TÜV SÜD
JOURNAL EST #16 TO THE T t is the secret of Service quality: Wha good service? OVE #24 ON THE M aerial tramways Cities are turning to ility problems. as a solution to mob OINT #30 TO THE P es: What to look Internet travel servic ps online. for when booking tri
# 03 2013
AGEMENT N A M R E T A W SUSTAINABLE
e f i l a g n i r u En s y r r o w t u o f f h t i rO e w d t f n u k u Z e i D
SCH ES KOMMT EIN
IFF GELADEN
a d t s i k i t s i g o L e shor
Editorial
DEAR READERS, In 1830, Europeans were afflicted with an illness that was to claim tens of thousands of lives in subsequent decades: cholera. The bacteria that caused the epidemic had found the perfect breeding ground in the completely overstrained water supply systems of Europe’s major cities as the Industrial Revolution spread across the continent. The disease was only conquered once modern drinking and service water systems were installed and communities began to monitor and protect the quality of their water supply. Water is the source of all life. Without water, nothing can grow and flourish. But water can also spread disease. As a result, the delivery of safe and clean water to an expanding population is a central challenge of our time – particularly in the rapidly growing metropolitan areas of Asia, Africa and South America. Regions like Europe and North America, on the other hand, must face the challenge of organizing water supply and disposal in an increasingly sustainable manner that conserves resources.
It’s up and running ...
These topics are the focus of our cover story (starting on page 6). In our Background information on water management and other topics featured in this edition of TÜV SÜD Journal can be found in our new unit TÜV SÜD Water new free app – more on page 36! Services, we are presently pooling our multifaceted expertise in reliable, safe and economical water management – we urge you to put our know-how to the test.
Best regards,
Dr-Ing Axel Stepken Chairman of the Board of Management of TÜV SÜD AG 2 TÜV SÜD Journal
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To the
On the
To the
What drives people around the world? We take a close look at technical and societal trends.
A look at the world of tomorrow: These innovations could soon shape our lives.
Get to the bottom of it! Our »add value« pages make complex issues understandable.
#16 The customer‘s best friend An interview with marketing expert Professor Christian Coenen about the difference between good and excellent service.
#22 In the bag Using scarce, costly crude oil to make plastic? You can just bag that idea! In the packaging industry, bioplastics are on the rise.
#28 Beneath the bedrock Fracking is being hotly debated around the world. How does this method for extracting natural gas from rock formations actually work?
#18 Please stay here! Research and instruction bolster a country‘s competitiveness. Like companies, universities are now investing more and more time and effort in the war for talent.
#24 High-wire act Aerial tramways are no longer just a tourist attraction. Cities around the globe are erecting them as a way of unclogging congested urban areas.
#30 A guide to travel The Internet is filled with all kinds of enticing travel deals. But which ones are the real deals? Five tips for safely booking your vacation online.
#4 TÜV SÜD in focus #14 5 minutes with TÜV SÜD
#21 On location #31 Dates/imprint
#32 5 minutes with TÜV SÜD #34 The final say
TEST
MOVE
POINT
TÜV SÜD Journal 3
in focus TÜV SÜD im Bild
Sustainable
PLEASURE Faster, higher, further: Amusement parks are beginning to resemble the Olympic Games. The rides are becoming more and more spectacular. One record after another is being shattered. This is raising more than just visitors‘ adrenaline levels. It also often results in increased energy consumption, land use and emissions. With the »Green Amusement Park« certificate, TÜV SÜD has developed a standard for assessing and confirming the sustainability and environmental compatibility of amusement parks. Europa-Park, a theme park located in Rust, Germany, has now been certified as the world’s first green amusement park. It is home to five hotels, a campground and more than 100 attractions, such as the wooden roller coaster »Wodan« (pictured). »Areas of the park that received positive marks during the certification process included the photovoltaic systems, heat pumps and a hydropower station that supply electricity to the park as well as the fact that mature trees were preserved and new green areas created in spite of the park’s continuous expansion and addition of new rides and shows,« explains TÜV SÜD expert Ernst Donislreiter. »We are proud of the result,« says the owner of Europa-Park, Roland Mack. »At the same time, we also understand that this is only the beginning of our work in this area and that we must not rest on our laurels.« More information on the topic: www.tuv-sud.com/leisure-parks 4 TÜV SÜD Journal
TÜV TÜV SÜD SÜD in im focus Bild
TÜV SÜD Journal 5
Cover story
o G ing Text: Sandra Lehmann
Water is in constant motion: It vanishes into thin air and then tumbles back to Earth as rain. But what about the water that contains traces of industrial and household use? Without an efficient recycling system, the precious natural resource that we need to survive could disappear for good.
6 TÜV SÜD Journal
Cover story
Without water, life is only half as much fun. Without water, no plant can grow and no human being or animal can survive.
MORE ON THE TOPIC
IN OUR MAGAZINE-APP
h t i w
o w l f e th
TÜV SÜD Journal 7
»This is not just a matter of improved
water management. It is also a question of sustainable urban planning.« – Gerhard Hauber, co-owner of Atelier Dreiseitl
8 TÜV SÜD Journal
Cover story
The Kallang River in Singapore. Until 2009, the river was confined by a straitjacket of concrete. Then, it began to be turned into a waterprotection and local recreation area.
S
imply turning on a water faucet, flushing a commode or taking a refreshing shower. Such matter-offact occurrences for residents of industrial countries are luxuries to many other people around the world. One billion people have no access to clean drinking water, and nearly twice as many have no bathroom facilities or fully functioning wastewater treatment systems. It is a problem that will grow much worse in decades to come. Demographic projections show that nine billion people will be living on the Earth by 2050, and these nine billion people will use clean water as sustenance, an economic good, a production factor and an energy supplier. This will create growing challenges for both developing countries and industrial nations. After all, water is already one of the world’s most precious resources: Only a minute amount of global water sources can be tapped and used for human and industrial purposes (see the figure on the upper right). Furthermore, climate change is cutting the amount of surface and groundwater available to people in many parts of the world. Holistic, not one-dimensional
The city-state of Singapore is already wellacquainted with this phenomenon. Its antiquated rainwater system, which consisted primarily of concrete canals, could no longer handle the needs of Singapore’s rising population and the city-state‘s emergence as the industrial and financial center of Southeast Asia. Today, Singapore still has to import water from the neighboring country of Malaysia in order to meet the island’s drinking and process water needs. In a push to end water imports by 2050, the city-state‘s government decided in 2009 to use rainwater to supply residents. A holistic project being conducted under the banner of »active, beautiful, clean« (ABC program) has been created to promote the sustain-
97.5 29.5
69.5 percent of fresh water is locked in polar and glacial ice.
percent of fresh water is located underground.
