil Foods stands to thrive with its adaptive, buoyant attitudes and clear, informed strategic oversight.

“You could say,” the Chief Exec states, “that the GCC’s food and beverage market is faced with different challenges, whether they’re economic or social. But we’re always optimistic. We understand that it’s a very dynamic environment and view this as a source of opportunity.”

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Defined by digital transformation

Initially launched in Baghdad, Iraq in 1945, the company relocated to Amman in 1988, consistently expanding its operations as a major regional frozen and chilled foods provider since this time.

“We’ve continued to introduce new and different products to our portfolio, aiming to meet the changing tastes and preferences of our clients and customers, manufacturing vast ranges of frozen and chilled foods from meats to desserts to ready meals,” explains Sallakh.

A BRAND OF CHOICE Based in Amman, Jordan, Nabil Foods employs 800 staff, serving 26 countries on a regional and international level through a network of seven distribution centres in the GCC, Iraq and Lebanon.

Product exports account for around half of the company’s total production, while the other 50 percent is distributed domestically within Jordan itself.

Product categories include individual quick-freezing products (IQF), ready to eat products (RTE), kubbehs, samosas and ready meals.

In terms of logistics, the firm leverages both its own fleet and third-party vehicles in adherence with strict conditions, delivering high quality produce on time.

Food safety is held in the highest regard throughout distribution, ensuring cross-contamination is prevented.

The company’s primary channels include the retail sector (40 percent), food service sector (33 percent) and QSR sector (26 percent).

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This adaptive, tailored approach has been key to Nabil Foods’ success over the years, the company marketing its products in alternate styles of packaging and through differentiated channels to specifically cater to the individual needs of the retail, wholesale and food service markets.

As such, the company now stands as the market leader in Jordan for the aforementioned sectors, distributing its products to 26 countries around the world, employing more than 800 highly experienced staff and leveraging industry best practice such as the deployment of transformative technologies.

“It’s company policy to remain ahead of the curve,” Sallakh continues.

“To this end, we’ve regularly adopted and even pioneered the latest industry technologies, an element that has allowed global quick service restaurants (QSRs) to approach us for their procurement requirements.

“In turn, we’ve been able to supply them with products in line with local, regional and international regulations, so much so that the QSR sector now constitutes 26 percent of our entire business.”

From individual quick freezing (IQF) and robotic machinery to the use of highly advanced industrial control systems including BMS and SCADA, Nabil Foods has become a highly operationally efficient enterprise and is renowned for consistently delivering high quality products at competitive prices.

“Currently we are undergoing a seismic shift of digital transformation,” reveals Sallakh. “Whether you call it industry 4.0, the industrial internet of things or the digital factory, we’re paving the way for the ultimate ideal of fully automated smart factories.”

A proactive, modern approach

This emphasis on proactivity and modernisation is widespread throughout Nabil Foods, again evident where the firm readily deploys its research, development and sales teams to work closely with its clientele, ensuring that it develops relevant, timely products.

As part of this, each of Nabil Foods’ customers submits their annual business forecasts to the company, allowing coherent planning to be made ahead of time in order to meet the highest standards and expectations.

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Gulfood exhibition stand 2019

Designed here, made there, wanted everywhere.

Logistics to connect your world Tel: +96265655200 Jordan@agility.com www.agility.com

Sallakh adds: “With more than 700 stock keeping units dedicated for different clients and markets, our portfolio gives us a competitive advantage as a one-stop shop. All our clients need to do is submit their specifications and requirements and we do the rest, quickly, accurately and safely.”

Nabil Foods’ staff are well versed in upholding these practices throughout all levels of the business, the company priding itself on an in-depth human resources strategy that is closely aligned to the firm’s overall objectives and goals.

“This alignment ensures that the most critical resource to the company, its people, are linked with our mission and vision,” Sallakh reveals.

“Training and retention strategies take precedence at Nabil Foods.

“This focus allows us to bolster efficiency by ensuring job knowledge and skills are furthered, at the same time helping to expand the horizons of human intellect and interpersonal skills of our esteemed employees.”

Consolidation and expansion

Leveraging this team of personnel, its sound, progressive philosophies and continual investments, the stage is set for Nabil Foods to excel within this positive economic climate moving forward.

“We’ve also recently upgraded some existing lines and our production facilities in Jordan, and we’re now looking to inaugurate a new plant in Iraq to enhance our presence in the country,” reveals Sallakh.

Alongside this, Nabil Foods is preparing to launch a new kids’ line using an international license obtained for the Minions from the Despicable Me franchise in cooperation with Universal Studios, while also expanding its Calculated Calorie meals and adding new recipes in a broader number of emerging markets.

