1. What in particular attracted you to the Open Industry 4.0 Alliance and the position of community manager at the OI4?
While working as Dissemination Manager for European Research and Innovation Projects in the field of robotics at the Technical University, Munich, I was responsible for devising and implementing pan-European communication strategies and reaching out to stakeholders. I very much enjoyed working with various European partners from industry, research and academia. The Open Industry 4.0 Alliance gives me the opportunity to not only talk about future trends and topics, but to also see how they are adopted by our partners from across the different Industry 4.0 application domains. I look forward to continuing to dig into innovative topics, as well as encouraging and establishing a coordinated technology transfer.
2. What goals have you set for your first year at OI4 and how do you plan to achieve them?
First of all, I need to get to know the members and workgroups and find out their motivation to better understand their needs and those of the industry. Furthermore, I will be actively involved with stakeholders – inside and outside the Alliance. In line with establishing an internationalisation strategy I will initiate first productive hubs – starting with the Netherlands hub in 2022. I aim to create more visibility of the projects which are already running to generate interest among potential new members and end users. Additionally, I will identify a network of first adopters in different regions and proactively approach these candidates e.g., at trade fairs or via online events.
3. Do you already have concrete plans on how you will promote good relations between the members and the Open Industry 4.0 Alliance?
I am planning to organise community events, in order to encourage members to actively participate in workgroups and implementation projects. Moreover, I will be meeting with interested parties and associate members at relevant local events. Another priority lies in creating a member-friendly community platform that will provide all the information the members need. I will strive to bring our members together with end users, as well as potential new members... Obviously, meeting the work group leaders and members regularly will also be an essential part of my work.