RIVERS AND LAKES MAKE UP JUST
1 PERCENT. able use of this precious liquid. In particular, the »NEWwater« initiative has generated much interest around the world. It is designed to reprocess wastewater and convert it in particular into industrial process water. The same approach is being taken to rainwater, which can now be collected and prewashed as a result of the renaturalization of the Kallang River and the redevelopment of the surrounding Bishan Park. The restored river serves as both a reservoir for
drinking water and as a flood zone during periods of heavy rainfall. »Our redevelopment work was not just a matter of better water management. It was also a question of sustainable urban planning,« says Gerhard Hauber, a co-owner of Atelier Dreiseitl, a company based in the southern German city of Überlingen that planned and carried out the project. Hauber has been involved in work on efficient water management for 20 years and knows that the spread of soil
»USE EVERY DROP OF WATER SEVERAL TIMES« Drinking water
Wastewater
Process water
Rainwater
Secondary uses
A B
This motto links Singapore’s water management efforts to the DEUS 21 project headed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB. The principle: In separate systems, used water and rainwater are washed in a multistep process. The water is then resupplied to households, where it is used for showers, washing and cleaning depending on its hygienic level (A) or for industrial or agricultural purposes (B).
TÜV SÜD Journal 9
Cover story
OUR H20 FOOTPRINT Every person in industrial countries uses around 130 liters of water each day to take showers, brush his or her teeth and cook. But this is just the amount that comes straight out of the tap. The virtual water bill climbs higher when consumer goods and food are added to the list.
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107
bathtubs, 15,000 l of water per kg Beef
bathtubs, 6,000 l of water per pair Blue jeans
1
1071 Cars
The Marina Barrage in Singapore harbor is not just one of the city’s most eye-catching water reservoirs. It is also home to one of the world’s most state-of-the-art desalination plants.
bathtubs, 150,000 l of water per vehicle
bathtub, 140 l of water per cup Cup of coffee
»In dry regions, decentral systems help save
drinking water and conserve resources.« Dr-Ing Marius Mohr, Fraunhofer IGB Stuttgart
10 TÜV SÜD Journal
Cover story
sealing poses a problem to many major cities. »For this reason, we pay careful attention during our projects to ensure that sufficient rainwater management potential, including green roofs, is available and can collect and naturally prewash the water,« Hauber says. Using every drop
It is not just the reuse of rainwater that is a top priority in efforts to innovatively tap the precious natural resource of water. In regions with access to salt water, experts are now using large-scale desalination systems to produce fresh drinking water. Major strides have already been made in Israel, Jordan and Palestine. As part of the international SMART project, three major seawater desalination and reprocessing facilities have been erected in the lower Jordan Valley, and they pump fresh water into underground storage pools. In Israel, the treatment rate is now 85.6 percent, which ensures water supplies for the next 25 years. »The key factor is sustainability,« says Dr Andreas Hauser, the Head of TÜV SÜD Water Services. »The trend is moving toward innovative processes that reduce the reliance of seawater desalination plants on fossil fuels and rely instead on renewable energies like photovoltaics.« Multistep treatment process
In Stuttgart, the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB is also exploring the issue of water recycling. Together with the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research
ISI, the experts are currently working on the DEUS 21 water management system, which focuses on the treatment of rainwater. The aim is to wash the collected rain so well that it can replace the fresh water that is used by such devices as dishwashers and showers. In the first stage of this multistep treatment process, all large particles are removed. Active charcoal filters then remove dissolved substances like pesticides. Finally, UV lamps are used to kill bacteria. As a result, the recycled water could also be used as drinking water. »Our system could really help protect drinking water supplies particularly in regions that have shortages of raw water,« says Dr Marius Mohr, a researcher associate at Fraunhofer IGB. From waste product to resource
The project being conducted by the Stuttgart-based researchers also has some interesting applications for wastewater management. By employing vacuum sanitation systems – the same type of units used in airplane toilets – fecal matter can be disposed of in a manner that saves tremendous amounts of water. Just one liter of water is needed per flushing, compared with the up to eight liters used by standard toilets. »As a result, valuable resources are not wasted,« Mohr says. The newly developed wastewater technology is also capable of closing cycles of material by turning substances found in wastewater into resources like fertilizer. With the help of a bioreactor, biogas could even be produced from waste products, In digestion towers, valuable resources like fertilizer and even biogas can be produced from wastewater.
More efficiency in water management As a result of the world’s expanding population, the spread of urbanization and climate change, water supplies have become one of the key issues of the future. Water-supply and wastewater-treatment infrastructure must be built, expanded and upgraded particularly in the rapidly growing cities of China, India and the Middle East as well as in developed regions like the United States. With its new Water Services unit, TÜV SÜD creates efficient, safe and sustainable solutions through quality assurance, risk analysis and the identification of optimization potential. It also provides a solid basis for decisions related to the planning and execution of related programs and projects.
creating a valuable source of energy. This could be used to combat water shortages in particularly dry regions of the world like Africa and ensure that supplies are available for agricultural uses, a major economic factor there. Increasing awareness
Wastewater technology could also be a boost for industry. The separate treatment of heavily contaminated wastewater streams and the recovery of energy from anaerobic treatment processes could help increase the energy efficiency of industrial production. »We are already in contact with representatives from a large number of industries and are involved in negotiations about the industrial application of our solutions,« Marius Mohr says. Although it will take some time before the Fraunhofer IGB’s and ISI’s solutions are used on a wide-scale basis, they are already capable of accomplishing one thing: raising the awareness of consumers and industry about the responsible way to handle this most precious resource.
More information on this topic in our annual report: www.tuv-sud.com/urbanfuture TÜV SÜD Journal 11
Points of view Standpunkte
POINTS Jerry van den Berge Spokesperson for the European citizens’ initiative Right2Water
»Privatizing water delivery amounts to giving free reign to the industry’s giants.«
E
very person in Europe and beyond should have guaranteed access to high-quality water and be able to afford it as well. This can happen only if water is delivered by public, democratic utilities now and in the future.
The mission of the European Commission is to create a common market. This determination has set off a wave of privatization that has swept over the energy and telecommunications industries over the last 10 years. The theory: More competition leads to more high-quality products and lower prices. But, as far as water supply and distribution go, reality looks much different, as a European comparison shows: Public utilities in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany use benchmarking and keep water quality at a consistently high level. By contrast, frustration is mounting in France, Portugal and Great Britain regarding privately delivered water. In these countries, large international companies use low bids to drive out local competitors. By doing so, they are able to establish regional monopolies for water supply and distribution. Within a few years, they then raise their rates by 100 percent and more. But the profits are not reinvested and do not flow back into consumers’ pockets. The interests of citizens are ignored in the process.
DRINKING WATER Better from public or private sources? 12 TÜV SÜD Journal
Points Standpunkte of view
M
odern water supply operations need the latest water management systems. The success of private companies depends in particular on the satisfaction of their customers. This ensures better quality and fair rates.
Private water utilities are frequently accused of focusing only on profits and neglecting investments in their networks. This is not the case with our company, Thames Water UK, which serves 14 million customers. Since going into business in 1989, we have invested nearly € 20 billion in our drinking water and wastewater networks. Other British water companies have invested an additional €106 billion in similar improvements to their infrastructure. As a result of these investments, the quality of water through Thames Water customers’ taps is at its best-ever level. We have reduced leaks from our 20,000-kilometer water supply network to its lowest level ever. These improvements in operational performance are the result of sustained investment over the long term. Private companies were set up to be able to deliver vast scale investment to update infrastructure. Above all, between 1979 and 1989 UK customers’ water bills rose on average seven percent a year, but since privatization in 1989 bills have risen two percent a year while annual investment has doubled.