Such attitudes and endeavours, among others, will be crucial in helping the company to achieve its overriding objectives for 2019 and beyond.

The CEO concludes: “It’s without question that we will continue to invest in resources, tangible and intangible, focusing more on the use of data and digitalisation to enhance efficiency and performance.

“Having a lean and digital operation, introducing new products to capture different segments and creating a fully digitalised institution are the next steps for Nabil Foods. Further, we’re equally looking to penetrate some African countries and widen our geographical footprint.

“There are a multitude of opportunities presenting themselves and we want to grasp these as we move forward.”

Al Nabil Food Industries Company Ltd. Tel: +962 6 40 22 004 info@nabilfoods.com www.nabilfoods.com

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Binding Innovation with Agriculture annual turnover in excess of £70 billion, a figure that makes it the nation’s largest manufacturing sector.

Equally, however, it is an industry facing both significant challenges and opportunities at the moment.

“By 2050, the UK is forecast to become the most populous country in Europe,” Simon Heath, Managing Director of AB Connect cites, calling upon recent forecasts. “That fact alone brings with it challenges, and getting Writer: Jonathan Dyble more from less, creating less waste and improving efficiencies across the Project Manager: Matt Selby entire value chain is the only way we can feed the population for decades to he UK’s agricultural industry is come.” flourishing.

Despite this outlook, Heath is quick According to AB Connect’s to iterate that AB Connect, a company website, agricultural land uses which has the primary purpose of approximately 70 percent of the UK’s helping farmers, producers and entire land area and produces roughly businesses throughout the UK food 60 percent of all food consumed and farming supply chain, will embrace across the country, while the national such challenges. food and drink industry maintains an Being part of AB Agri, and a leading

With British farming poised for both challenges and transformation, AB Agri’s UK animal feed business, AB Connect, is playing the lead role when it comes to taking a fresh, differentiated approach

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facilitator of process optimisation, it is backed by major parent company Associated British Foods (ABF), an active advocate of proactive investment in preparation for the future, making it stand out as a true innovator within the market.

“These challenges play to us,” Heath states. “There will be more mouths to feed so therefore a need for more food, which means the industry will need to invest to meet this demand.

But we view this as more of an opportunity than a threat. It’s a chance for us to capitalise and differentiate ourselves from the competition.”

Upholding industry transformation

Progressive is a word that best describes the company’s illustrious history.

Formed in 2012 as part of AB Agri after its Trident, KW and ABN UK divisions were merged, AB Connect has become fundamental in increasing animal performance, reducing production costs across the UK. Further, the firm recently launched its relatively new Amur business – a concept that seeks to maximise gas yields from co-products that can’t be used to feed animals.

“Amur is simply an extension of our existing skillset,” Heath reveals.

“We want to play our part in the food hierarchy, ensuring we get as much value from products as we possibly can before anything goes to landfill. This is what Amur offers.”

In essence, Amur is an anaerobic digestion (AD) business that comprises both a 3 MW plant, utilising around

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60,000 tonnes of food waste per year, and a soup plant which feeds the AD plant by keeping nutrition levels consistent and allowing the bacteria to thrive.

“We’re proud to be pioneers in by-product and co-product waste streams,” Heath affirms. “Our investment into AD and AD soups are testament to that.”

This is just one example of the

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adaptive and forward-thinking approach that has come to define AB Connect’s practices, owed to its parent company’s influence and readiness to react.

Heath continues: “Apart from investing in Amur, we are also trialling several technology platforms that will help us monitor and enhance animal performance, reduce miles travelled on our delivery fleets and increase

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production outputs whilst reducing our footprint.

“ABF encourages a long-term outlook that allows us to think about the future, where the market is going and what our customers might need, and ensures we are ready for that by empowering our investment strategies. A lot of our competitors don’t have such a luxury, let alone such an outlook.”

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Circular success

Coupled with the influence of ABF, circularity is equally a key driver of AB Connect’s success.

From AB Agri Insights and AB Vista to Speciality Nutrition and AB Connect itself, the AB Agri group is made up of a number of specialised business units that each excel in different stages of agricultural production cycles, providing a multitude of benefits through inter-connected expertise.

“There are a couple of examples that spring to mind which bring this to life,” Heath responds when asked about the circular nature of the business. “One would be how we work with our sister company Frontier. As well as being a major marketing company of arable products, part of its service portfolio helps farmers utilise technologies and offers advice to improve yields from their crops.

“We then purchase some of that grain from Frontier and again enhance its nutritional value further through our knowledge and expertise in feed manufacturing and formulations. The

AB Connect family tree

result of this is a meat supply chain that has been enhanced at every step, from field to fork.”

