An interview with Steinbeis Entrepreneur Dr. Mitja Echim
What are the key issues for tomorrow’s entrepreneurs? And what specific role can mathematics play in the development of meaningful solutions to economic and social challenges? TRANSFER discussed these questions with Dr. Mitja Echim, Managing Director of the Steinbeis Network’s TOPAS Industriemathematik Transfer GmbH. It’s no secret that without mathematical models and algorithms it will be almost impossible to find the right solutions to the multitude of present and future challenges.
Dr. Echim, how would you define “forward-looking entrepreneurship”?
To me, forward-looking entrepreneurship means decision-making that isn’t concerned solely with short-term success and is clearly focused on adding long-term value. This calls for a combination of technological innovation and corporate responsibility in order to meet current needs and future challenges. It’s important to always act responsibly and be mindful of the fact that business decisions can have far-reaching effects on society.
Another key aspect is to focus on innovations that can help to address the challenges facing society. Businesses must get to grips with the key fields of the future and create a culture that allows space for creativity and sustainable solutions. Rather than viewing projects in isolation, they should be seen as part of a greater whole that adds long-term value for the economy, society and our environment.
What do you see as the main challenges in this context?
One of the greatest challenges facing us today is the “war for talent”. This is something we’re already seeing in our day-to-day business. We rely on highly-specialized experts in their field. But the number of university graduates coming through keeps falling, and specialists with a background in mathematics can increasingly shop around for their preferred employer. In addition to an array of measures designed to make working for us more attractive, at
TOPAS we place particular emphasis on a shared vision and forward-looking values. We want our employees to feel that, as well as being technically challenging, the work they do on our projects is also meaningful and helps to address some of society’s biggest challenges.
What are you currently doing to ensure that your business has a sustainable future?
A key part of what we do involves continuous strategy work using an objectives and key results (OKR) framework. We set ourselves concrete objectives during annual workshops, which are then reviewed and fleshed out on a quarterly basis. We also hold biweekly meetings to discuss the progress of our strategic work, which is carried out in parallel to our day-to-day business. This approach allows us to respond flexibly to change and continuously refine our focus.
Another key thing we’re doing is concentrating on two cutting-edge technology fields with tremendous potential. We’re developing intelligent algorithms for automated and autonomous systems, which are especially important in the context of demographic change and the skills shortage. And we’re also focusing on intelligent algorithms for energy applications that are vital to the energy transition.
How can your services help businesses to become sustainable and fit for the future?
Our focus is currently on smaller businesses that often lack the manpower or know-how to use mathematical models and intelligent algorithms in order to future-proof their products and services. Companies successfully marketing remote-controlled robotic systems are a good example. In order to remain competitive, the logical next step for these companies is to introduce autonomy features.
That’s where we come in. Through a mixture of software solutions and bespoke consulting services, we offer these companies an equal partnership. We support them through their transformation process and help them to make their products fit for the future and sustainable.
What are your visions and plans for the next few years?
Our vision is a future where industrial mathematics plays a key part in the development of intelligent systems and innovative solutions. Mathematical models and algorithms shouldn’t just drive technological progress – they should also play a pivotal role in solving global challenges, so we can shape tomorrow’s technologies while at the same time adding sustainable economic and social value.
Technology transfer is one of our main goals for the next few years – it will be crucial to sustainably translate current research ideas into practice and implement them as quickly as possible. So we’re particularly focused on promoting entrepreneurship and supporting spin-offs based on our developments.
Another priority for us is the economic development and competitiveness of Bremen as an AI hub. Through targeted technology transfer measures and the promotion of future-ready solutions, we aim to build a pool of at least 100 bright industrial mathematics talents in Bremen.