OF VIEW Simon Evans Spokesperson for the private company Thames Water UK
»Private companies are much more efficient than public water utilities.«
Europe is torn: In such countries as Great Britain and France, water is provided by private companies. But in places like Germany, it is delivered by public utilities. Which is the best model for consumers?
TÜV SÜD Journal 13
5 minutes
Used cars: award for TÜV SÜD Iberia
Vietnam enters global market thanks to TÜV SÜD
Safely destroying media containing confidential information
Ganvam, the Spanish association of car dealerships and service centers, has recognized the NUMoS system employed by TÜV SÜD in Spain. The web-based analysis system for used cars gives dealers a substantiated overview of company numbers and is an innovative tool for creating transparency in the used-car business.
TÜV SÜD is helping furniture manufacturers in Vietnam gain access to the global market. TÜV SÜD has teamed up with the Southeast Asian country’s Handicraft and Wood Industry Association (HAWA) to conduct a series of training sessions on quality control. The majority of HAWA’s member companies are small, family-owned businesses.
Files, hard drives and smartphones – if you are planning to get rid of these data carriers, you will want to ensure that the sensitive information they contain is destroyed. TÜV SÜD now certifies companies according to DIN 66399, a standard for the safe destruction of data carriers. It defines, among other things, protection categories and security levels as well as the permissible particle size following destruction.
natalia.homs@tuev-sued.es
mei-yu.hong@tuv-sud-psb.sg
rainer.seidlitz@tuev-sued.de
Safe clothing and shoes: new lab in Indonesia
Textiles and shoes, or softlines, must meet strict safety requirements before being exported to the European Union and the United States. They may not include such things as toxic materials. In all major manufacturing countries, TÜV SÜD operates state-of-the-art labs that can conduct the necessary tests and carries out on-site inspections based on international standards. Such tests recently began to be offered in Indonesia. A lab in Jakarta that can conduct them has now been approved by the Indonesian accreditation agency KAN. The lab’s opening was attended by a lot of media people (pictured above). The lab offers both chemical tests and tests for specific product characteristics, including flammability. The lab is operated in cooperation with the company PT Qualis Indonesia. Special products destined for the Japanese market are tested as part of a partnership with the Japanese testing company Nissenken. mei-yu.hong@tuv-sud-psb.sg
14 TÜV SÜD Journal
5
TÜV SÜD Sec-IT GmbH builds trust in IT
With the acquisition of TÜV SÜD Sec-IT GmbH, TÜV SÜD is expanding its activities in the area of data protection. The new subsidiary offers a wide range of services related to data protection, new media and IT security. Security and added value are always at the heart of this work. In addition to its existing services, TÜV SÜD Sec-IT will also offer new security services for computing centers and IT forensics in the future. »Consumers often do not know what exactly happens with their information. They need and want to trust a relior external attacks able partner,« says Wolfgang Hock, Managing Director of TÜV SÜD put every company at risk! Sec-IT GmbH. »That’s why it’s imTÜV SÜD Sec-IT offers solutions portant for companies to maintain to these security problems. an overview of the security of their IT systems. And this is where we come in. We have expanded our range of IT security services to minimize risk – for companies and for consumers.« As part of this work, the external data-protection officers from TÜV SÜD also provide on-site support to companies.
INFORMATION LEAKS
wolfgang.hock@tuev-sued.de
5 minutes
TÜV SÜD champions safe textiles
NEARLY 2,300
There are many dangerous textiles on the European market according to the products were added to 2012 RAPEX report released by the Euro- the RAPEX database in 2012, pean Commission. RAPEX is the EU rapid 16 times more items than alert system that national authorities use to warn consumers about dangerous prod- in 2003. ucts: Today, 34 percent of all dangerous items are textiles. To ensure that pants, shirts and T-shirts are safe for consumers to wear, TÜV SÜD offers a wide range of services: from product certifications to pre- and post-shipment inspections. To perform this work, TÜV SÜD has systematically expanded its global laboratory network as well as its capacity for chemical testing in recent years.
New Chief Financial Officer at TÜV SÜD AG The Supervisory Board of TÜV SÜD has appointed Dr Matthias J. Rapp to the Board of Management, effective August 16, 2013. Dr Rapp’s responsibilities will include finances, controlling, M&A, procurement, IT and risk management. The 46-year-old manager succeeds former CFO Dr Peter Klein, who left the Board of Management of TÜV SÜD in April 2013 at his own request. matthias.andreesen@tuev-sued.de
jens.butenandt@tuev-sued.de
Minutes
with TÜV SÜD
Red Dot Award for TÜV SÜD Annual Report
Region Korea under new leadership In May 2013, TÜV SÜD’s operations in South Korea received a new CEO: Stefan Rentsch, Managing Director of TÜV SÜD Battery Testing GmbH and Head of E-Mobility through 2011, will oversee the future expansion of the testing and inspection company’s activities in the country. In South Korea, TÜV SÜD boasts a strong market position in the energy sector. stefan.rentsch@tuv-sud.kr
New boss for growing business in western Europe The 2012 Annual Report of TÜV SÜD AG is one of the world’s best publications this year. The report entitled »Urban Future« received a Red Dot Award, an international design prize bestowed as part of one of the world’s most well-respected international design competitions. The TÜV SÜD Annual Report also received this honor two years ago. A total of 6,500 publications were entered into the competition this year. In the »Annual Reports« category, 30 exceptionally good annual reports were recognized. The awards ceremony will take place in Berlin on October 18, 2013. The Red Dot Design Award is the world’s largest design competition. The Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen has been honoring exceptional design since 1954 when it was still operating under the name Industrieform e. V. The coveted »red dot« has since established itself as an internationally recognized seal of quality and is awarded in various disciplines.
Michael Valente was named CEO of Western Europe in April 2013. Last year, the third-largest region in the TÜV SÜD Group generated nearly € 200 million in revenue and grew by about 20 percent thanks to several acquisitions. Valente joined the testing and inspection company in 2001 as managing director of the subsidiary NEL. In 2010 he took over the role of running the Group’s entire UK business.
joerg.riedle@tuev-sued.de michael.valente@tuv-sud.co.uk
TÜV SÜD Journal 15
To the test
TO T H E TE S T ICE #16 SERV Y QUALIT OF #18 WAR TALENTS
THE CUSTOMER’S BEST FRIEND 16 TÜV SÜD Journal
To the test
When do we feel we have been given good service and good advice? And when are we happy to recommend a service to someone else? Marketing expert Professor Christian Coenen explains the difference between good and excellent service. MORE ON THE TOPIC
IN OUR MAGAZINE-APP Interview: Hendrik Nölle
How can the quality of services be measured? Whereas physical products possess certain properties and characteristics according to which their quality can be determined, in the case of services, characteristics that cannot be directly or easily measured play a decisive role: individual perception, previous experiences with the service provider and trust in the service provider. Every customer experiences a service in a different way. If, for example, two
subjective perception is the biggest challenge in the area of service quality. What factors decide whether a customer is satisfied or not? The golden rule in the service industry is: Keep your promises and be reliable. It is also important to handle customer feedback professionally. Dissatisfaction or complaints have to be taken seriously. The third point is what I call the »personal touch.« This is all about
»Dissatisfied customers
Prof Dr Christian Coenen
customers go into a restaurant separately, order the same meal and are served by the same waiter, each of them will have a different level of satisfaction with the service afterward. This
give the best tips.« –
Prof Dr Christian Coenen
giving the customer a sense of individuality by sending him personalized mailings or recommending products that meet his needs. Obliging and attentive behavior makes a particularly positive impression if a customer, for example, notices that an employee is doing something for the customer that he or she actually does not have to do.