Calling upon a second such example, Heath again eludes to the benefits of Amur and its principles of reducing the amount of waste that goes to landfill from food and drink manufacturing processes.

LEADERSHIP FOCUS SIMON HEATH, MANAGING DIRECTOR, AB CONNECT Originally from an agricultural background, with some of his family still farming in Cornwall, Heath went to agricultural college, then taking on a role as a trainee animal feeds sales specialist with AB Agri.

“That was 30 years ago! I have built my career through AB Agri and I have had various roles since finishing the trainee programme,” he reveals. “I have worked for the group in Europe, North America and China and have had numerous commercial roles.”

Such experience culminated in his appointment as the Managing Director of AB Connect in 2012.

“I have always wanted to be in agriculture, always will, but by working for AB Agri I have had the phenomenal opportunity to engage with the industry throughout the world,” Heath adds.

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He continues: “If co-products can’t be fed to animals, we can use Amur to create another value stream in terms of gas yield. Some of these products come from sister companies, and equally the by-product of AD is digestate which we put back into the land as it has plant nutrition properties.”

From helping farmers improve feed efficiency to enabling more sustainable, environmentally friendly processes and adopting better farm management practices, this circular approach is game-changing in the way of farming innovation, in which AB Connect is a vital link.

Virtuous and visionary

Such a system, however, is only able to work because of the firm’s esteemed employees – another of AB Connect’s core differentiators.

Providing the platform for its employees to excel through tailored training programmes and a number of different reward and recognition schemes, talent turnover is low and opportunities to excel are abundant.

“Staff wellbeing, personal development and retention are all key for me, as they should be for any manager,” explains Heath. “We look for passion. If we’ve got passionate,

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A member of AB Agri for over 30 years, Heath is not a lone veteran of the company. He adds: “We have a number of longstanding, dedicated colleagues who have built up their knowledge, expertise, skills and relationships with our clients over prolonged periods.

Making sure we utilise and balance that knowledge and experience with bringing new people into our business and industry is critical to us.”

What’s more, AB Connect readily supports a broad number of industry initiatives in educating young people, opening their eyes to the agricultural sector as a feasible and prosperous career path.

This includes work with the NFU (National Farmers Union) in sponsoring an industry wide training and development poultry programme,

active collaboration with trade bodies such as AIC (Agricultural Industries Confederation) and FEFAC (European Feed Manufacturers’ Federation), and sponsoring the Pig and Poultry Fair at Stoneleigh, the largest event held for the monogastric industry in the UK. “We’ve also begun to go to local schools to try and introduce youngsters to the industry, showing them what it is and ultimately what it isn’t,” Heath adds.

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LEADERS IN ORGANIC LIQUID RECYCLING SERVICES: Liquid waste management Digestate management Food waste recycling Industrial Services Septic Tank Emptying Agronomy CONTACT T 01572 767177 F 01572 767144 E info@whitesrecycling.co.uk www.whitesrecycling.co.uk

We pride ourselves on finding the best solution for our customer’s needs. We are one of the largest liquid waste management companies in the UK. With over 30 years of knowledge and experience within the liquid waste industry, we provide a first class service 24hrs a day, 365 days of the year.

Our main operation is the transportation and management of non-hazardous liquids to agricultural land as an organic nutrient fertiliser. Our dedicated, in-house agronomy team offers technical advice to farmers of the benefits of liquid waste to land. When this is not available, we seek out alternative treatment solutions on behalf of our customers We work alongside clients of waste and digestate outlets to supply a bio-fertiliser and service to our farmer clients, using some of the latest range of spreading equipment, from umbilical options through to our tractor tankers fitted with up to date GPS technology.

We can manage all types of liquid digestate.

And what it isn’t, is stagnant.

One of the UK’s and indeed the world’s fastest moving industries, owed to the rising recognition of the merits of enhanced efficiencies and transformative technologies, agriculture is poised for investment – a front that AB Connect will seek to propel moving forward.

“We strongly believe in British farming, but our industry has to grow, and it needs investment,” Heath

states. “We have some of the highest welfare and farming standards in the world and I am very proud to be a part of that, but we have to be commercially competitive with the rest of the world to ensure imports are kept as low as possible and export opportunities are maximised.

“Our role in that is to keep supply chain costs as low as possible, invest in our plants, people and infrastructure, leverage new technologies and R&D, all while trying to minimise the impact on our planet that these new demands will bring.”

Tel: +44 (0) 1733 422 161 connect@abagri.com www.ab-connect.co.uk

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Bolstering the Dairy Boom Famous as the UK’s largest farmer-owned dairy business, Dale Farm is showcasing excellence and powering forward-thinking agriculture Writer: Jonathan Dyble Project Manager: Matthew Selby

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range of esteemed products, from milk, cream and cheese to ice cream, yoghurts and spreads.

