"Standardization connects the world"

The venue in the transformer hall in Ba den was not chosen by chance. In 1919, transformers were manufactured there by the then BBC (now ABB). And it was BBC that founded the "Swiss Standards Commission" on July 2, 1919, together with other venerable Swiss industrial companies such as Sulzer and Escher Wyss. Its purpose: to create standards that would be valid throughout industry. It would be hard to imagine today if a Swiss canton ever had its own standards, for example for the dimensioning of power sockets...

For many, standards may be a dry, bureaucratic topic. But "standardization connects the world," said SNV President Jürg Werner in his opening address. And Stefan Ramseier, head of the ABB research center in Baden-Dättwil, emphasized in his welcoming address the need for communication when it comes to implementing necessary standards, which ultimately aim to make our lives easier. Around 26,000 standards are in force today, 1000 of which are purely Swiss standards.

5G standard for further networking
The fact that standards are not rigid systems, but are subject to constant change, was demonstrated at the SNV anniversary event in four "Inspiration Sessions" - each of which was held in a different room. The audience must therefore move - just as industrial development does. One driver of technological development - and also a result of it - is the 5G mobile communications standard, for example, which Matthias Jungen from Swisscom explained. 5G not only forms the technological prerequisite for the Internet of Things, i.e. machineto-machine communication, but also opens up new and more flexible possibilities for data transmission, for example through so-called network slicing, whereby certain network areas can be reserved for a specific purpose.

No "innovation theatre", please ...
There is also a lot of talk about innovation in connection with digitalisation. Jean-Philippe Hagmann exposed many of them as pure, if often unintentional, "innovation theatre". Many of these "innovation labs" or "digital hubs" are "merely a backdrop", according to Hagmann, who has also written a book on the subject. He believes that many companies have a lot of catching up to do when it comes to their ability to innovate. Instead of "ideas", it would be better to focus on "discoveries". A better understanding of the innovation process is needed: "Doing 'it' right before doing 'it' right", says the speaker. It is also important to clarify who should play which role in this "innovation theater". Hagmann sees the "bridge builder" as crucial here, i.e. the role that ensures that avant-gardists and enablers in an organization can understand each other properly.

From drones and robots
In the large hall, the focus was on an innovation that has long since become established: drones. These are already in widespread use today: As a means of transport, as an instrument for surveillance - wherever needs have to be met from the air with little effort. However: Drones have also created new risks, as Dominique C. Brack impressively explained in his presentation. Espionage and even the paralysis of entire airports, as recently happened at Lon don Gatwick, are scenarios of undesirable drone operations. Defence measures against this are not yet fully developed, as Dominique C. Brack demonstrated with a "shooting exercise": two participants failed to shoot down a toy drone with toy rifles, despite good aiming accuracy ...

Robotics and electromobility were the topics of the last "Inspiration Session". Andreas Hufschmid and Adrian Wachholz showed how ABB, for example, already provides technologies in both areas that are used in industry and transport. Always guided by the goal: to conserve resources - be they human or natural. ■