Professor Coenen, a graduate in business administration, has been Professor of Marketing and Services Management at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences in Wädenswil, Switzerland, since 2007. In his work as a consultant, he has supported numerous companies in the optimization of their service quality. His research primarily concentrates on the relationships between companyinternal and company-external factors that contribute to enhancing business success.
How can companies improve their service? In a service situation, customers, employees and company form a service triangle: The company makes promises that must be fulfilled by the employees in dialogue with the customers. If the organization wants to improve the quality of its service, it has to enable its employees to better fulfill customers’ needs by giving them further education and training courses.
How can companies keep the quality of service at a consistently high level? Companies frequently attempt to ensure quality by using standardized processes. However, this only enables them to avoid dissatisfaction at best. If you want enthusiastic customers who are happy to come back and will even recommend you to someone else, you have to constantly offer customized solutions and show a high level of commitment – all while taking efficiency and profitability into account, of course. What role does the individual employee play in all this? The individual employee is the key factor in the service business. The employee represents the company and also acts as a market researcher, because he gets direct feedback from the customer and hears firsthand what customers’ wishes and needs are. In terms of the customers’ subjective perception of quality, you can’t value the role employees play highly enough.
More information on the topic of service quality: www.tuv-sud.com/management_systems
Optimizing service Professional customer management and outstanding service are the key to a company’s commercial success. However, excellent service quality is no accident. Rather, it is the result of a functioning service-management system and qualified employees. TÜV SÜD supports companies in optimizing their service-management systems and specializes in the certification of these systems as well as in employee training.
TÜV SÜD Journal 17
To the test
Please stay here! Text: Sandra Lehmann
Research and instruction bolster a country’s competitiveness. This is why universities, just like companies, are investing more and more time and effort in the war for talent. Their aim is to retain first-class German and foreign researchers for the long term.
P
rofessor Thomas Taubner can make things we cannot see with the naked eye visible. The professor, who holds a doctorate in physics, is a specialist in the field of nanotechnology and is currently working with his research group at the RWTH Aachen University on an infrared laser that can display the chemical structure of nanoparticles in high resolution – an innovation that Taubner 18 TÜV SÜD Journal
was just a hair’s breadth away from developing in Silicon Valley in California, and not in Germany. A postdoctoral position at the renowned Stanford University would have catapulted Taubner into the higher echelons of American academia. »I was already in the United States and had applied for a position as a professor in California when I received the offer to lead my own research group in Aachen. That mo-
tivated me to return to Germany,« Taubner says. His homecoming was supported in particular by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), which arranged a stipend for Taubner, as well as by the German Academic International Network (GAIN), which provided him with the appropriate contacts at German universities. Both organizations have been striving for years to attract German academics abroad back to their native research community to curtail the permanent migration of scientific specialists and their know-how. Their efforts have been successful, too. A survey conducted among the members of GAIN revealed that between 2004 and 2011, two-thirds of German specialists who were working in the United States or Canada returned to Germany. »Above
To the test
Silicon Valley or a verdant paradise outside Aachen (pictured to the left)? Physicist Professor Thomas Taubner had the choice of conducting research in Germany or at an elite U.S. university. He has made his decision for this year and the next.
all, the improved research conditions are increasingly making Germany more attractive as a research location,« says Gerrit Rößler, program director of the GAIN network. »To be finally able to work with sufficient funds holds great appeal for many people.« A study conducted by the German Scholar Organization e. V. (GSO) among 52 professors who had returned to Germany confirms this trend. According to the survey’s results, the majority of the respondents rated the research opportunities and range of possibilities at German universities as being excellent or good. Innovation needs specialists
Only a few years ago, returning to Germany would have been unthinkable for many young specialists. The reputation of the Ger-
man university system was too poor. The career opportunities were too limited. Yet junior researchers – particularly in the socalled MINT subjects of mathematics, IT, natural sciences and technology – are key to securing and advancing a country’s position as a business location. A survey carried out by the Cologne Institute for Economic Research in 2012 deemed researchers from these fields a country’s engine of innovation. To keep Germany’s engine running at top speed, 120,000 of these specialists would be needed every year, the study determined. Large financial investments in German universities – made, for example, as part of the Excellence Initiative passed by the German federal and state governments to promote science and research – should
Prof Dr Thomas Taubner He has a particular eye for details. In his specialized field of nano-optics and metamaterials, Taubner, who holds a doctorate in physics, is currently developing a new laser that makes information about the chemical structures of nanoparticles visible. Following research stations in Karlsruhe, at the Technische Universität München in Munich, at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Martinsried as well as at Stanford University, the 38-year-old is now a junior professor at RWTH Aachen University, where he leads his own study group.
TÜV SÜD Journal 19
To the test
New Brunswick instead of Bamberg: Tobias SchulzeCleven has found his spiritual home at Rutgers University in New Jersey.
break down bureaucratic hurdles. Unlike in the past when the only way to be awarded a professorship at a university was to get a postdoctoral qualification and subsequently be appointed to a chair, there are many different paths to this post today. For example, the creation of so-called junior professorships as a stepping stone to lifetime tenure is proving very popular among young researchers. Furthermore, the closer dovetailing of business, industry and science is also contributing to a steady increase in the numbers of academics who see their future career in Germany. When there is a lack of prospects
Although Germany has established several programs to encourage its research elite to return, it seldom offers long-term pros-pects. That was the reason why Dr Axel Müller ultimately turned his back on Germany. After completing his studies 20 TÜV SÜD Journal
at the universities of York and Lisbon to become a chemist and molecular biologist, Müller had initially accepted an offer to teach at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München in Munich. Müller now says this was a mistake. »The hierarchical structures and the many bureaucratic hurdles in particular made it very difficult for me to carry out adequate research,« he explains. »In Germany, who said what is very important, and not whether what has been said is right or wrong.« The research conditions at the California Institute of Technology, where Müller is working today as a research fellow, are not the only things that are better. »As a new
rently working as an assistant professor of industrial relations at Rutgers University in New Jersey, sees his future career in the United States. »The conditions here are good and should my work be positively evaluated, I have an opportunity to have a long career at my present employer and be promoted. Moreover, my scientific career is very American,« the 37-year-old says. Enticing first-class researchers to stay
Indeed, two-thirds of respondents to the GSO survey said the paths to a professorship were greatly in need of reform. The proliferation of temporary contracts was a key problem, they added. In 2009, a full 83
»Despite the many improvements, even more
improvements must be created for qualified young researchers.« Prof Dr Thomas Taubner arrival, you are immediately integrated into the community here,« says Müller. »In addition, the university helps you get a visa and takes your family life into account.« This is an opinion that is shared by many young academics. Despite all the efforts on the part of organizations like GAIN, DAAD and GSO, 40,000 highly qualified people still turn their backs on Germany every year. In these cases, it is not just expertise that is lost. For every migrant, € 1 million in taxpayers’ money that had been invested in the education of these young academics leaves with them. Furthermore, the longer German researchers live abroad, the less interested they are in returning. Tobias Schulze-Cleven, who is cur-
percent of scientific staff in Germany only had temporary contracts. Thomas Taubner also warns against excessive euphoria: »Despite the many improvements, even more opportunities must be created for young researchers,« he says. »It is not enough to just bring people back; they also have to be enticed to stay.« He knows what he is talking about. His research assignment will expire in 2014. The physicist does not know yet what will happen after that. He is not ruling out another stay abroad.
