medical imaging and the the future of rail travel.
The interview was edited for clarity and length.
Q: The United States and other countries are
emphasizing efficient buildings as one way to
fight climate change. Is that what’s fueling much
of your growth predictions?
A: We talked about our core markets, 440
billion euros, growing 4% or 5%. These are
already markets driven by sustainability as
well as automation and digitalization, which
is, I think, where all the stimulus money goes.
Why would you invest in old stuff when
you really can stimulate the new? Your new
administration has clear targets to expand
or defend technology leadership against
others, eventually China. We can contribute.
We have very strong software business in
the United States. A very strong footprint in
building technologies.
Q: How would a consumer benefit from
factory automation?
A: Let me start with the automotive industry.
If you are building a combustion engine and
a hybrid-electric battery vehicle at the same
factory, you have to manage all the variants
as products are personalized. We help with
either the software of the automation or the
personalization (with many combinations of
options). A second example is what we do in
terms of pharmaceutical. We help them bring
the vaccinations to market in shorter time, but
also ramp up faster. A new mutant comes, a new
kind of vaccination is needed, to make it fast.
One day you produce a vaccination for COVID,
another one for whatever kind of disease you
want to fight.