“We alone process around one billion litres of milk across three pools in Northern Ireland, the Lake District and Scotland,” reveals Nick Whelan, the cooperative’s group CEO. “We use that milk to produce and supply a wide variety of dairy products to the retail, foodservice and ingredients markets across both the UK and more than 45 countries internationally.”

hile the industrial revolution of An esteemed ethos the 18th and 19th centuries may Having grown up on a southern Irish dairy have somewhat propelled the farm himself, Whelan has developed an adept diversification of the UK economy, understanding of the sector over many years, having agriculture remains a key pillar of national GDP. held roles within companies such as Kerry and Looking at the dairy industry, for example, Glanbia throughout his career prior to joining Dale statistics from the House of Farm in 2016.

Commons Library show that “Growing up in a rural the UK is the third largest milk society and understanding the producer in the EU and the 10th impact dairy has on the rural largest producer in the world. In economy grounded me with fact, dairy is a crucial mainstay of a strong sense of purpose UK farming, accounting for just working in this dynamic shy of one fifth of total national industry,” The Chief Exec industry output, with tens of affirms. billions of litres produced across This sense of purpose was the country year after year. a natural fit with Dale Farm’s An established stalwart existing mantra, its philosophy inspiring the strength of this centred around six cultural thriving sector is Dale Farm, a ideals of ambition, curiosity, cooperative owned by 1,300 teamwork, positivity, resolve dairy farmers across the UK. and accountability. Whelan With heritage dating back continues: “There is a great to the 1800s, Dale Farm is sense of momentum within renowned as Northern Ireland’s the business that is helping leading dairy company and the transform Dale Farm through largest UK farmer-owned dairy the cultivation of this can do, Nick Whelan, the cooperative’s group CEO business, providing an extensive winning ethos.”

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Providing innovative and sustainable plastic packaging solutions

Find out more at www.eu.nampak.com E: UK.sales@nampak.com

Packaging Excellence Nampak Plastics Europe Limited is one of the UK’s leading producers of high density polyethylene (HDPE) bottles for a range of categories including food and drink, household goods and detergents. Producing over 1 billion bottles, we are valued by our customers for the high quality, lightweight and environmentally responsible packaging products we supply, and excellent customer service we strive to achieve.

Innovation We combine consumer centric design principles with extensive supply chain knowledge and technical know how to create solutions that are functional, responsible and sustainable. We are constantly seeking new ways to improve the performance of our products, the consumer experience of the products our customers produce, and in the service we provide, whether through material developments, technology advancements or equipment investment.

Sustainability In partnership with our customers, we have led the drive for a circular economy since 2008, being the first manufacturer to introduce recycled HDPE in to UK milk bottles. We continue that legacy with continued focus on reducing our impact on climate change through light weighting, resource efficiency in manufacturing and distribution, and increasing the recycled content of bottles up to 50%.

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Indeed, this adaptive and proactive approach continues to serve Dale Farm well, evidenced by the substantial strategic progress that has been made of late.

“We are halfway into our five-year growth plan and have already doubled the profits of the group during this time,” reveals Whelan. “From the introduction of lean principles across the business in driving efficiencies to bolstering our partnerships with key customers, there have been a number of driving forces behind this success.

“We’ve also inaugurated fixed milk price schemes for our farmers and retailers which have reduced volatility for our partners in the supply chain, and, perhaps most significantly, rolled out our people programme. It’s an initiative centred around recruitment, replacement, mentoring, training and development of our talent, without whom the business wouldn’t be where it is today.”

THE DALE FARM WAY A cooperative of 1,300 farmers, Dale Farm’s relatively unique structure has a multitude of merits.

Member farmers are part of a democratic model that culminates in a board comprised of 10 farmer directors and two non-executive directors. The board meets on a monthly basis to review operational performance and strategic direction, as well as, importantly, setting the milk price for farmers.

“A cooperative model has a very long-term outlook and our strategy is centred around generational sustainability,” Whelan reveals. “This means our focus is on creating solid, profitable farming businesses which can be passed onto the grandchildren of the current owners.”

Leveraging this structure, the company’s brand family has grown to encompass a number of renowned household names including Dromona, Loseley, Rowan Glen, Spelga and Dale Farm itself.

A forward-thinking enterprise, Dale Farm’s modus operandi can be characterised by its recent and expansive investment initiative that has seen the business earmark over £60 million to the modernisation of its cheddar cheese and whey facilities over the past six years.

“On top of that,” Whelan adds, “we invest around £10 million a year

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on automation and other capital improvements across the group.”

