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Dates

September 1 – 4 AIMEX, Sydney, Australia

September 9 – 12 MYMEX, Johor Bahru, Malaysia

September 15 – 18 Husum Wind, Husum, Germany

September 30 – October 2UrbanTec Brasil, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

October 10 – 14 Anuga, Cologne, Germany

October 23 – 27 International Hospitality Exhibition, Milan, Italy

October 27 – 30 A+A, Düsseldorf, Germany

October 28 – 29 Cloud Expo Asia, Singapore

November 3 – 5 European Utility Week, Vienna, Austria

November 16 – 19 Medica, Düsseldorf, Germany

December 3FHI, Düsseldorf, Germany

December 16 – 18 SEMICON Japan 2015, Tokyo, Japan

TRANSPARENCYWhy consumers no longer accept secrets

OPTIMIZATIONHow processes can increase employee satisfaction

PROTECTEDWhen is a patent application worthwhile and how does it work?

KNOWLEDGE

04 BEING OPEN

Secrecy within companies is passé. Transparen-cy is now the order of the day. But this culture of openness is still not practiced in all compa-nies. This is a big mistake.

KNOWLEDGE

26 CHANGE UPON REQUEST

Regular feedback from employees, fostering good cooperation and increasing employee satisfaction are still low-priority for many companies. The example of Koelnmesse shows just how important employee sat-isfaction is for the sustainable success of a company.

“More transparency” is the order of the day.

The openness experienced by users in their private

lives on Facebook, Google Street View and various

social media platforms is increasingly becoming the

standard expected in politics and the economy.

Although fulfilling this demand is far from easy, it

needs to be taken seriously by businesses and

institutions. After all, consumers are easily confused by

today's information overload. The testing services of

TÜV Rheinland therefore play a particularly important

role in checking processes and products in detail and

documenting the results transparently.

Transparency is also a prerequisite for the confidence

placed in our services. This means that not only the

results and extent of our tests, but also our test criteria

and methods are made comprehensible for anyone who

wants to know. We state according to which national

and international standards we are accredited and as

inspectors we are also regularly open to inspection

ourselves. These two facets – transparency for

consumers through our services and transparency

about the criteria we use to carry out our tests

– are the subjects of the cover story in

this issue of contact.

I wish you an insightful and

enjoyable read,

COMPLETELY FRANK

Dr.-Ing. Michael Fübi, Chairman of the Executive Boardof Management of TÜV Rheinland AG

CONTENTKNOWLEDGE04 COVER STORY: Transparency

Internet, whistleblowers and social media make companies communicate more transparently.

06 In the era of social media even small communica- tion errors can damage companies.

10 Complete openness: Communications expert Janos Gönczöl and psychologist Stephan Grünewald talk about the new relationship between customers and companies.

24 Hail damages The mobile surface scanner MIKo can classify

hail damage to cars within two minutes.

26 Change Management Employee satisfaction can be improved by drawing consequences from surveys. An example from Koelnmesse.

28 Employer Certifi cation Certifying a company’s human resources manage- ment has an influence on attracting future employees.

32 Testing classrooms A current model project shows that using build-

ing materials without dangerous substances in schools is not that expensive.

34 Serious Games e-learning games play an important role in trainning purposes for companies.

GLOBAL 18 World of laboratories The new laboratory in Changwon, South Korea

puts air conditioning units through their paces.

20 Digital Transformation Full coverage for high-performance broadband is a requirement for Industry 4.0.

30 Batteries Despite the benefits and recent progress, experts

recommend treating rechargeable batteries with caution.

PEOPLE36 Patents und Innovations

Patents can be an important aspect and the basis for technological development.

QUICK NEWS!14 A harmonized labeling system for dangerous sub-stances brings about change I Certifying the German football champion I The TÜV Rheinland laboratory in Milan has new things to offer I TÜV Rheinland and AC/DC I Making solar energy has to be bankable; TÜV Rheinland is helping Saudi-Arabian high school graduates enter the job market I A fresh breeze inIndia’s wind energy sector I Romania’s electricity is now also green.

PEOPLE

36 BEING PATENT

The German Office for Patents and Brands registered more than 65,900 patent applications, of which over 17,800 were from abroad in the last year alone. Why is it important to protect inventions?

GLOBAL

20 BROADBAND FOR ALL

The EU wants full broadband coverage by 2020 – a huge challenge. Without high-performance networks there can be no Internet of Things.

4 COVER STORY // Transparency

What are they up to?

Suspicion of compa-

nies and managers

is increasing among

the general public. A

company culture based

on transparency and

sustainability helps

foster trust.

contact 02.15 5

10 6 WHY TRANSPARENCYIS IMPORTANT

The internet has created a well-informed general public that no longer tolerates secrecy. “More transparency!” is the new rallying cry. The private openness found on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter is also changing the relationship between business and consumers. Now questions – such as how high executive bonuses are, where the raw materials for our mo-bile phones come from, who sewed this T-shirt, and what’s in the salami I’m eat-ing – are being posed. Companies that do not act and communicate in a transparent fashion are quickly mired in controversy and lose out on valuable consumer trust. One way of countering this insecurity is with independent certifi cation and trans-parent guidelines and standards.

Transparency MoreCover story

DOUBLE INTERVIEW: WHAT DOES THECUSTOMER 2.0 WANT?

6 6 COVER STORY // Transparency

Thanks to the Internet, consumers are

better informed and more critical, but

also more anxious than ever before.

Companies seeking to gain their

customers’ trust need to be one thing

above all else: transparent.

