Franz Fehrenbach: “We have a tremendous opportunity in the digitization” – Reuters

The place inspired Franz Fehrenbach and over again. No wonder: the view from the large windows of the house Heidehof over the park adjoining the Villa Bosch all the way down into the valley on Stuttgart’s beautiful. It is an inspiring spots in the countryside. Next door company founder and inventor Robert Bosch lived. The right place to talk with Franz Fehrenbach on founders and entrepreneurship in Germany.

Mr. Fehrenbach, you grew up in a group with established rules and procedures. What fascinates you about start-ups, so on rather wild business?
In nearly 40 years at Bosch I myself have always felt as entrepreneurs within the enterprise. I’ve always done what I would have done if I were the owner of Bosch.

But there are huge cultural differences between small and large companies. For
me is always impressive when I see the enthusiasm with which and with which creative thinking young entrepreneurs get stuck in to the matter. These dynamics, there are also large organizations, although the greatest enemy of progress in corporations is the slowness, the bureaucracy. Therefore, large companies often take new ideas out of the line organization and form their own independent spaces, quasi-internal start-ups.

The Internet of things

• Everyday objects in the network

  The Internet is known as an infrastructure to share ideas on human data – whether on PC, laptop or smartphone. So it comes down to computers that communicate with each other. But these days can be more and more objects network: Heating, and door, T-shirt and glasses, car and Heating

• One thing that many. terms

  The term “Internet of Things” impressed scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston at the end of the 90s. But it coursing many terms. “Industrial Internet” stresses the economic importance, “Machine to Machine” (abbreviated M2M) describes more technically, that devices exchange autonomous data

• . ‘ h5> use in business

  So far, the Internet of things mainly a matter of economy: logistics companies pursue, for example, the way of supplies. Technology manufacturers bring increasingly, consumer products on the market, such as heating controls.

• mini-computer and radio antenna

  “12″

  Networked objects require a mini-computer and a radio antenna, also sensors – in the case of a heating control as to measure the temperature. These components have become in recent years, so that always new areas of application in question.

• sextillion addresses

  “13″

  For networked objects can be controlled via the Internet, one must clearly they can respond. A new standard called IPv6 is to ensure that even in the age of networked cars and heaters enough IP addresses are available – there are 340 sextillion, so a 340 with 36 zeros

market with huge potential

It is difficult to grasp the networking trend in numbers, the market is still too young. Market researcher Gartner dares to predict that by 2020 some 26 billion devices on the Internet of Things – PCs, tablets and smartphones are not included therein. Sales of products and services will grow to more than 300 billion dollars. More optimistic the network equipment Cisco, the crosslinked by then 50 billion devices is expected.

• Discussion of Privacy

  The triumph of networked devices expected to draw some discussions on Privacy by itself. An example: Can an insurance transaction data of a car owner evaluate to adjust prices to the driving behavior? Or should the police after an accident check whether the driver was too fast?

What exactly can companies learn from Web companies?
creativity and openness to new things, to take the liberty sometimes to think quite cross. Large companies have functioning processes. This is both a great advantage, for example, product quality, on the other hand can be a hindrance, if ideas are to be built.

events such as the start-up initiative Weconomy bring together experienced managers and youngsters of the economy. If there are they frequent?
secure. We organize future both the Weconomy weekend, the young entrepreneur brings together managers, three times in workshops where young entrepreneurs to meet experts established companies. There are all working together on the issues that drive the start-ups the best and fastest.

Knowledge Factory, Handelsblatt and UnternehmerTUM looking for innovative founders. It beckons a price not found anywhere else. Apply to become even until 14 September 2014 with the creative and innovative business models.

The Europeans have suffered for some time the Internet is dominated by the Americans. How do you see the balance of power?
The large platforms on the Internet are dominated by the Americans. That is a fact. We should not believe we can still set up also. This train is actually departed for Germany.

They talk about giants like Google, Amazon, Facebook and Apple. What opportunities remain as outmaneuvered the Germans?

We have a tremendous opportunity in the digitization, especially in the networking, so the combination of hardware and software. Here, Germany has a leading position in key domains, such as in the automotive industry or in engineering. We must now succeed to link start-ups, especially in the IT and telecommunications sector have so far worked with the industry.