This includes product development, the company having financed exploration into new categories such as custard, fromage frais and sport nutrition dairy products in recent times, readily catering to the everevolving demands of the consumer landscape.

Uplifting societies

The people programme is just one element of Dale Farm’s responsible efforts, another such example being the company’s recent Dunmanbridge, Northern Ireland site investment.

The largest of its 10 facilities across the UK, processing 600 million litres of milk and producing 55,000 tonnes of cheddar cheese each year, Dale Farm last year took the opportunity to install one of the biggest solar farms

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ampak Plastics Europe Limited is one of the UK’s leading producers of high density polyethylene (HDPE) bottles for a range of markets including food and drink, household goods and detergents. Producing over one billion bottles, Nampak is best known for high-quality, lightweight, environmentally-friendly packaging products and its ongoing commitments to innovation and sustainability.

Nampak is committed to: • Being the number one dairy

supplier in the UK • Leading lightweight initiatives to

reduce the amount of plastic it uses • Putting up to 50 percent HDPE

in its dairy bottles to improve sustainability

We’re also developing packaging solutions outside dairy to provide better sustainable products to wider markets.

Nampak is committed to deploying the most innovative technology available and has made significant investment into new equipment, bottle design innovation, bottle handling and light weighting.

We’re experts in producing lightweight HDPE plastic packaging. And, because we do it lighter than anyone else, you’ll save on the amount of material you put in to your bottles.

By working in partnership with customers our extensive in-plant experience allows us to offer a complete, one-stop service for the design, implementation, start-up and production operation at customers’ filling sites, helping reduce the overall footprint and environmental impact.

T +44 7879 487824 or +44 7768 588768 E mark.robinson@nampak.com

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in the global dairy industry at the Dunmanbridge plant.

Spanning 35 acres, the solar farm is set to reduce the company’s overall carbon footprint by 20 percent, delivering multimillion-pound savings in energy costs.

“We’re always seeking to lead on sector sustainability, and this site is testament to that,” Whelan states.

Iain Henderson, Jordi Murphy and Jacob Stockdale of the Northern Irish rugby union club, Ulster

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Community upliftment, alongside sustainable energy, is another area that Dale Farm is innovatively championing, readily sponsoring a number of sporting teams at both grassroots and professional level in the aim of promoting and encouraging healthy lifestyles and a balanced diet.

“Dale Farm has been the proud sponsor and official dairy supplier to the Ulster Rugby team for several years,” Whelan states. “As well as financial support, we have provided the team with Dale Farm Protein Milk to aid recovery – now an integral part of the team’s Food First nutritional programme.

“Similarly, we sponsor the Elite Athlete Programme and Queen’s University Belfast’s Gaelic Games teams and are the official dairy supplier to Queen’s Sport. These platforms are used not only as opportunities to sponsor elite athletes, but also to inspire up and coming talent through

masterclasses and educational outreach, highlighting the importance of good nutrition in sport.”

What’s more, the firm leverages its esteemed position and reputation to play an active role in reaching out to rural communities across the UK. Whelan continues: “A successful example of this can be found in our 2018 initiative where we partnered with a performing arts company to tour primary schools in rural areas. The production focused on the importance of farm safety and brought awareness to a serious issue in a light-hearted, engaging way.”

An abundance of opportunity ahead

From its social outreach programmes to its extensive, industry leading investments, Dale Farm remains a pioneer of progress in the UK’s dairy industry, embodying the vibrance of British agriculture.

“We’re processing a lot more milk

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Outlook Creative Services

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Outlook Publishing’s awardwinning in-house team is now utilising its extensive production skills to offer a full and bespoke range of editorial, design and marketing services via its new Outlook Creative Services division.

Food Manufacturing Service Providers More Than Just Storage In addition to our 12 million cubic feet of storage capacity, we also offer the following services: • Temperature Controlled Warehousing • Third Party Logistics (3PL) • Online Customer Visibility of Stock • Intelligent Warehouse Management Systems • Approved Packing & Re-Wrapping Facility

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with many new farmers having joined the cooperative,” Whelan states, “and our company is always looking for new ways to use our milk that will really add value to the business.”

This has recently led to the elevation of Dale Farm’s ice cream business, the firm seeking to expand the dominant share it has in Northern Ireland into the Republic of Ireland’s markets, while the company is equally looking to target Generation Z more readily in order to capitalise on new trends.

Looking ahead, Dale Farm’s growth prospects are unlikely to change, owed to its innovative outlook and business model, the unrivalled expertise of its farmers, and a wave of optimism sweeping the industry.