7contact 02.15 7

On December 20, 1913 the US political maga-zine Harper’s Weekly published an article

that would first change the United States and then the whole world. The author was Louis D. Brandeis, at the time a young lawyer, who later became advisor to the President and Associate Justice on the Supreme Court. In his text “What Publicity Can Do,” Brandeis points a finger at the corruption and nepotism that was part of the everyday politics and business culturesof his time. His weapon of choice in the fight against the deception of citizens was transpar-ency. One hundred years ago, the idea of a transparent society in which information isaccessible to everyone and all processes canbe traced was revolutionary – and today it’s more popular than ever before.

THE NEW PUBLIC SPHERE

This is especially thanks to the Internet. Social media users and whistleblowers are bringing what used to be private, secret and hidden into the public eye. It seems that secrets should no longer exist. More transparency is the core de-mand in dealing with scandals related to tax, intelligence services, and corruption. As an ex-ample, the transparency trend is reflected in the high viewing numbers of numerous consumer shows that investigate, compare and assess dis-count stores, fast food chains and fashion brands on primetime TV. This brings the nega-tive social and environmental impacts of global-ization, which once seemed so distant, closer to

home. It means that when a consumer sees that a T-shirt is made in Vietnam, he or she will think twice about buying it, and enjoying strawberries in December will cause climate-related pangs of conscience. A current study on ethical consumption by the globally operat-ing trade and service group Otto noted that “there is an increasing feeling of unease towards our economy-driven society based on perfor-mance, growth and a push-and-shove mentality. People are becoming more aware of injustice”. Consumers want to know that their consump-tion habits are not harming anyone – least of all themselves.

CUSTOMERS ARE BUYING VALUES

This desire is a challenge for the economy. Consumers are often not merely guided by the price or quality of a product when purchasing things; verifiable production conditions and a responsible attitude towards nature, employees and suppliers are becoming more important. In order to win trust, business culture needs to be open and customers need to be able to identify with it. 86 percent of the consumers surveyed during the Otto survey placed more trust in companies that always acted in a clear, honest and credible manner both internally and exter-nally, and that ones that applied a transparent information policy. “Transparent companies detach themselves from merely focusing on goods and services and develop an additional value level in their products,” state the authors

“Wherever there is a lack of transparency and wherever consumers’ ability to access informati-on is limited, trust is particularly important. In general, trust cannot be established by an overabundance of knowledge. Trust in politics, business and technology stands and falls with the trustworthiness of the players’ actions and

of the institutional structures where decisions are planned

and made.”

of the instituwhere de

and m

Prof. Dr. Edda Müller, Political Scientist, Chair-woman of Transparency International Germany and winner of the TÜV Rheinland Global Compact Award.

8 COVER STORY //Transparency

of the study. “The desire for transparency is linked to the illusion of complete control,” says psychologist Stephan Grünewald, director of the market research institute Rheingold (see interview on page 10). The customer is king more than ever before. Companies that do not take their customers’ power seriously quickly find themselves at the receiving end of a virtual shaming. Hundreds of thousands of people regularly vote online for the winner of the “Golden-er Windbeutel” (Golden Windbag), which is awarded to the “most misleading advertisement of the year” by the consumer protection organization Foodwatch, as a very public and effective punishment.

WHISPERS ARE LIES

In the age of radical openness, even the smallest event can quickly lead to controversy and cause per-manent damage to a brand. “If you are not actively providing information about what you are doing, you are suspected of keeping secrets,” says commu-nications expert Janos Gönczöl, partner at thebusiness communications from Brunswick Group LLP. Companies must be committed to openness if

they don’t want to scare off their critical customers. Transparent communication can provide security but also cause anxiety. Companies may be commu-nicating and explaining more than ever before,but the flood of excessive information can barely be processed and evaluated by the individual. And not everyone wants to know every tiny detail about a company’s actions. What is important is that the company is doing something in the first place and that someone is monitoring it in a credible way.According to the Otto survey, one in two consumers doubt that companies actually keep the promises they make about their products and services. Thisis where independent testing companies such as TÜV Rheinland come into play. They are tasked by the state and private sector to provide securityand promote it through their test mark. The tools used are transparent, international standards.The details of the criteria and testing methods can but don’t have to be comprehensible to everyone. Simply seeing a TÜV Rheinland test mark gives in-stant reassurance that the inspectors themselves can be inspected. In this way transparency contributes to trust.

Transparencyrequires

control

3What makes the TÜV Rheinlandtest mark unique?In addition to the individual examination number, our test mark contains a QR code. Users scan it with their smartphones and are taken directly to the Certipedia certification database where they can find details on each certificate.

What does Certipedia contribute totransparency?Certipedia provides all relevant information on products, services and systems being tested, certi-fied and monitored by TÜV Rheinland worldwide. It does this in German and English, and will be adding many more languages in future. Within

seconds users can confirm the test mark's authen-ticity and get information on the testing procedure and the product features.

How do consumers react to thetest mark?If you display it properly, the consumers use it intensively. For instance, product adverts ina supermarket brochure with a test mark and QR code were activated thousands of times even before the product was available. It’s also good if a test mark features prominently on the home-page of a company’s website where it provides the final compelling proof of trust that can turn prospective buyers into customers.

How inspect the inspectors?

contact 02.15

Markus KleinManager of Marketing Certipedia

markus.klein3@de.tuv.com

phone +49 221 806-5055

www.certipedia.com

questionsfor: Markus Klein

The online certifi cation database Certipedia displays all the details of each

TÜV Rheinland test mark. The why, what and how of the tests carried out by

TÜV Rheinland is also openly disclosed on the Internet – see the QR Code.

You cannot be more transparent than that.

9

certifi cates. Certipedia providesinformation about products, processes

and services across the globe.

500,000

In 2014 the largestnumber of Certipedia-

requests by far camefrom Germany followed

by China and the USA

users launched their Certipedia search from a mobile device – this upward trend continues.

Oneout of 10

The TÜV Rheinland test mark now speaks

11 languages.

11

200TÜV Rheinland employees in 45 countries create entries for Certipedia.

