Can you briefly introduce your company and your role?
We are a family-owned, medium-sized company in its second generation, operating globally. Our corporate strategy focuses on three business sectors: Industrial Automation, Life Science, and Transportation. Our portfolio includes versatile solutions, such as our fitting platform for connecting lines for gaseous and liquid fluids. Our valves, ranging from simple switching valves to advanced multi-channel valve units with integrated electronics. Additionally, we offer innovative pneumatic and electric linear actuators. In my role, I am responsible for the strategic direction and global business development in the Transportation sector—a field we define more broadly than the term suggests at IAA TRANSPORTATION. In addition to commercial vehicles, we serve customers from agriculture, construction equipment, passenger car & light duty commercial vehicles and the railway industry.
What does the IAA TRANSPORTATION slogan "People and Goods On The Move" mean to you?
This slogan hits the core of what defines our Transportation business sector. Our products play a central role in braking systems, cabin equipment, and vehicle structures, helping ensure that people and goods are safely transported from point A to point B. However, the slogan also carries a deeper meaning for us, as the transport industry itself is undergoing transformation: new propulsion technologies, vehicle concepts, connectivity, and autonomous driving are shaping the market. This rapid development requires us to remain flexible and continuously integrate new technologies. We are particularly proud of our growing portfolio in the field of electric linear actuators and the development of custom electronics boards. Our vision: to shape the mobility of the future together with our customers – "Taking You Forward."
What do you expect from IAA TRANSPORTATION 2024?
After a successful participation in IAA 2022, it was clear that we would be back in 2024. The IAA offers us an ideal platform to further expand our business in the strategically important Transportation sector. Our products are represented in numerous vehicle applications, and I look forward to driving this success forward, gaining new customers, and deepening existing partnerships. Personal conversations at our booth and showcasing innovative solutions will be the key focus.
What topic will you be presenting at IAA TRANSPORTATION 2024?
In addition to our main product groups – fittings, valves, and linear actuators – we are particularly focused this year on customer-specific solutions. Proximity to customers is crucial for us as a medium-sized company. Together with our partners, we have worked on exciting projects, including an electrically driven bus door and a pneumatic solution to prevent water and ice accumulation on trailer roofs. We are proudly presenting these innovations at our booth, together with our partners.
Which essential future topic is receiving too little attention in public?
An essential topic that deserves more attention is resource conservation and the development of material cycles. It seems paradoxical that great efforts are made to make drives more efficient, while at the same time, a significant portion of freight is overproduction and ends up unused. There is enormous potential here to reduce the ecological footprint with relatively little effort.
In which area of the transport and logistics sector do you see the greatest potential and where the greatest need for improvement?
The automation of vehicle processes offers huge potential. Already at IAA 2022, we saw innovative systems that enhance efficiency, safety, and comfort, such as automated cargo securing or intelligent door systems. We are just at the beginning of an exciting development here. In my opinion, the greatest need for improvement lies in the expansion and optimization of public transportation, which in many places is still not considered a viable alternative.
Who do you want to connect with at IAA and why?
Our focus is on automating vehicle functions – an area where we are already strong in the industrial automation sector. Our expertise and close collaboration with customers enable us to offer the right customized solutions. Therefore, I look forward to exchanging ideas with innovative companies that pursue similar approaches and want to work on the future of vehicle technology.
What is your vision for the transport sector in 20 years?
Looking to the future, I see a heavily electrified transport sector characterized by AI-based driving assistance systems and automated processes. In the next 20 years, safety and efficiency will be optimized through intelligent, connected technologies. Our vision is to contribute to shaping the mobility of tomorrow through innovative products and close customer relationships. "Maximum safety and uptime through automation" is our guiding principle for the future of transportation.