Whelan concludes: “We are very proud to have genuinely world-class, dedicated, knowledgeable people who are at the cutting edge of the

science of farming. Our people will always remain a core focus as part of our onward journey, and we are hugely optimistic about the future of our UKbased dairy cooperative.

“I am also of the belief that food security will become a central element of a UK Food Strategy for the future.

Given the growth in global population, the westernisation of diets, water supply and soil erosion, the UK will have to look to indigenous supply more, especially in dairy.

“All things considered, there is certainly an abundance of wonderful opportunities for Dale Farm.”

Dale Farm Tel: 02890 372 200 www.dalefarm.co.uk

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Facilitating

Freedom

In 1996 I became a below the knee amputee.

“I was studying Rehabilitation Science and Physiotherapy at Leuven in Belgium at the time, and decided to complete my course and pursue an orthopaedic direction. When I finished, I got involved in a European project which was focused on monitoring important physical measurements inside prosthetic legs.

Össur continues to redefine the boundaries of prosthetic possibility, investing heavily in R&D to ensure its products become accessible to everyone who needs them Writer: Tom Wadlow Project Manager: Callam Waller

“It was rather early on in my prosthetic rehabilitation that I started using one of the company’s silicone liners. I saw the ICEROSS® brand, asked my therapist what it was, and he said it originated from Iceland, which made me want to explore the connection between Iceland and prosthetics.

“The company was also involved with the post-graduate study. I connected with the then VP of R&D

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AN INTRODUCTION TO ÖSSUR Established in 1971, Össur is named after Össur Kristinsson, an Icelandic amputee and prosthetist, who developed the Iceross® liner, the breakthrough silicone interface for prosthetic sockets.

Today the company is a global leader in non-invasive orthopaedics and operates with a mission to improve people’s mobility through its range of award-winning products. These fall into several major categories, including prosthetics which feature a range of devices such as the world’s first complete bionic lower limb, SYMBIONIC® LEG. “On the prosthetics side we are dealing with a challenging user group,” says De Roy. “When people think prosthetics, a natural inclination is to envisage Paralympians and people running on blades, and we do have a team of inspirational athletes using our products.

“But the reality is that this active segment makes up around five to 10 percent of the overall population of people who need these solutions. The mainstream group struggle with being active for a great variety of health reasons, and their needs are very different, so our challenge is to open up access to mobility for these people.”

Osteoarthritis solutions form another key product category, this range including the clinically proven Unloader One®, a renowned knee brace designed to relieve the pain associated with knee osteoarthritis. Össur also produces compression therapy products which help to improve circulation and decrease swelling.

“Innovation,” he says. and asked him in 2001 if I could complete an “This is how I would describe my time at internship with the Össur to date. If you company. Thankfully look at what we did that happened, I came back in 2001 – some here, and the rest is Kim De Roy history.” of those basics are still there, but we have advanced Kim De Roy is talking about so much since thanks to new Össur. technology platforms.

Now serving as the firm’s Executive “Products are more functional, Vice President of Research and Development, he has witnessed a durable and reliable than ever before, and the addition of bionics has remarkable 18 years of pioneering dramatically changed the industry development since he joined as a altogether. The user of the bionic young intern.

It is an ongoing journey of discovery, prosthetic leg now has a device that one that De Roy succinctly summarises assists in keeping the patient safer and more functional every step of the way. in one word.

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When prosthetic devices are able to prevent stumbles and falls, you know we are on the right track to provide a life without limitations.”

The past two decades have also seen Össur grow markedly as a company, expanding from a tightknit team of 300 to more than 3,500 dedicated people around the world today.

Crucially, however, despite this tenfold increase in headcount, the determination to impart the organisation’s mantra of life without limitations remains the same.

“We were a small group of people determined to make a difference to people’s lives, and that feeling I first had is still with me,” De Roy adds.

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Indeed, Össur has remained laudably agile during this growth phase, evidenced by its continuing track record of delivering unique products to the market.

The EVP has oversight of operations across five countries, the major research hub being in Iceland where the majority of prosthetics work is carried out.

Upper and part of lower extremity Knowledge is power prosthetics are respectively studied in Central to this standout track record bases in Scotland and Germany, while is an unwavering commitment to Össur’s facility in France deals with soft research and development. goods like bracing and supports, along Around five percent of company with compression therapy products. revenue is reinvested into R&D activity, The firm also has R&D presence in a high figure and something which De California, where bracing and postRoy believes helps set Össur apart in operative solutions form the primary the industry. focus of activities.

“Our history is based on innovation,” he says. “We talk about trade up in technology and a trade up in functionality, and when we stop innovating, we stop improving the outcomes for people who need our The term next generation solutions. This could be anybody from not only applies to product professional athletes to the elderly who development at Össur, but treasure the confidence that comes also its team of research from being able to trust their mobility.” engineers.