10 COVER STORY // Transparency

Communications consultant Janos Gönczöl and

market researcher Stephan Grünewald know

what makes markets and people tick. In an

interview they talk about the new relationship

between customers and companies and about

the limits of company transparency.

Omnipotenceand

powerlessness

Mr. Gönczöl, Mr. Grünewald, consumers want more trans-parent companies that com-

municate openly about their produc-tion processes and the way they treat their employees and suppliers.What has caused this?Stephan Grünewald: We have con-ducted many studies investigating how smartphones are changing our reality. People have told us that they think of their smartphones as anextension of their own bodies. This body part is like a modern scepter of power which provides the user with an incredible illusion of control: they can access the world through their fingertips, move files around and sim-ply swipe away people they don’t like. In many markets the premise of treat-ing the customers like kings no longer applies, since the customers already see themselves as kings – all-knowing and all-powerful. At the same time consumers are increasingly finding themselves in situations where they can no longer see the forest for the trees and that’s where the demand to make the world more transparent comes from.

Janos Gönczöl: Consumers have a huge, previously unknown level of power. The fact that they can trigger a movement for or against a product on the Internet and either put pressure on a company or catapult the product to success creates a feeling of omnipo-tence. This is making companies who do not understand what is going on out there very nervous. If they react to the movement too slowly, they end up with a massive problem!

Grünewald: Customers are torn be-tween omnipotence and powerless-ness. If the service isn’t right, they are put on hold when trying to reach the hotline or the airline loses their lug-gage, and they experience power-lessness. Rather than deal with it con-structively, many customers tend to vent their frustration online.

How can companies deal with this?Gönczöl: Information needs to be managed, the people on the Internet need to be taken care of and potential conflicts have to be identified and

countered as early as possible. Services such as Twitter enable a company to reach many employees, customers and partners very quickly. These tools are extremely useful. Transparency is one thing, dealing with criticism is anoth-er. You can be as transparent as you want yet still be criticized. The cus-tomer will only be satisfied if you re-spond to criticism.

Transparency produces information and increases complexity. Does this completely overwhelm the consumer?Grünewald: The customers want transparency but they don’t want any-one to explain to them how the world works. They want to have the feeling that they can see whatever they want. The responsibility is delegated to the producer or the store. It’s up to them

Janos Gönczöl has 30 years of experience in crisis, com-pany and employee communication as well as in the areas of Investor Relations and Mergers & Acquisitions. He is a partner at the Brunswick Group international communications consultancy where he heads the Munich office. Prior to this, Gönczöl spent more than 25 years working in various positions in the communications field: Head of Communications at Siemens AG, member of the board of Weber Shandwick, one of the worldwide largest PR companies at the time, director of BSMG Worldwide Deutschland, the second-largest PR company in Germany at the time, and managing partner at MPC GmbH where he spent 15 years turning it into the fourth-largest independent PR agency in Germany before selling it to BSMG Worldwide in 1999. Born in Hungary, he is an American citizen who studied law in Paris and Munich. Gönczöl lives in Munich with his family.

JANOS GÖNCZÖLCOMMUNICATIONS EXPERT

"Consumershave attained a huge level

of power"

to make sure that products are flaw-less and that the jeans, for instance, were not made using child labor. It would take far too much effort to do your own background research and that’s why test marks are so import-ant. They tell me as a customer that a product is okay and that I don’t have to worry about anything. But if I do want to take a closer look at some point, then the information has to be available.

Gönczöl: Customers want to trust companies but they have high expec-tations. Companies are supposed to have a purpose beyond merely mak-ing a profit. Simply producing a good product or offering the best service often isn’t enough nowadays.

And mistakes are not allowed…Grünewald: Transparency is linked to the idea of total control. It creates the illusion that nothing can go wrong in

Continued on page 12

contact 02.15 11

our world, that it’s a safe place, free from cor-ruption, crime and danger.

Gönczöl: I take a somewhat different view. People don’t expect everything to be flawless. Rather, companies are expected to deal with mistakes sensibly. People expect a basic atti-tude that helps avoid mistakes, but if some-thing does go wrong then it should be addressed and not swept under the carpet. That is the kind of transparency that builds trust. Much more so than the misconception that everything can be controlled.

Grünewald: A company should point out that mistakes are a fact of life. And they should try to minimize these mistakes. But I do believe that there is a childish hope in our society that one day we will live in a world in which noth-ing will go wrong. Even if we could technically keep everything under control, we wouldn’t be able to read people’s minds. We simply have to live with the fact that fate is a constant part of our existence.

What does this mean for a testing company such as TÜV Rheinland?Gönczöl: Testing companies are important. People have to be able to believe in something in order to say that a certain product or service will be all right.

Grünewald: In a world in which nothing is supposed to go wrong, TÜV Rheinland needs to be a rational force that doesn’t just blindly trust but takes a closer look. They take the pressure off consumers to check everything thoroughly. But they also have to make it very clear that there is no such thing as a flawless world.

Does transparency have to be all-encompassing?Gönczöl: Transparency does not mean that ab-solutely everything has to be disclosed. Trans-parency is only needed for topics which interest specific groups. TÜV Rheinland should disclose why, how and on whose request the company is carrying out tests as well as what company values are upheld - in a manner that is understandable for everyone. The individual steps of a testing process in all their technical and legal depth are simply boring for the ordi-nary consumer. The details are of interest to a small number of experts and need to be trace-able. But perhaps they don’t need to be com-municated actively. This transparency standard could be transferred to many companies. Transparency does not require a huge effort. After all, the information is generally available.