More information on the topic of education: www.tuv-sud.com/academy
On location
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People:
A good cut
C
hristian Lex has moved into a new office – with its own garden. And people are diligently mowing, pruning, chopping and digging away in it. Lex works in Garching outside of Munich at TÜV SÜD’s product-testing laboratory, which opened its doors in April 2013. Here, the 48-year-old mechanical engineer puts lawnmowers, spades, hedge trimmers and other garden helpers through the paces to ensure their safety, usability and quality. »Coming fall at the very latest we will be testing the garden tools that are scheduled to be launched in stores the following spring,« Lex explains. »Sometimes we see some exotic models. We once had a hedge trimmer with rotating blades in place of the usual two. It actually did pass all of the tests,« he recalls. And this is not that easy. Back in the lab: Lex is holding a two-centimeter thick beech dowel in his hand. A lopper must be able to sever it – 6,000 times in five seconds. That’s more work than it will ever be expected to do in a day. But only models that pass the endurance test receive the coveted TÜV SÜD certification mark. A broken blade on the table is evidence that not all loppers have what it takes. The practical tests are conducted outside in the lab’s garden, in Lex’s own backyard and even in his colleagues’ gardens. Ensuring that the tools are easy to use is a cause near and dear to Lex. »I’m a hobby gardener myself, so I take consumers’ interests all the more seriously.«
Practical test in the garden: To test the usability of a lopper, Christian Lex takes matters into his own hands. But only garden tools that stand up to the lab’s tough standardized tests may bear the TÜV SÜD certification mark.
More information on the topic: www.tuv-sud.com/tools TÜV TÜV SÜD SÜD Journal Journal 21 21
On move Aufthe dem Weg
ON THE MOVE #22 BIOS PLASTIC L IA R E #24 A S Y A W TR A M
FANTASTIC PLASTIC Text: Timour Chafik
Should the world’s precious and expensive supplies of crude oil continue to be used in the production of plastic? You can just bag that idea! Starch is just as capable of handling the job. The result is known as biobased plastics, which are gaining quite a name for themselves in the packaging industry.
22 TÜV SÜD Journal
On dem the move Auf Weg
The first bioplastic production facility was opened in 1869 in the United States. It was used to convert cellulose into celluloid. Oil-based plastics soon replaced such bioplastics. They are now celebrating a comeback – particularly as a packaging material.
T
here is more to a bag than meets the eye. It is filled with all sorts of expectations: It should safely transport the purchased good on its journey from the store. It should also be flexible, light and stable. And, in an ideal world, it should be completely biodegradable. Like those biodegradable bags produced by the Victorgroup, a company based in the German town of Frechen near Cologne. In its production process, the company reduces the amount of crude oil – the basis of normal polyethylene bags – by half and uses a vegetable starch in its place. Or, to be more precise: with a biopolymer called polylactic acid that is made of corn starch. The company says this change not only makes the bag much stronger than traditional ones, but also almost completely biodegradable. In spite of the polyethylene? Uncertainty among industry and consumers
Yes, if an industrial composting process is used, more than 90 percent of a bag will have degraded after 80 days. This is one part of the definition of bioplastics, says Michael Lanz, the owner and Managing Director of the Munich-based company designaffairs GmbH, which specializes in material and product development: »Bioplastic is a buzz word you hear everywhere, but it is hard to get a grip on it: Is bioplastic a plastic made of renewable resources? Or a plastic that is biodegradable?« Lanz says a combination of both qualities comes closest to providing a complete definition. After all, he adds, a plastic made of fossil fuels is also biodegradable. Conversely, European Bioplastics, the trade association representing the interests of industrial manufacturers, processors and users of bioplastics and biodegradable materials, acknowledges that »a completely biobased material is not necessarily biodegradable.« This does not make life any easier for consumers, who are fond of elevating the
label »made of renewable resources« to the same plain occupied by sustainability and environmental consciousness. Manufacturers of plastics also have to make tough choices: between biobased degradable and non-degradable plastics. Or rather those that are fossil-based and biodegradable like polybutylene adipate terephthalate? Mushrooms for plastics production
»For some time now, major chemical companies have been conducting research into alternative – biotechnological – production systems and the use of alternative resources,« says Mareike Gast, an industrial designer in Frankfurt. »There are a large number of reasons for this: rising oil prices as well as concerns about tougher regulations and consumers who have grown more sensitive to the issue.« In particular, Lanz says, concerns about consumers’ attitudes have fueled research involving corn starch and the »Ecovative« mushroom that is sprouting in the material lab of his Munich company. In about seven days, fungal networks of threadlike cells grow amid agricultural byproducts into something that bears a strong resemblance to Styrofoam: The brownish-white material is much heavier than its chemical cousin, and it is totally biodegradable. Lanz, however, is not completely sold on its use as a packaging material: »An expensive smartphone or flat screen wrapped in materials that feel like jute – that’s not very sexy and won’t be accepted by consumers very readily.« Does a product’s aesthetic appeal really elbow its way past environmental consciousness? Organic apples, for instance, are sold even if their peels fail to have a uniform color. Or actually for this very reason. More information on the topic of plastics: www.tuv-sud.com/ifk TÜV SÜD Journal 23
On the move
HIGH-WIRE ACT Text: Timour Chafik
Heads-up, there’s room to grow up in the air: Aerial tramways are more than tourist attractions. They are also becoming an efficient member of metropolitan public transportation systems. In particular, major cities in emerging countries have discovered that levitation is the perfect way to rise above the congestion that clogs their streets.
24 TÜV SÜD Journal
On the move
Around the world, aerial tramways are being integrated into public transportation systems, including in Singapore, Rio de Janeiro and London (from above).
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On dem the move Auf Weg
What do Constantine and New York City have in common? Aerial tramways. The one in Algeria (pictured at left) links the old city to the Tannoudji »mountain station« near Cité Emir Abdelkader. The tramway in the U. S. metropolis connects Manhattan and Roosevelt Island.
Safe tramway operations Aerial tramways are among the world’s safest forms of mass transportation – at ski resorts and, increasingly, as part of metropolitan public transportation systems. As an authorized inspection, surveillance and certification company, TÜV SÜD helps operators of cableway installations and ski tows address all questions related to safety, quality and the efficiency of their equipment – offering assistance with project planning, safety concepts, fire-safety and material inspections, component and system certification, quality assurance in maintenance and facility operations as well as periodic cableway inspections and special expert reports.