THE NEXT GENERATION

De Roy explains: “Recruiting the requisite talent is obviously something we have placed a lot of emphasis on.

When I first started back in 2001, we had 15-16 people, and with the exception of one or two they are all still here.

“The majority of people have been around a very long time, so when new people start, they have a tremendous pool of knowledge to learn from.

“We focus on developing the next generation engineer.

We want to give young and creative people the opportunity to understand what we do and see how they can help us develop the next potentially lifechanging set of products.”

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This work results in a pipeline of products that continually raise the bar of orthopaedics, De Roy emphasising the health economic benefit to be reaped from committing to quality and evidence-based product development.

“For healthcare providers it pays to invest in superior prosthetic products for patients,” he adds. “It can prevent reinjuries and all of the related costs involved.

“We have come a long way, but there is more to be done, especially when it comes to elderly patients, and with the right technology we can ensure fewer people suffer from falls and other mobility issues.”

Power and control

One such solution, a programme which has been prominent for the last 15 years, comes in the field of power prosthetics.

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The i-Limb® Quantum: The first multiarticulating prosthesis that can be controlled with simple gestures

“POWER KNEE™ was the first motorised prosthetic that allowed us to lift the patient out of the chair,” De Roy recalls. “It is robotic and effectively walks for the user, reducing the risk of falls and stumbles and taking the energy out of walking, providing unrivalled levels of security versus a passive prosthetic leg.

“In this case we are not only talking about replacing the joint mobility, but also the muscles around this joint that have been lost through an amputation.” Össur is developing the third generation of this product family, an evolution which will open power prosthetics up to a much wider group of users thanks to its superior attributes – cutting-edge technology at a more affordable price, including longer battery life and reduced noise and weight.

“The other element we are looking at is the control mechanisms for these products,” adds De Roy. “There is a lot going on around the intelligence provided by microprocessors and sensors – currently they operate in sync with the patient but also think independently.

“One of the directions we’re looking at is giving that control back to the patient to make the product as intuitive as possible, giving the intentional control back to the user.”

De Roy cites an example involving bionic hands, where the company is looking at how it can send signals directly from the muscle rather than the surface of the skin.

“With this, the user no longer has to go through complicated sequences of actions to move their prosthetic,” he continues. “Instead, we want them to move and think in the way they used to before they lost their hand. Our aim is for people to be able to perform tasks like picking up a set of keys, grabbing a cup or opening a door with one intuitive motion.” Össur is currently testing on four

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Össur Formfit® Pro Knee OA is a dynamic, lightweight, and compressive knee sleeve for people in an early stage of knee osteoarthritis (OA)

patients – two with bionic hands and two with lower extremity prosthetics.

A key priority for De Roy is to gain permission from the USA’s Food and Drug Administration to increase its testing base and collect more data, a process which he accepts may take several years to come to fruition.

Life without limitations

Looking even further into the future, De Roy hints at the potential of mindor intent-controlled products to make an impact in the market, taking the definition of smart prosthetics to an entirely new level.

However, he is much more grounded when describing Össur’s immediate plans going into the rest of 2019 and 2020.

“Our basic priority actually involves ensuring the company is

ready to deal with new regulations at a European level,” he explains. “These are coming into play in May 2020 and we will comply to make sure we are making the safest and most reliable products.”

From here the picture will expand into the wider mission, underpinned by the strapline life without limitations.

“We have some amazing products in the pipeline – products which we believe will change lives,” De Roy continues. “This has to be for all potential users, especially those who are less able to move independently and need us the most.

“Around 50 percent of amputees above the knee are not getting a prosthesis. The older these people get the less chance they have of being able to walk, and we are seeing disparity in these numbers as we move from one country to another. There are thus massive opportunities to give more people the chance to use prosthetics.”

Making such products more intuitive and available to a wider audience will be critical if Össur is to grasp the opportunity ahead of it, and De Roy, buoyant about the 18 years of discovery he has enjoyed to date, is stoutly optimistic.

He concludes: “Össur has a pipeline which fills me with confidence that we’re going to succeed. We speak through our products – the solutions are there, and we need to generate as much awareness as we can in order to give people a chance to improve their lives.”

Össur Head Office Tel: + 354 515 1300 mottaka@ossur.com www.ossur.com

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BUSINESS

SHOW

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F O C U S

Europe’s largest business event Event Details WHEN: May 15-16 WHERE: London, UK WEBSITE: www.greatbritishbusinessshow. co.uk

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THE BUSINESS SHOW is Europe’s largest business event, taking place at The ExCel in London on May 15-16, 2019. We are here to make sure we provide you with the best exhibitors, advice, service, expertise, and opportunities to launch, maintain or develop your business.