"Transparency

disclosed"does not mean that everything

has to be

12 COVER STORY // Transparency

"There is nosuch thing as life

without faults"

Stephan Grünewald holds a university degree in psychology and is the co-founder and director of the Rheingold Institute for Qualitative Media and Market Analysis. The Institute has its headquarters in Cologne and San Francisco and every year it carries out over 5,000 in-depth interviews on current issues. Grünewald himself has spent 25 years publishing and regu-larly speaks on the topics of brand management, the effects of advertising, daily life and youth and culture in the media. His bestselling book “Deutschland auf der Couch” (Campus) published in 2006, is a comprehensive, knowledgeable and entertaining analysis of the German state of mind. One of the reviews of his latest book “Die erschöpfte Gesellschaft” reads: “Stephan Grünewald is one of the most sharp-witted and elo-quent analysts of German society”. He is a passionate football fan and lives in Cologne with his family.

STEPHAN GRÜNEWALDPSYCHOLOGIST AND MARKET RESEARCHER

What is the status quo of transparen-cy in German companies?Gönczöl: That’s a difficult question. When it comes to transparency, many companies have made a lot of prog-ress. But then there are successful companies that we never hear any-thing from and that don’t offer any transparency. There are family-run businesses which flat-out refuse to open up. And this can indeed work, as long as there are no major crises. If a crisis erupts, these companies are like closed books – and that’s when the cry goes up for more information.

Is transparency a global topic? Gönczöl: Well, we do see that quite strongly. On the one hand, publicly-traded companies are being forced to be more transparent. On the other, transparency is becoming more important due to companies’ social responsibility. Wherever politics is less involved in social structures or

supports them less, citizens are asking companies to step into the breach. And this social responsibility will be an important distinguishing feature for economic success in the future.

Grünewald: Many things apply to the Western world in general. The trends towards complete control being driv-en by digitalization and the desire to live in a world without danger is something that we see above all in America and Europe.

Thank you very much for your interesting insights. Interviewed by Hartmut Müller-Gerbes andAlexander Schneider.

13contact 02.15

Someone loads a can of paint onto a truck in Beijing; another person changes the carbonator for the cola machine in a hotel in Buenos Aires while a third

cleans a toilet in Oslo. All three have one thing in com-mon: they are handling hazardous substances. Symbols on the containers show that they are hazardous – from a toi-let-cleaning product to a camping gas canister. To ensure that these symbols are quickly and easily recognizable, a globally harmonized system warning about chemically hazardous substances was introduced on June 1, 2015. The “Globally Harmonized System for the Classification and Labeling of Chemicals” (GHS) is set to further raise and harmonize the standards in occupational safety, health, environmental and consumer protection, as well as in the transport of hazardous goods. “The GHS system will provide globally harmonized information on hazard-ous substances, leading to more protection for people and

the environment,” says Peter Bruck-haus, expert for hazardous substanc-es at TÜV Rheinland. Companies that use hazardous substances have a responsibility to independently adapt all of their processes and docu-mentation to the new labeling sys-tem. There is a two-year transition pe-riod, but this only applies to the selling off of existing stock. TÜV Rheinland of-fers support with the TOGs® online man-agement system for hazardous goods which enables our experts to record and evaluate all hazardous substances and add them to a specialdirectory. Within the context of risk management,risk assessments can be carried out and measures or instructions determined and documented.

Hands off and hold your breath!

Since June 1, 2015, hazardous materials such as

explosives, irritants and fl ammable substances have

been labelled according to a globally harmonized

system, making them even easier to recognize.

Bayern Munich FC is world-class in terms of sporting achievements.

But what about their performance when it comes to admittance, cater-ing or sanitary facilities? The club had TÜV Rheinland test its service quality and the processes required for first-class service. After several days the audit was completed, and Bayern Munich FC became the first

football club to be awarded the certificate. The “Sport Service Quality” standard developed by TÜV Rheinland means that national and international clubs can ensure a positive spectator experience and increase their economic success.

More information can be found at www.tuv.com/servicequalitaet-sport.

Top of the league service experience

The list of labeling symbols has three new additions: an exclamation mark, a health risk symbol, and the gas canister. The exclamation mark advises caution and identifi es substances which have an irritating, sensitizing or adverse health effect. Heath risks are indicated by the symbol of a torso behind a star. It identifi es substances that can cause serious damage to health, cause cancer or affect genetic material. The gas canister indicates all pressurized gases.

Qu ne

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (FC Bayern Mu-nich) and Dr.-Ing. Michael Fübi (r.).

14 QUICK NEWS!

Stages for leading rock acts are becoming ever more elaborate: around 17 tons of lights,

speakers, video cubes and other equipment hang from the set construction. Be it the Stones, U2, Bon Jovi or, as in May this year, AC/DC, TÜV Rheinland expert Jürgen Fink climbs to the highest scaffold on the stage to check for

defects such as loose screws or faulty ropes. The safety check takes place on the day before the performance, which is a nerve-racking experience for all involved, especially the crew. In Nuremberg everything went smoothly and 75,000 people roared along to "Highway to hell"– in complete safety.

Static on the radio, a flickering TV screen or a bad telephone connection: These phenomena are due to electromagnetic interference, as every

electronic device itself creates and can be disturbed by interference. With the help of the electromagnetic compatibility test (EMC test), this can be avoided.

TÜV Rheinland operates Global Technology Assess-ment Centers (GTACs) in Bangkok, Budapest,

Cologne/Nuremberg, Shanghai, Silicon Valley, Yokohama and several other loca-

tions, where it has been carrying out these tests for years. Now the company is investing about 1.6 million euros in the expansion of the international GTAC network with a laboratory in

Milan, which specifically offers and carries out gas and EMC tests. In facilities covering 2,150 square meters, 73 employees test the electromagnetic compatibility of electronic and electro-technical products, machines, medical products and solar modules. TÜV Rheinland will continue to invest in the expansion of its laboratories and service networkin the future to keep pace with technological advance-ments. “As an independent certification body, we can make a significant contribution to building consumer trust. This trust will in turn help manufacturers intro-duce their products onto the market more success-fully”, said Stephan Schmitt, board member of TÜV Rheinland, during the opening of the Global Technology Assessment Center in Milan.