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C
ruising over chronically clogged streets where jammed buses crawl along and slalom their way around sputtering mopeds and an occasional overloaded donkey-drawn cart: welcome to Constantine, a city in northeastern Algeria. This is Africa, not a ski resort. The city is the home to companies involved in the cement, metal, light-manufacturing and food industries. It is also the home of the remains of a Roman aqueduct, a statue of the Roman emperor who lent his name to the city, Constantine, and a university designed by the Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer. The Rhumel River has eaten its way through layers of limestone here, creating a gorge that has required the city’s residents, out of necessity, to become bridge builders. To some people, Constantine is the most beautiful city in Algeria. To others, it is the »City of Bridges.« It could also be called the »City of Gondolas« if Venice did not exist. But Constantine’s gondolas do not ply canals that run through the city. Rather, they cruise over the city’s rooftops. At Tatache Belkacem Square, not far from the Rhumel and a military hospital, a slivery blue aeri-
al tramway station adds a splash of color to the desert-shaded houses and minarets that form the face of the city. Since the summer of 2008, a total of 33 cars have been traveling from the old city to the district called Cité Emir Abdelkader in the northeast. A new way of thinking that points upward
By car, it will take you an eternity to travel the 2.5 kilometers to downtown Constantine. But if you hop onto the aerial tramway known as the »Téléphérique,« you will need just eight minutes, including a stop at the hospital. Algeria is »the cradle of the modern, urban aerial tramway,« Jürgen Perschon, Managing Director of the European Institute for Sustainable Transport (EURIST), said during a conference on the role of urban mobility in (re)shaping cities. The first tramway was built in Algeria in 1956. Today, cities like Caracas, Rio de Janeiro, La Paz and Singapore are now enjoying the benefits of this mode of transportation. This is not a coincidence. After all, rapidly growing cities and urban agglomerations in emerging countries face the challenge of providing high-capacity mobility to their
On the move
residents within a limited amount of space – and are reaching their limits simply because there is just no room to expand public transportation systems. Growing populations and mobility pressure in cities with limited amounts of available space are forcing officials to rethink the problem, producing a solution that does nothing less than alter the space structures of viable long-range transportation planning: up, up and away. After all, there is a lot of room to grow up there. Dispersion for the last mile
City gondolas have no intention of replacing existing means of transportation and could not do so if they wanted. But they definitely can complement them: »We do not see ourselves as a classic competitor to traditional means of public transportation,« says Ekkehard Assmann, Marketing Director at the Austria-based Doppelmayr/Garaventa Group, the world market leader in ropeway engineering. »We handle the fine dispersion or serve as a link between major traffic hubs. We can serve as a good bridge for the last mile. But we cannot compete with the capacities of a subway.« Doppelmayr has planned and carried out projects from London and Algiers to Caracas. At the end of 2014, the world’s largest
»Aerial tramways are unbeatable in geographically
imposing areas
and in terms of their carbon footprint.« – Ekkehard Assmann, Marketing Director at the Austrian-based company Doppelmayr/Garaventa urban aerial tramway is scheduled to go into operation in Bolivia. The tramway covering nearly 11 kilometers is designed to take some of the load off commuter traffic between the major cities of La Paz and El Alto. It will carry up to 9,000 persons an hour and a direction. People-carrying gondolas pay off in many ways: Compared with other means of transportation, municipal aerial tramways are relatively inexpensive to build and operate, Assmann says. »You need very little infrastructure and are able to use an additional transport level that is readily available.« Aerial tramways are unbeatable in geographically imposing areas and in terms of their carbon footprint, he notes.
The aerial tramway in Coblenz, Germany, has connected both sides of the city on the Rhine since 2011. With transport capacity of 3,800 people per hour, it is the highest-performance aerial tramway in the world.
»At a utilization rate of 50 percent, aerial tramways as means of transportation have the lowest level of CO2 emissions whether riding up mountains or traveling over flat areas in the summer or the winter, and are thus the transport leader,« the consulting firm ClimatePartner concluded in the study »Emission Calculation for Aerial Tramways.« The study says a gasoline-powered car will emit an average of 248 grams of CO2 per person and kilometer on a level plane, a diesel-powered public-transit bus 38.5 grams and an aerial tramway 27 grams. Aerial tramways have always been highly efficient,« says EURIST Managing Director Perschon. Nonetheless, they do have their detractors. Safety, in particular, is an issue that draws a lot of criticism. The worst-case scenario for an aerial tramway? »A power failure in which a car packed with passengers comes to a stop,« Ekkehard Assmann says. But he adds that the car can always be brought back to the station using backup systems that are generally diesel-powered. »That does little for the carbon footprint, but ensures that no one is left hanging,« Perschon says.
More information on the topic: www.tuv-sud.com/plants_buildings_technical_facilities TÜV SÜD Journal 27
To the point
TO THE P O INT #28 GAS G FRACKIN TO E ID U #30 G TRAVEL
BENEATH THE BEDROCK Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a technique that is used to extract natural gas from rock formations located deep below the Earth‘s surface. The technique is also at the center of a debate regarding its economical value and environmental impact. But just what is fracking anyway?
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Text: Andreas Schleinkofer
N
atural gas, it is said, extracts itself. Given the high pressure of natural gas reservoirs – occasionally up to 600 bars – it rises to the surface on its very own once a reservoir is opened. The big exception to the rule: the natural gas trapped in sedimentary layers of rock located deep below the Earth’s surface, or so-called shale gas. »Given that it cannot flow freely because it is trapped in layers of shale rock, fracking is the only means of extracting it,« says Professor Dieter Borchardt, who teaches courses in water protection and environmental system analysis at the Technical University of Dresden and who has headed a neutral group of experts at the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research over the past two years. »In fracking,« he says, »fractures are created in the rock as a way of allowing the gas to escape.« Fracking was conducted for the first time in 1949 in the United States. Since then, it has been used around the world, primarily in the 28 TÜV SÜD Journal
United States, South America, Australia and China. In this process, boreholes are drilled up to 6,000 meters below the Earth’s surface until layers of shale are reached. These layers can extend for great distances but are only a few meters in height. A horizontal borehole is then drilled into this layer. Afterward, depending on the repository, an extremely high-pressure cocktail of water and chemicals is forced into the hole, artificially creating cracks in the layers of rock. »Up to 250,000 liters of fluid are pumped into the hole within 15 minutes,« says Thomas Ecker, an engineer for deepdrilling technology and petrol engineering. The share of sand in the fluid serves as a proppant in order to artificially keep the cracks open. This step is necessary because the fractures would quickly close on their own as a result of the intense pressure being applied to rock formations located several thousand meters deep below the Earth’s surface.
Expensive and dangerous
As a result of natural shifts in the Earth’s surface, there is a danger that huge fractures could develop in the rock. Fracking chemicals and gas could pollute groundwater. Permeable boreholes could cause similar problems. »For this reason, they are reinforced with steel and cement,« Ecker says. »As a result, the risk is virtually zero. Because fracking is very expensive, only 10 percent of shale gas reserves are suitable for profitable production.« Nonetheless, Professor Borchardt says there is enough potential to cover the interim period until a complete energy revolution can be initiated.
More on the topic: www.tuv-sud.com/industry/chemical--oil-gas
To the point
The layers of rock containing precious shale gas are just a few meters in height and are frequently located thousands of meters below the Earth’s surface. This is far from the only problem!
