Visiting a neighbour knowledge region in the North West
European area
ThyssenKrupp, thinking the future of steel
It had been promised already at the end of 2011: Young HTSP Professionals, who
participated three times in the Young Professionals programs, were invited to join on a VIP
tour to Germany. They received their Golden Tickets and subscribed to the study tour that
took place on Thursday November 15th. The program was prepared by Mr. Jaap Huisman, as
a retired professor of Economic Geography and Germany specialist, he started his own
company a few years ago. His Leitmotiv: “Inspiring on location!” He was our guest at several
occasions to get to know HTSP. And to get to know our Young Professionals. Now it was his
turn to take action. And so he did. He guided us trough industrial history, actual
developments and even shared outlines of possible future scenario’s of industry. By visiting
a transferring region, the Rhein-Ruhr knowledge region. By visiting a transferring company.
A variety of maps
A group of 15 persons gathered at the High
Tech Campus in Eindhoven at 07.15 a.m. The
coach should leave at 07.30 hours punctually.
And so it did. Those who thought they could
sleep another hour were wrong. Mr. Jaap
Huisman immediately took the microphone
and started to guide the passengers trough the
study material he had supplied them with. After
describing the main characteristics of the High
Tech Campus in Eindhoven, he explained the
industrial history of the Ruhr area. Which was
based for a long time on an economy powered
by coalmining and steel production.
Roughly, this shift was from the south of the
Ruhr area to the North. The consequence was
that German landscape engineers started to
redesign end reconstruct the old mining fields.
They managed to create a new landscape
where people can live, work and recreate in an
environment which once had a reputation of
dust, rain and poverty. This ability of recreating
the natural environment not only took place in
deindustrialised parts of the Ruhr area, it also
was transferred to areas still in use by
industrial activities.
At the ThyssenKrupp campus
“Good morning. Please open your study books!”
A big variety of maps helped us to understand
the processes that took place in the past.
Coalmining started where the coals were
found right beneath the surface. And when
these layers were finished, the mining
activities shifted to areas where the coal layers
were found deeper beneath the surface.
Open and transparent
Adapting, changing and anticipating was what
this study tour was about. Focused on
industrial activities of course. From mass
production to brains based industry. From a
coal and steel based economy to high tech
applications where Research & Development
are of big interest. We were given the
opportunity to see, to meet and to judge by
ourselves at the ThyssenKrupp campus in the
city of Essen. That was where we got out of
the bus, already having a slight idea about the
company we were to visit. ThyssenKrupp, a
merger of the former Thyssen and Krupp
companies in the late nineties, employs over
180.000 people and has an estimated annual
turn over of 43 billion euros. The Krupp
company was born in Essen in 1811. The
recent merger and take overs had led to a
series of head quarters spread over the Ruhr
area. That is why the ThyssenKrupp
management has decided to transfer them all
to one location; the ThyssenKrupp campus in
Essen. This operation is still on going. The
member of the staff who guided us through the
campus explained that the campus opened its
doors in 2010 and that actually 1.200 people
have their offices and workplaces at the
campus. In about two years 3.000 employees
will be working in this very open and
transparent environment.
most important facts and figures of the
company. ThyssenKrupp is about steel. Yes!
But the ThyssenKrupp management has
understood very well that steel mass
production is not enough to survive in a world
Mr. Bartels explains
of overcapacity. That is why ThyssenKrupp is
making a turn around to an engineering
company. Not only understanding about
materials who are related to steel, but being
the number one in understanding about
applications of these materials. That is why the
House of Innovation has been established.
That is why 3.000 researchers are working on
the future of steel –and other materialsapplications. That is why ThyssenKrupps pay
off is: “wir denken Stahl weiter”.
Open and transparent. Outside and inside
Shocked
Of course, we where interested in the
architecture, the philosophy of buildings
connected to each other, history and future.
But we were even more interested in the
presentation prepared by Mr. Dirk Bartels,
Head of Innovation and quality of the
Corporate Center Technology, Innovation &
Quality. He welcomed us in the international
guest facilities were we could even experience
the so called silence room. An inspiring,
almost religious, facility which allows people to
think, to concentrate, and to develop new
ideas. We where shocked! ……… By the fact
that nobody used these facilities. Which almost
certainly has to do with German working
atmosphere. „What‟s wrong with you‟ might
others think and say when they find you
meditating in this quiet place. Isn‟t it the Apple
company who allows their employees to take a
few ours per week off in order to…… think?