GTAC now also in Milan

ickws!

contact 02.15 15

The safe road to hell

Horizon 2020” is not the name of a new cruise liner; it is the world’s largest, self-contained research and innovation pro-

gram, initiated by the European Union. With a funding volume of around 80 billion euros to 2020, the EU member states are seeking to strengthen Europe’s competitiveness, create new jobs and ensure prosperity. The main areas of focus are scientific excellence in Europe, industrial research and societal challenges, and include research in the areas of information, communication and space technology, health, demographic change, food safety, security and energy. An example of the “Horizon 2020”

research work is the two-year “Solar Bankability” project. This is a joint project, conducted jointly by TÜV Rheinland and four other companies. The aim of the project is to help minimize technical and financial risks when investing in photo-voltaic power plants and buildings. The risks involved in the search for locations, planning, selecting compo-nents and their installation right up to the operation of the site itself are all being examined, documented and evaluated in relation to different business models.

A glimmer oflight for investors

As one of the world’s largest producers and exporters of oil, Saudi Arabia is facing

a huge challenge: by 2018 around 1.6 million young people will be looking for their first job in the Arabian Gulf region. Public services will only be able to employ 600,000 of these workers. In order to offer young job-seekers a perspec-tive, TÜV Rheinland has been taking on a more active role in this area since early this year. The inspection agency conducts a technical training program at the National Industrial Training Institute (NITI). The 350,000-square-meter, cutting–edge training and

educational center in Al Ahsa is where Saudi Arabian high school graduates are prepared for jobs in the oil and gas industry. A few months ago job qualifi-cation programs lasting from between three and twelve months were launched in the fields of control engineering, industrial electronics and mechanics, welding, pipeline construction and maintenance. The qualification pro-grams in English are expected to attract around 2,000 participants every year. In addition, TÜV Rheinland has plans to carry out graduate testing and certification as well as to developan industry-specific seminar program.

Young futuresin black gold

s one oproducof oil, S

a huge challen1.6 million yoube looking for the Arabian Guservices will onl600,000 of theseto offer young jotive, TÜV Rheinlon a more activeearly this year. Thconducts a technat the National InInstitute (NITI). Tmeter, cutting–edg

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16 QUICK NEWS!

Eco-friendlyelectricity from Romania

“Naturepower” is the fi rst certi-fi ed eco-friendly electricity supply to enter the Romanian market – tested by TÜV Rheinland.

Headquartered in the Indian city of Chennai, the National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE) and

TÜV Rheinland have agreed to a cooperation in the area of wind turbine facilities for the Indian and internation-al markets. The main focus of the cooperation will be

the certification of types and components for on- and offshore wind turbines and wind energy projects.

The range of services will specifically target developers and producers of wind turbines

and components, as well as project devel-opers, independent energy producers,

operators, investors and insurance companies that make use of technical services. In order to expand its business in this area, TÜV Rheinland has already increased its local presence in India with qualified experts in wind energy. NIWE is an independent body within the Indian Ministry for new and renewable energies located in Chennai. The institute offers various services in the area of wind energy, such as wind reports, R&D and training as well as testing and certification of different types of wind turbine facilities.

A fresh wind off the Bay of Bengal

Romania is a country full of ex-tremes, and not only in terms of

the contrast between its beaches and its mountains. The most eastern member state of the European Union is also one of the most economically challenged, but when it comes to al-ternative energy sources this country has spread its wings and become a trailblazer within the EU. This year, Romania will cover around 35 per-cent of its electricity needs withenergy from renewable resources.

Germany, by comparison, only cov-ered 25 percent with energy fromrenewable resources last year (source: German Renewable Energies Agency). Increasing use of renewable energy sources is being supported by energy companies operating at an interna-tional level, such as the Swiss energy provider Repower. Its Romanian sub-sidiary produces “Naturepower” – the first eco-friendly electricity product certified by TÜV Rheinland to enter the Romanian market. The certificate

states that the energy which is pro-duced and delivered to the customer was 100 percent generated from re-newable energy sources in Romania and can be traced back to clearlydefined sources. It also confirms that the Romanian branch of Repower has introduced a secure and transpar-ent process in order to continuously monitor and document the amount of renewable energy which is ob-tained and sold.

ickws!

contact 02.15 17

18 GLOBAL // The World of Labs // Part 6: South Korea

Fresh air in, heat out!

The TÜV Rheinland test laboratory in

Changwon tests air conditioners against

different national and international stan-

dards. Temperature changes from -20 to

+60 degrees Celsius are part of everyday life.

How much electricity does an air conditioner use? How much carbon dioxide is released? Air conditioners are tested according to national and international standards at the test laboratory in Changwon.

contact 02.15 19

FIRST COLD, THEN HOTThe air conditioners run at full power in the labo-ratory for energy efficiency in Changwon – even during the winter at sub-zero temperatures. Six TÜV Rheinland employees have been testing air conditioners for energy efficiency here since July 2014. In a space covering 1,600 square meters, the units are put through their paces between extremes in temperature, humidity and airflow.

MANY COUNTRIES, MANY STANDARDSSaudi Arabia, Australia, Spain: the team in the test laboratory check air conditioners against different national and international standards. TÜV Rheinland employees check the units accord-ing to the guidelines of the country to which the manufacturers want to export. Following the two- to four-day tests, the unit receives a label with the corresponding energy efficiency class. The test laboratory in Changwon is the only independent certification laboratory for air conditioners in South Korea.

ONE LAB, MANY UNITSThe TÜV Rheinland team is currently testing differ-ent types of air conditioners including mobile units, heat pumps and split air conditioners, which are divided into interior and exterior parts. In the future refrigerators and dehumidifiers will also be tested for their energy efficiency at the Changwon laboratory.