An overview of fracking
1 2
3
The borehole is wrapped in a blanket of cement to protect groundwater.
A steel pipe offers additional protection. It is perforated on the end that reaches the shale rock.
Fracking fluid is pumped at high pressure, creating cracks in the rock.
4 Sand in the fracking fluid keeps the cracks stable and open.
5
The natural gas that had been trapped in the rock then travels through the borehole to the surface.
TÜV SÜD Journal 29
To the point
Guide:
.com, go on vacation! If you want to take off to the beach on the spur of the moment, you can find all sorts of last-minute deals online. But just how do you know which providers you can really trust? Five tips for safely booking trips online.
1
3
AVOID PLAYING HIDE AND SEEK A responsible provider has nothing to hide. In particular, the provider’s name, the legal form of the company and complete contact information should be available on the company’s website. Information about the company providing the services should also be available on the travel agency’s website. Finally, you should know whom to contact if you need to file a complaint.
2 All inclusive?
Pay particular attention to deals that seem too good to be true: What is included in the price and what costs extra? Be sure to read the fine print online, that is, the general business terms and conditions.
No seal, no deal
Make sure that the security certificate is available online. This certificate covers package vacationers if the travel operator goes bankrupt. If you have not received the certificate, the travel operator is not allowed to require you to pay the full or partial price.
5
An overview of trust Look for certificates like s@fershopping. TÜV SÜD issues this certificate to online retailers who offer high levels of data protection and payment security, among other things.
More information on the topic: www.safer-shopping.com 30 TÜV SÜD Journal
Book now
4
Keep private matters private To ensure that personal information like your name, address and account number remain private, they must be input on encrypted pages. The address of such pages begins with »https.« Most browsers display a padlock icon to indicate a secure connection.
Academy | dates
Training tips TÜV SÜD ACADEMY A selected seminar series is introduced in each issue of TÜV SÜD Journal. This time, the feature topic is: CE officer training The regulations governing the authorization of products in the European economic region are extensive. A lack of knowledge regarding CE-relevant legal issues, standards and guidelines can cause high levels of uncertainty among executives. The training provided by TÜV SÜD Academy teaches optimal approaches to conformity assessments and CE marking during the product development process. The training is broken down into four modules: Module 1: Conformity assessments and CE marking Module 2: Legal basis, areas of responsibilities, product and producer liability Module 3: Hazard analysis and risk assessment as they relate to the machinery directive and the product safety act Module 4: Technical documentation for machinery, systems and technical products
08/09/10 CALENDAR
You can experience TÜV SÜD in person at the following trade fairs, congresses and events. Our team of experts is looking forward to meeting you. More information on the dates: www.tuv-sud.com/corporate-events
AUGUST Saxony Classic, Chemnitz, August 22–24, 2013 This caravan of vintage cars will roll down the highways of the German state of Saxony for the 11th time. The three-day rally will travel from Vogtland to the Erz Mountains – a high-performance show of classic cars in automotive history.
SEPTEMBER International Motor Show (IAA), Frankfurt am Main, September 12–22, 2013 One highlight will be the Bertha Benz Challenge (September 12–15, 2013). During this event, vehicles powered by alternative drives will trace the route of the woman who revolutionized mobility 125 years ago with her tour in the Benz patent motorcar No. 3.
More information on the seminars: www.tuv-sud.com/academy wolfgang.humburg@tuev-sued.de
OCTOBER IMPRINT Publisher: TÜV SÜD AG, Westend St. 199, 80686 Munich Owners: TÜV SÜD e. V. (74.9%), TÜV SÜD Foundation (25.1%), Westend St. 199, 80686 Munich Head of Corporate Communications: Matthias Andreesen Viegas Project Manager and Editor-in-Chief: Jörg Riedle Contact: +49 89 5791-0, info@tuev-sued.de Realization: Medienfabrik Gütersloh GmbH, Neumarkter St. 22, 81673 Munich Printing: Eberl Print GmbH, Kirchplatz 6, 87509 Immenstadt Photo credits: Corbis (1, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 29, 30, 32, 36), Atelier Dreiseitl (3, 8), Doppelmayr Seilbahnen GmbH (26), Europapark Rust (4, 5), Judith Haeusler (21), TÜV SÜD (2, 14, 15, 33), Watershed Council (29); Illustration (34, 35): LULU* TÜV SÜD Journal appears quarterly. Articles appearing in the magazine are copyrighted. TÜV SÜD Journal is printed in a climate-neutral manner on paper from sustainable forestry.
carbon neutral
Expo Real, Munich, October 7–9, 2013 The largest trade fair for commercial real estate in Europe will be complemented by a conference program during which more than 400 speakers will talk about current market trends. eCarTec, Munich, October 15–17, 2013 This leading trade fair for electromobility and hybrid vehicles will focus on motor engineering, battery and fuel-cell systems as well as charging infrastructure and energy grids. MedConf, Munich, October 15–17, 2013 The medical technology industry will gather at this forum for talks and discussions about current issues involving software development for medical devices.
natureOffice.com | DE-141-721197
print production TÜV SÜD Journal 31
5 minutes
TÜV SÜD gets good grades from European students
Support for an education project in Africa
Early prevention: safety training in apprentice workshops
Preferred employer: In the latest Trendence Graduate Barometer, the company ranks 251th in the category »engineering and IT« in a Europe-wide comparison – a jump of nearly 100 places. Around 320,000 students responded to the survey. In Germany, experienced engineers rank TÜV SÜD among the Top 20 companies, according to the survey.
»I know someone who works at TÜV SÜD« – this is the title of a picture book that introduces children to life at TÜV SÜD in a way that they can understand. The proceeds generated by the book’s sales have now been donated to a good cause: The association Promoting Africa e.V. received a donation of €4,500. The money will go to support the construction and upkeep of an industrial skills center for poverty-stricken young people in Nairobi, Kenya.
A career without an occupational accident – strict laws have been put into place to make this possible. This issue is critically impor tant in the skilled trades. To help apprentices learn about it, TÜV SÜD is now offering training courses in apprentice workshops. The first customers: the apprentices of Zwiesel Kristallglas AG.
thomas.schultz@tuev-sued.de
nicole.commessmann@tuev-sued.de
dominik.hammer@tuev-sued.de
Helping companies navigate the chemical regulation
Higher penalties now apply for violations of the European chemical regulation REACH. Effective May 2013, violators of the chemical law in Germany face two years in prison or fines of up to €50,000. This is a problem that affects small and mid-sized enterprises in particular, says Dr Dieter Reiml, a REACH expert at TÜV SÜD: »Given the complexity of the European chemical legislative process and, in particular, the REACH regulation, violations of individual rules are all but preprogramed.« This is particularly the case when a company deals only with small amounts of chemicals and, as a result, can hardly gain the necessary expertise. For this reason, TÜV SÜD has launched an initiative that offers a special service to help small and mid-sized enterprises with such issues as on-time registration of chemicals.