The Business Show brings together over 250 exhibitors, 200 seminars, and more than 20,000 business professionals who are all looking to change the future of the business sector by finding new and fresh ideas at the show. Make sure you register for a ticket so you are first to find out about the latest speakers, seminars and lots more!

The Business Show attracts the most developed innovations that aid all business, finance and entrepreneurial aspects of the

business world, all of which can improve, expand and modernise your organisation for the better. As well as this, the masterclasses which we have specifically chosen for this year’s show will be advantageous to all and an invaluable free learning opportunity that can’t be turned down.

This year’s edition is set to be the biggest and best show to date!

The Business Show team are all very excited to introduce some new, fresh and informative industry experts to the show, some famous friends, and some familiar faces that they just couldn’t resist having back. The keynote speaker line-up is unmissable this year, as well as being an educational insight into the success of industry experts.

It is everything and more that you will need to be the business owner of a great success story.

15 & 16 MAY

EXCEL, LONDON

FREE TO ATTEND

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MINEX

EUROPE

2019

E V E N T

F O C U S

A regional forum for mining industry experts Event Details WHEN: June 25-27 WHERE: Sofia, Bulgaria CONTACT: eu@minexforum.com WEBSITE: www.minexeurope.com

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SITUATED IN THE Western Tethyan belt, Bulgaria is a major player in the mining industry of Europe, with significant reserves of gold, silver, copper, lead and zinc.

This is an exciting time for the regional mining industry as the adoption of world-leading processes and technologies are bringing a new dynamism to the sector. A low-cost base, highly developed infrastructure, skilled local workforces as well as emerging changes in the government policies aimed at encouraging foreign investment, make the Western Tethys region an emerging and highly attractive destination for international mining companies and investors.

MINEX Europe has been organised since 2015 and is one of the most

prestigious and best-regarded mining events in the region.

Held every year in a different country, MINEX Europe highlights developments, projects and business opportunities in the mining industry of the host-region and wider Europe, and offers an information dissemination and international peer-to-peer knowledge exchange platform.

Over 600 delegates from 300 companies attended the previous MINEX Europe Forums held in the Republic of Northern Macedonia (2018), Serbia (2017) and Austria (2015).

These include: • European and global mine operators • Mining consultants • EU-funded mining and technology projects • Equipment suppliers and software providers • Research institutions and universities • Government agencies and mining ministries • National geological surveys • Banks and law firms • Investors and private equity funds • Stock exchanges • NGOs • Media

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CAFÉS

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Catering to the rapidly changing consumer environment

Event Details WHEN: October 7-8 WHERE: Dubai, UAE WEBSITE: https://restaurantscafeslounges.com

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THE NUMBER OF food and beverage outlets in Dubai is on the up. Existing restaurants, cafés and lounges are actively scouting for new strategic locations to expand their business. However, in the last few years restaurants, cafés and lounges have been catching up with rapidly changing consumer trends, behaviours and habits.

With technology disrupting the market greatly and the economy’s effect on consumer spending patterns, many successful businesses have become obsolete, losing their business and customers to rising competition.

It is very clear that restaurants, cafés,

lounges and other food and beverage industry stakeholders need to drive innovation across all business functions to survive and grow in this changing business environment.

This event, Restaurants, Cafés and lounges, will bring together all the stakeholders who are involved in creating business models, menu selection, growth strategies, location mapping and technology implementation from across the Middle East.

For more information please visit restaurantscafeslounges.com, email us at partnerships@gmevents.ae or call 97145687800.

Improving efficiency and delivering an improved holistic experience to cater to the rapidly changing consumer behavior

7 – 8 October 2019 Roda Al Bustan Hotel, Dubai

1,109 licences were issued for restaurants and cafes in 2018 in Dubai and over 10,000 licences were issued across Middle East & North Africa. With the increased number of openings comes increased competition, making it very challenging for owners to match the pace of the rapid changing consumer trends and preferences for fresh dining experiences.

Restaurant owners are investing to enhance the look, experience and overall profitability of their properties and are constantly on the lookout for suppliers that can cater to their businesses requirements.

Do you have a product or a service that can cater to the requirements of restaurant, cafes and lounges?

The Restaurant, Cafes and Lounges Forum is your opportunity to meet 400+ business owners, chefs and decision makers from the MENA region. For more information and to register, visit restaurantscafeslounges.com or email us at partnerships@gmevents.ae Organized by

gmgroupdubai

thegreatmindsgroup.com

Tier one supplier to the automotive industry

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