6Test lab inSouth Korea

At around 1,000,000 euros,the energy effi ciency laboratory in Changwon is the biggest single investment in South Korea.

1,000,000

Questions on this topic?Dong-Gyun Cheon dong-gyun.cheon@tuv.comphone +82 2 860 9853

Facts

Testing areas

Specials

20 GLOBAL // Digital Transformation

Big data, social web – all fairly well known concepts and still important. However the latest buzzwords are IoT, smart home, smart car or digital transformation. This transforma-

tion is well underway and has set a huge structural shift in mo-tion. Welcome to the digital age. Companies are chang-ing the way they think, and transforming their busi-nesses to move them into the digital world. The fourth industrial revolution – Industry 4.0 for short – is presenting its first smart factories, self-organizing production sites where no humans are needed. As all of the components are connected to each other via the Inter-net, the machine producing metal blanks knows how to op-erate independently. Any additional pieces are automatically transported to their corresponding place. And while the finished component is being carried from conveyor to conveyor, it can de-cide for itself what type and shape of packaging it will require at the end before being shipped. The Internet of Things (IoT) enables processes like these to work. Cars that drive themselves, networked coffee machines and refrigerators or desk chairs that regulate their

The digital transformation of our lives has long ceased to be a mere vision – the Internet of Things has arrived. One important requirement is full coverage with high-performing broadband.

needsIndustry 4.0

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own height. Today, around four million devices are already connected to the Internet around the globe. Close to half of these belong to the consumer sector, such as televisions, wrist-watches or refrigerators. Their numbers will explode over the next few years. But in or-der to ensure the digital transformation and its massive trends can even take place, we need high-performing networks. The EU is striving to achieve full broadband coverage by 2020 – with transfer rates of at least 30 megabits, in some places even more than 100 megabits per second. Germany, for instance, is moving from ISDN to IP in order to provide the neces-sary network structures and bandwidths. IP is short for internet protocol: the connections for phone calls, surfing, streaming and TV are es-tablished via various access, aggregation and transport networks. The question remains

where Europe and particularly Germany cur-rently stand when it comes to expanding its broadband.

KNOWING THE SECTOR

When it comes to connectivity, the state of the art of digital technology or the people’s Internet literacy, Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands rank highest. The EU Commission’s Digital Economy and Society Index places Germany in tenth place. In order to be increasingly fit for the future and achieve full broadband coverage, it is estimated that an investment of 20 billion euros will be needed. TÜV Rheinland calculated this sum for the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs, based on increased coverage for 100 percent of homes with access of at least 50 megabit per second. The money will come

Where does the EU’s broadband expan-sion currently stand?There are still large differences in the EU, depending on political and financial pri-orities. While Greece currently has other worries, the Scandinavian countries, in keeping with tradition, are way ahead, having invested in cable-free broadband technology early on. Germany laggedbehind for a long time due to its ISDN expansion, which made the transition to broadband technology more difficult.

Can the ambitious plans really be imple-mented by 2020?In most, if not all countries. Generally there is a growing understanding that there is no way around this expansion. Broadband is quite simply a matter of maintaining competitiveness now and in the future. Telecommunications provid-ers know this and are now investing huge sums of money in order to offer their customers the best network in a digitally transformed environment.

How is TÜV Rheinland accompanying the broadband expansion?2020 is just the beginning and our cus-tomers will constantly have to re-adapt to technological progress. At TÜV Rhein-land we work closely with network oper-ators and companies: from strategic con-sulting, project initiation, network planning, monitoring and acceptance of the implementation to operating passive and active telecommunication infrastruc-tures. Here, our technological expertise and independence are highly valued.We are a reliable partner offering security and orientation in an environment that is becoming ever more complex.

Prof. Dr. Kai Höhmann is CEO and ICT expert at TÜV Rheinland.

The Internet of Things connects intelligent objects.

BROADBAND: A COMPETITIVE FACTOR

22 GLOBAL // Digital Transformation

from various sources: license auction-ing and funds, from local authorities, companies and finally also from con-sumers. Although 85 percent of Ger-man Internet connections are already prepared for the future, the final hur-dles are considered to be particularly expensive and difficult. Especially ru-ral areas are facing huge challenges. Federal regions, counties and munici-palities have launched initiatives to support the broadband expansion and TÜV Rheinland has been accom-panying several of these programs for years. The experts are intimately

familiar with the ICT (Information & Communication Technology) sector and know what potential the current developments have. Digital infrastruc-ture will be a decisive factor in select-ing business locations for the industry of the future. Only broadband can guarantee the attractiveness of an economic location in the long terme, and German companies have big plans. According to a survey, they are expecting an increased turnover of more than 30 billion euros per year due to the digitalization of their value chains.*

85%

Germany

78%

France 69%

Spain

68%

Italy

87%

Great Britain

87%

The Netherlands

87%

Norway

87%

Sweden

88%

Finland

71%

Hungary

55%

Greece

BROADBANDCONNECTIONSIN EUROPEin 2014Number per 100 households

The EU seeks to have es-tablished full broadband coverage across Europe by 2020. An average of three out of four homes in the EU already have a fast Internet connection (source: Bitkom 2014 broadband expansion).

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COMPETENT OVERVIEW

At the request of the German Federal Ministry for Transport and DigitalInfrastructure, TÜV Rheinland oper-ates the so-called ‘broadband atlas’,a constantly updated geo-information system that shows which regions are already covered and which are not. In addition, the experts provide concep-tual and strategic support, and guide the municipalities through the jungle of paragraphs and available funding. They examine which network con-cepts are suited to which regions and whether synergies – such as coopera-tion with private telecommunication companies – can be exploited. At the municipal level, it is already apparent what is needed on the German na-tional and European stage: complete broadband coverage by 2020 willonly be possible with national andregional cooperation. The suspense continues. Political decision-makers, local multipliers and large and medium-sized enterprises all depend on one another when it comes to laying the much-needed foundation for tomorrow’s digital economy.