Anyhow, we were happy to have a seat in a
nice warm and transparent room enjoying the
presentation of Mr. Bartels. He presented the
Changing the company
Why
does
walking
around
on
the
ThyssenKrupp campus makes me think of the
High Tech Campus in Eindhoven? It is open,
transparent, easy to meet people, to get
connected face-to-face. It has a high tech look
and feel. It gives you the idea you are part of
creating the future. Why does the same walk
rejects this idea? Because it is exclusively
ThyssenKrupp. The others are welcomed by
the city of Essen, outside the entries. Open
innovation? Yes. A little bit and strongly
controlled by ThyssenKrupp. With partners as
Siemens, Bosch and Philips. For sure. But fully
open? Let us say the door is unlocked, but it is
still not easy to enter. However, ThyssenKrupp
really invests in changing the company form
mass steel production to the most modern
steel production blast-furnaces in combination
with high end engineering competencies. One
of the visitors said: “they made a start. And
they not only have to change the companies
structure but the human behaviour regarding
working habits and atmosphere as well. Not to
mention
changing
habits
regarding…..
change!” It should be worthwhile to have a
next visit in five or ten years!
the world regarding automated guided
transportation and logistics and reduction of
energy use and CO2 emissions.
Veerhaven
After enjoying the lunch together with our host,
Mr. Bartels, we had to get back in the bus for
transfer to the Duisburg based steel production
plants. We where received by Mr. Neba, a
retired steel production worker who explained
us the processes necessary to transfer coals
and cokes into sheets and plates meeting the
customers needs. He made it very clear that
the vast Duisburg production facilities, highly
depend on the supplies by boats transportation
raw materials form the Rotterdam Euro
harbour continuously. In order not to depend
totally on outsourcing of transportation,
ThyssenKrupp Steel even has it‟s own
transportation company, called “Veerhaven”.
They operate at least 400 inland navigation
units. Just imagine that Duisburg itself has the
largest inner harbour of the world!
Lifting the weight of 8 loaded trucks, temperature
1.500 C°
The most modern blast-furnace
Dark and dusty
After a presentation and a short video about
the production processes, Mr. Neba invited us
for a tour by bus to see the production facilities
with our own eyes. Of course, we were
equipped with safety helmets, hearing
protection devices and even a communication
device so we could easily hear and understand
the explications, even in high noise level
area‟s. First we visited the R&D facilities were
emphasize was on concrete application
development on customers demand. No mass
production of one type of steel, but at least
eight different qualities are produced mend for
different applications.
After that we visited the control room for
several blast-furnaces and finally we got to see
the basic processes the way we know them
form pictures in old school books. Dark and
dusty? Yes. But for the rest we can conclude
we visited the most modern blast-furnaces in
Sparkling
At five o clock we waved Mr. Neba bye bye,
and agreed to the fact that this man, after a
long history of ThyssenKrupp Steel, could not
sit at home just doing nothing. His enthusiasm
and knowledge sparkled over to us.
Explanation stops
It took Henk, the bus driver, just half an hour to
get us to the former inner harbour area of
Duisburg, which has been transformed into a
very appreciated and popular residential area.
And what is more, it offers a lot of dinner
opportunities. We had to walk a few minutes to
Five more minutes of your attention
the Vapiano restaurant, selected by Mr. Jaap
Huisman‟s wife. But not before he organised
several explanation stops to explain and have
us experience the transformation of this area
from, what once was a degraded and
neglected area, to a modern and trendy
residential and recreation quarter.
Even polluting industry can change
into relatively environmental friendly
industry
Even BtoB oriented companies must
understand end users
Creativity helps companies to develop
change road maps
Innovating means taking controlled
risks
Dutch industry is far ahead on open
innovation and cooperation in clusters
of companies, knowledge institutes
and governments
Pull yourself away from your own
solution and focus on customer‟s
objectives
Steel is more than steel alone. We
started to re-appreciate this raw
material
Do not act and think form the inside
out but act externally in a high extend
Bring technology and innovation to
people who are all stakeholders, one
way or another
Don‟t forget to invest in the necessary
conditions: 4 B‟s, 3 C‟s and B*
*See study material
Enjoying dinner
Engineering a new future
We enjoyed the Vapiano concept, which
allowed us to compose our own Italian meal,
and took the time to sit together and discuss
the impressions of ThyssenKrupp and the
Ruhr area. Things have changed over the last
30 years. High tech landscape redesign was
applied in parts of the Ruhr area.
ThyssenKrupp tries to shift in the value chain
to a higher level of added value. And succeeds
to a certain extend. Will it be enough to survive
and engineer their new future?
What have you learned?
From Duisburg to Eindhoven is a distance of
only about 130 kilometres. Could we take the
time to have a chat or rest? No! Mr. Jaap
Huisman
challenged
every
individual
participant again to prepare a pitch concerning
an answer to the question: “what have you
learned today”. Everyone was invited in
succession to take a seat in the front of the
bus and take the microphone. Yes, we have
learned something. Just a few impressions:
One way or another the way back to the High
Tech Campus in Eindhoven seemed to be
shorter than the way to get to the Ruhr area
the morning. Whatever might be the reason, I
have the impression we not only enjoyed the
study tour as a day off, but we were able to
compare a German case to the Dutch situation
in industrial development. We learned. To be
proud of our own industry, and to keep our
eyes open to what we can learn from others!
Will you join next year‟s study tour?
Jos van Erp
FME Representative High Tech Systems Platform
Impressions of an inspiring study tour