Udo Eichlinger, CEO, Siemens and Siemens Mobility

We believe that if one does not solve the mobility challenge, it will be problematic to live in our cities. This is why mobility projects are so important for society and the quality of life, and this is why we are constantly seeking solutions for this problem – Udo Eichlinger

Are there any mobility projects that you are working in Serbia?

– I am very excited that we are working on a new, modern traffic management system that will cover about 300 junctions in Belgrade. The goal is to respond efficiently to the challenges Belgrade is facing with its constantly growing population and rapidly increasing tourist needs. Once fully implemented, the system will increase street capacity by adapting to traffic circumstances in real time and giving priority to public transport. In parallel, these effects will also have a positive impact on reducing CO2 emissions and noise pollution. I must emphasise that this team has some very young members, fresh out of university. It’s really special to us to support such young and talented people. We believe that young people should be given true responsibility and that it is a powerful motivator, so I’m proud to say that they all contribute actively and do their part to improve quality of life in the capital.

We are working on a new, modern system of traffic management that will cover about 300 junctions in Belgrade

You previously organised your business on the basis of the key four Mega Trends. How are those Megatrends impacting Siemens today?

– Yes, there have been at least four Mega Trends that have impacted us over the last seven to ten years. These include urbanisation, globalisation, demographic changes in terms of ageing populations, and climate change. Over the last five years, we have added a fifth – digitisation. It differs from the others in that it is related to technology while the others aren’t. But digitalisation has had such a huge impact on all of our markets and is rolling on so massively and in such a fast way that we’ve added this global Mega Trend to the existing ones that we believe are changing all markets.

One interesting example from this area of business is what we call the ‘digital twin’, which is basically fed by our software portfolio, our software suite. This part will also grow tremendously quickly in the future. I believe that the digital twin will be the backbone of any future industry or manufacturing industry, because it is so powerful. Once you have the digital twin of your products or systems, they can be optimised in a much faster way and can be developed more rapidly, while development times will be shortened drastically.

How has such a large system as Siemens’ confronted the challenges imposed on us all by the global pandemic?

– We all fear not being in control, which is usually kept in check by our daily routines. The pandemic has really magnified this trait. But this is exactly what has helped us manage this precedent – creating new routines for the new normal. Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic surprised everyone, but it did not completely succeed in catching us off guard, since we always put such effort and emphasis on EHS standards. The No. 1 priority for us has always been, and always will be, the well-being of our employees and anyone who sets foot into our operations or works with us on projects. We continue to actively monitor the COVID-19 situation, taking all necessary steps to protect our community, and so far we’ve safely and successfully minimised its disruptions to our day-to-day operations and ensured business continuity. My advice for everyone would be to focus on what you can control and remember to take care of yourself and others. 

Photo: Nebojša Babić