OSRAM CTO talk about innovative technology, the future development of the field

"Faster path to solve the problem"

OSRAM CTO (Chief Technology Officer) Dr. StefanKampmann talked about innovative technology, the future development of the field, as well as the courage to try new things.

OSRAM CTO (CTO) Dr. Stefan Kampmann

When it comes to light, it is often regarded as the key technology of the future. What does it mean for companies like OSRAM?

Stefan Kampmann: until recently, OSRAM saw itself as a component manufacturer that has been producing, selling, and optimizing the traditional forms of light sources such as light bulbs for many years. This is a proud history, but at some point, the only thing you can do in that business model is to make small, incremental improvements in quality, and sometimes save 3% of the cost. Essentially, we used to do business. However, in the new field of activity, the focus is on the more complex things such as lighting systems or light services, and then create a new business model.

For example?

Stefan Kampmann: in the automotive business, we sell not only the light source, but also the lighting module and lighting system. The car of the future, light source and automotive electronic products, communication between the level will be higher, which means that we will increase the use of software solutions, at the same time, it also explains the range of products we are transferred from a single component and light module to the system fully mature from the original direction. After that, there is a new application areas, such as the use of ultraviolet water disinfection. But the first thing we need to do is to understand the process fundamentally. It also needs from other experts in the field of cooperation, such as that used for the disinfection of the ideal light is what kind of biologists, as well as related to actual operation of water supply, so that we can be familiar with the use of this technology. For a pure component developer, like OSRAM, this means unfamiliar territory.

So, are you looking for a strategic partner in the new business area?

Stefan Kampmann: when you work in a traditional component development company, unless you have to worry about all the processes are conducted within the company, so the competition alone is enough to become the reason to the requirements of all experts retained within the company. But when you're expanding into different areas, you need to know who has the potential to develop new applications and to market them. When we want to discover and develop something new, we need to change the way we look at the problem.

OSRAM digital business model is being pushed to where?

Stefan Kampmann: I would like to cite an example from the lighting system, in theory, any street lights have the potential to expand the additional business. Every city has street lights. All the lights work more or less in the same way, but also by the power supply. So, you can put an electronic sensor in the street light to monitor when people are approaching, or how many cars in a particular area. The data collected by these sensors are also used to indicate the location of the vacant parking spaces. The same applies to buildings. If you look up at the ceiling of the building, you will see the light everywhere. Let's imagine that each of these LED lights is equipped with a simple proximity sensor. These sensors can be used to collect data: where most people spend most of the day, then you can use the data to optimize the layout of the office or shopping center design.

How do you practice this business model?

Stefan Kampmann: we set up the FluxUnit, which is equivalent to an incubator incubator, for any we think that OSRAM related internal ideas and external ideas. We try to support these ideas so that they can develop their potential in the initial stage.

This is a departure from your traditional business.

Indeed, the only question is how far we can go: whether we use it as part of our own business or with strategic partners to seek joint solutions. We do not know how the digital revolution will cause further damage in the next few years. But we do know that there are a lot of possibilities in our market. It's about trying and exploring new areas. Whether we will rely on big data analysis by making money or just transfer the data source and sensor to make money, it remains to be seen. But the important thing is that we have to start thinking about tomorrow. Moreover, this is not the same as the traditional lighting world we used to know.

It is clear that the automotive sector has a huge growth potential, from the driver assistance system has been unmanned. How do you take advantage of this opportunity?

Stefan Kampmann: for us, the focus here is on electronic products and software algorithms. Our top lighting system uses a semiconductor based light source, which is the first step in this direction. Among the different functions of these lighting systems, there is an imaging system that analyzes the oncoming vehicle and coordinates the light from the front of the vehicle to the surrounding vehicle. These lighting systems not only generate brighter than traditional lighting products