Services for the chemical and pharmaceutical industries
SWISSI Process Safety GmbH joined TÜV SÜD in June 2013. The company specializes in lab and consulting services for the chemical, pharmaceutical and processing industries. The services cover such areas as the identification of chemical data and reaction parameters. SWISSI also provides consulting services in the areas of thermal process safety, explosion prevention and safety reviews related to the Seveso directive. The acquisition strengthens the TÜV SÜD business unit of chemicals, oil and gas. at two locations in Switzerland »Our customers require a complete range and Spain work at the of services that are offered at the same level around the world,« says Dr Hans-NicoTÜV SÜD subsidiary SWISSI. laus Rindfleisch, the Managing Director of TÜV SÜD Chemical Service. The SWISSI takeover helps TÜV SÜD reach this goal. With decades of industry experience and around 1,000 employees in various national subsidiaries, the service provider is already offering valuable services to global companies in these industries.
50 EMPLOYEES
dieter.reiml@tuev-sued.de www.tuv-sud.com/reach
32 TÜV SÜD Journal
5
hans-nicolaus.rindfleisch@tuev-sued.de
5 minutes
Data security: improvement potential among employees and quality Personal data must be protected – such requirements have been laid down by lawmakers in nearly every coun- IS EVERYTHING OK try in the world. Customers also expect companies to with data security? TÜV SÜD have good data-security management in place. But this matter is frequently overlooked, according to the latest puts companies’ data security data security study conducted by TÜV SÜD and the efforts through the paces. University of Munich: More than one-third of the companies surveyed in Germany had no systematic approach to dealing with breaches in data security. In addition, employees frequently do not receive sufficient coherent information about data security. One solution: To create comprehensive, functioning data protection management, employees who work with personal data should complete regular training sessions that enable them to stay up to date. Such further training opportunities are offered from external service providers like TÜV SÜD. rainer.seidlitz@tuev-sued.de
Minutes
with TÜV SÜD
Family-friendly HR policies recognized again TÜV SÜD supports its employees in striking the ideal work-life balance. The company has once again been recognized for its efforts in this area with the »berufundfamilie« certificate that is awarded under the patronage of German Family Minister Kristina Schröder. Thanks to its comprehensive package of services, TÜV SÜD assists its workforce in striking the ideal compromise between professional and personal life. The package contains a host of services, including counseling on and support in all issues related to the care of relatives as well as childcare. For instance, the company offers special school-vacation programs for children. Flexible working times and emergency childcare solutions are also part of the package. More than 500 companies in Germany have been certified as part of the »berufundfamilie« audit so far. And this has measurable benefits: Studies show that family-friendly HR policies significantly reduce the number of employee absences and illnesses and boost employee motivation.
Innovation award for TÜV SÜD employee
The new standard ISO 13022 covering risk management of cell-based products has been honored with the Innovation Award from the DIN German Institute for Standardization. The prize was accepted by Professor Dr Dr Sabine Kloth of TÜV SÜD, who has overseen the project since 2007. The standard covers surgical implants produced with human cells during tissue engineering. In ISO 13022, the world now has a global instrument for product approval in various economic regions. sabine.kloth@tuev-sued.de
Support for first U.S. offshore wind farm Wind power stations at sea, or offshore units, are booming. In recent years, many huge wind farms will be produced by the have been erected particularly in Cape Wind farm each the North Sea. Such a wind farm is now scheduled to be built in the year – enough to supply power to a major city like United States – with strong support from TÜV SÜD. Nuremberg. The consulting company PMSS, which joined the TÜV SÜD Group a year ago, will contribute technical and expert knowledge to the Cape Wind project as part of a service agreement. In particular, PMSS has tremendous expertise in the areas of safety, occupational health, environmental protection, quality assurance and the risk management of wind-power systems. The Cape Wind project will be built off the coast of Massachusetts. Construction is scheduled to start at the end of 2013.
468 MEGWATTS
nicole.commessmann@tuev-sued.de ajy@pmss.com
TÜV SÜD Journal 33
The final say
MORE ILLUSION THAN REALITY Data glasses will allow wearers to add virtual images to the world they see around them. Are the benefits of this technology clear at a glance?
34 TÜV SÜD Journal
The final say
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I
spy with my little eye something … virtual. Thanks to data glasses, adding a dose of digital information to people’s perception of the real world is child’s play. At least that’s the claim being made by such companies as Sony and Google, both of which intend to enter a mass market for these devices beginning in 2014. What can these minicomputers shaped like spectacles actually do? Evidently much the same things smartphones can: snap pictures, record videos, surf the Web and display weather or navigational information – minus the handheld screen. Instead, the images appear directly within the wearer’s line of sight. The technology behind these glasses can already be found in state-of-the-art cars, serving as headsup displays that project the navigational system’s directions or the vehicle’s speed onto the windshield. The advantages of this technology are obvious: Any time a driver glances at the speedometer, his or her eyes stray from the road for one full second – at 100 km/h, this translates to a distance of 28 meters. A heads-up display cuts the visual distraction time by half. The driver’s head does not have to move to take in information, and his or her
eyes can remain focused on the road, which makes driving safer. And what huge benefits can we expect from data glasses? The promotional video for Google Glass attempts to answer this question. According to the clip, users will be able to film videos and take pictures while doing such activities as riding a horse – all without letting go of the reins. The glasses obey commands without pressing a button. You just have to say: »Take a picture!« or »Record a video!« And if you’re at the zoo, marveling at gelatinous organisms floating in the aquarium, there’s no need to direct your attention to the informational placard to learn that you are looking at jellyfish. The device automatically recognizes the creatures in the video and displays the appropriate Wikipedia entry. The data glasses being developed by the Fraunhofer Institute in Dresden also hold the promise of practical use. They are designed to help mechanics more quickly and easily make complex repairs by enabling them to page through handbooks and instruction manuals at the blink of an eye. The only question left is which area of life the data glasses will conquer first: work and then play, or maybe even the other way around?
TÜV SÜD Journal 35
Tablets are gaining popularity. That’s why TÜV SÜD Journal is also now available as an app for mobile devices.
SERVICE & INFO TO GO
T
he U.S. market-research firm IDC (see table at above right) predicts that more tablets will be sold in 2015 at the latest than conventional PCs and laptops combined. User numbers are climbing year after year. The trend toward small mobile devices can be attributed to the shift in the way that consumers use computers, says Loren Loverde, Vice President of IDC: »Internet, social media, e-mail and apps are now the main applications. You don’t need desktop computers with high levels of processing power and storage capacity for these types of activities. That’s why the more user-friendly devices are winning out.« The number of downloaded apps for these devices is growing in line with this trend (see table at below right). One of the newest apps on the market is the TÜV SÜD Journal app, which is now available for iOS and Android tablets. It offers readers even more information and services and can be downloaded free of charge from the iTunes Store or Google Play.
Trends in worldwide sales numbers for tablets, notebooks and conventional PCs in millions of devices (figures beginning in 2013 are estimates) 1,000 800 600 400 200 0
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Desktop-PCs
2015 2016 2017
Laptops
Tablets
Source: www.idc.com, May 2013
Downloads of mobile apps worldwide in billions (figures beginning in 2013 are estimates) 400 300 200 100 0
2011
2012
2013
Free of charge Scan this QR code to download the TÜV SÜD Journal app. 36 TÜV SÜD Journal
2014
2015
For purchase
Source: www.gartner.com, May 2013
2016