SMART GRIDS: INTELLIGENT ELEC-TRICITY NETWORKS

The electricity networks of the future will be closely linked to our data networks. These intelligent electricity networks are known as smart grids. They make mega trends, such as the German energy trans-formation, electro-mobility and Smart Homes, possible. But they also require reli-able high-performance infrastructure. This means that even smart grids cannot be en-visaged without full broadband coverage. The question now is whether or not (and if so, how) these electricity grids will be intel-ligently connected to the telecommunica-tions companies’ existing data networks without having to construct additional net-works. In order to find out how the indi-vidual EU member states are addressing this question, the EU Commission has tasked TÜV Rheinland with the “Energise” research project (ICT-based ENERgy Grid Implementation – Smart and Efficient). The study will be carried out over 27 months for just under one million euros. The EU wants to ensure that member states share their experiences with one another in order to make the expansion of ICT-based net-works for smart grids easier.

Questions on this topic?Guido Wienzekguido.wienzek@de.tuv.comphone +49 221 806-5188www.tuv.com/consulting

All parties end up communicating with each other on intelligent electricity grids (smart grids). Only the amount of electricity need-ed by consumers is produced. This amount is communicated via data transfer by the electricity meter. 1. Battery units, 2. Server,3. Wind energy, 4. Solar energy, 5. E-cars, 6. Energy effi cient homes, 7. Energy effi -cient factories.

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24 KNOWLEDGE // Hail Damages

Some of the damage caused by the storm “Ela” in spring 2014 in Germany has still not been repaired. Insurance com-

panies also had to grapple with the effects of the storm for a long time, as thunder-storms, heavy rain and hailstorms resulted in 350,000 individual claims for damage caused to private buildings and cars across the coun-try, worth around 650 million euros. Across the globe, damage caused by storms cost bil-lions of dollars, with the USA and Japan be-ing especially hard hit. The US National Weather Service registered 695 tornados up to June 2015.

MAKING HAIL DAMAGE VISIBLE

Following “Ela”, Westfälische Provinzial, which had to quickly examine and settle 800 cases of hail damage in the Sauerland region alone, was the first insurance compa-ny to adopt a completely new system for measuring hail damage caused to vehicles: MIKo (mobile identification system for vehicle surface defects). “It’s a box that the vehicle is driven into and within two min-utes a fully automatic scan of the vehicle takes place,” explains Andreas Blecker, direc-tor at TÜV Rheinland Schaden- und Wert-gutachten GmbH for damage reports and value appraisals. “The system is able to deter-mine all dents on the car according to their size, classify them and even calculate the cost of repairing the damage.”

The advantage of this is that the vehicle scanner is much quicker and more precise than the human eye – the measurementsystem is able to evaluate at least twelve cars in one hour. “However, this does not mean that the expert’s knowledge is superfluous,” stresses Blecker. “According to the report,the expert decides if it is worth repairing the dents or if the part should be replaced.” MIKo is also now being used by Allianz. TÜV Rheinland is now also being in talks with other interested parties including some from abroad: “After all, climate experts are expect-ing storms to become more extreme, result-ing in ever more insurance claims being made.” TÜV Rheinland is ready for thisdevelopment. In the end, MIKo fits onto a trailer and can be assembled in less thansix hours.

PIT STOP

What usually takes experts a lot of time can be done by MIKo in only

two minutes. MIKo is a mobile surface scanner that measures and classifi es

damage caused to vehicles by hail. Insurance companies such as Allianz

are already saving time and money with this transportable box.

Into the box, out of the box: within only two minutes MIKo carries out a fully automatic scan of the damaged vehicle.

IN A BOX

25contact 02.15

HAIL DAMAGE TO SOLAR PANELSDamage caused to solar panels by hail has increased substantially over the last few years. This is mainly due to the intensity of the storms – in some places the hailstones that fall from the sky have a diameter of more than five centimeters. TÜV Rheinland offers tests for this which have already become mandatory in Switzerland and Austria and are now increasingly being required by various insurers. Impact from hail-stones can permanently damage solar panels without being immedi-ately visible. The lumps of ice do not necessarily damage the front glass upon impact, but they can cause microscopic cracks in the solar panel which may impair its performance in the long term. A team of researchers and evaluators, including experts from TÜV Rheinland, is currently working on how hidden cracks in solar panels can be better detected. This also includes the evaluation and validation of new techniques such as the UV fluorescence method.

Location of determined dents caused by hail viewed from above on the driver and passenger side.

Questions on this topic?Andreas Blecker

blecker@de.tuv.com phone +49 221 806-2839

ew

26 KNOWLEDGE // Process Optimization

THE “WE” APPROACH

Every company wants to have satisfi ed

employees. Especially when changes

are made to the company structure, it

is important to take a careful look at

the impact: Do the employees feel like

they are involved in the change pro-

cess? Have they accepted the changes?

Conducting an employee survey is an

extremely effective way of answering

these questions, as the successful col-

laboration between the Koelnmesse

GmbH and TÜV Rheinland shows.

FOCUSING ONPSYCHOLOGICALSTRESSSince September 2013 companiesin Germany have been obliged tocarry out a risk assessment of thepsychological stress at workamong their employees and im-plement appropriate action.The German Occupational SafetyAct requires that a threat either tolife or physical and mental healthmust be avoided, and that any re-maining risk must be kept as lowas possible. Mental and physicalstress are therefore treated equallyunder labor law.

The Koelnmesse (Cologne Trade Fair Center)has not been left unscathed by the global fi-nancial and economic crisis. It is not only in

Cologne that trade fairs have changed their fre-quency and location or even completely disap-peared from the market, oftentimes with a signifi-cant loss in revenue. In addition, the Koelnmesse was burdened with high rental payments for its new north halls every year. This all negatively im-pacted business results and the atmosphere at trade fairs. To strengthen the center’s long-term competi-tiveness, a much more efficient organizationalstructure with substantial process improvements was implemented in 2011. This presented not onlythe management but also every single employee with major challenges. “Every change initiallycauses stress, because it is accompanied by uncer-tainty and this can become a psychological bur-den,” says Dr. Silke Wechsung from TÜV Rhein-land. After the restructuring, she and her team

27contact 02.15

LEADS TO SUCCESS

were involved in a risk assessment at the Koelnmesse in 2013. An employee satisfaction survey conducted the same year deter-mined how familiar the staff was with the company strategy and how the management and communication culture was per-ceived. The sobering analysis was that the change process was far from reaching, let alone winning over, many of the employees. Based on this analysis, TÜV Rheinland developed specific sugges-tions for improvement and optimization. Koelnmesse employees and managers discussed the survey results, and then initiated and implemented improvements. The employees welcomed the opportunity to actively participate in defining and making changes. Just one year later the next employee satisfaction sur-vey was conducted. The results showed that employees felt they were being taken more seriously as a result of the changes initiat-ed by the first survey, and they were much more satisfied. “The optimization of processes and working conditions plays a key role in reducing perceived stress and further increasing employee satisfaction. At the same time, our leadership and communica-tion culture must be continuously enhanced by management training courses,” says Gerald Böse, CEO of Koelnmesse.

THE “WE” FACTOR FOR SUCCESS The Koelnmesse recognizes its employees as afactor for success. “Qualified, with passionatededication and highest professionalism, they give it their all every day for our events in Cologne and around the world, and so make Koelnmesse successful,” explains Gerald Böse. The numbers confirm this: 2013 was the strongest year for sales and profits in the trade fair organizer’s more than 90-year history. The signs for 2015 even suggest a new record year. TÜV Rheinland expert Wechsung knows that companies in similar situations usually take longer to recover and win over their employ-ees, but adds: "An employee satisfaction surveyis useful for virtually every company, as it reveals weaknesses and can help to counteract them in good time." That is why there will also be surveys at Koelnmesse in the future to ask employees about their views and opinions on the need for change.

“It is extremely important to us to optimize processes and working conditions as well as cooperation across all company levels.” Gerald Böse, Chief Executive Officer

Questions on this topic?Dr. Silke Wechsungsilke.wechsung@de.tuv.com phone +49 228 926169-18

28 KNOWLEDGE // Employer Certifi cation

In 15 years there could be a labor shortage of eight million workers in Germa-

ny alone, according to estimates by the management consulting fi rm Boston

Consulting Group. Competing for qualifi ed employees will therefore be an

important key to success and a certifi cation of an employer’s human resources

management can make the difference.

Competing for smart brains

Family-friendly policies

Digital labor protection

Life-stage orientation

Apprenticing companies

Fit fordiversity

Healthmanagement

Certifi cates are becoming increasingly important when choos-ing an employer.

contact 02.15

Questions on this topic?Reinhard Bierreinhard.bier@de.tuv.comphone +49 221 806-5931www.tuv.com/cert

29

BMW has no problems recruiting employees, Google and Nestle probably don’t either: glob-

ally recognized brands are particularly appealing for professionals, so these companies will have fewer labor shortage problems in the future. The story is quite different, however when looking at medium-size companies. Although their products and services may be among the best in the world, these “hidden champions” are less recognized. Indeed, two out of three medium-size enterprises in Germany are already complaining that they can’t fill their apprenticeship vacancies to their satisfaction.*

CERTIFICATES AS UNIQUE SELLING POINT

In the search for brainpower to tackle the chal-lenges of the future, corporate seals can be a real advantage for optimal positioning. TÜV Rhein-land has offered the “excellent employer” certifi-cate for around two years now. The service pro-vider's auditors assess and evaluate the HR management of a company as part of a voluntary certification scheme. The difference between this scheme and the over 100 competing seals that ex-ist in German-speaking countries alone is the lev-el of detail of the audits, the systemic approach and the credibility of TÜV Rheinland. An exam-ination of the company itself is mandatory in or-der to obtain the “excellent employer” certificate. “We orient ourselves to the various stages an em-ployee goes through, from the first moment of contact and the application process right up until the time when the employee leaves the compa-ny,” says Reinhard Bier, project manager at TÜV Rheinland. The audit covers all aspects of HR management, starting from recruitment and staff development to working times and the age struc-ture of the company. Over 80 different criteria in nine examination areas are taken into account. The experience of the auditors is just as import-ant as checking the facts, explains Bier: “The as-sessment requires sensitivity, since a medium-size company with 100 employees will take very dif-ferent measures to meet the requirements of the standard than a company with 10,000 employ-

ees.” Companies that take part benefit from the good reputation of TÜV Rheinland and its certifi-cates, and also from specific potential for im-provement in the business areas that were exam-ined. Take the application process, for instance. Is the online application process clear? Does the ap-plicant receive a confirmation of their applica-tion? How long does it take until the prospective employee is invited for an interview?

AUDITS REVEAL STRENGTHS

AND WEAKNESSESCompanies who have benefitted from the certifi-cate include KNIPEX and CEWE. The plier manu-facturer KNIPEX and the photo service provider CEWE may now display the “excellent employer” certificate on their websites or job vacancy notic-es for the next three years. For KNIPEX, the audit and certification by TÜV Rheinland had multiple aims: “We wanted an external party to evaluate the activities we had carried out over the past few years. The audit and the regular monitoring au-dits give us the opportunity to keep developing on a continuous basis. In addition, the TÜV Rheinland seal will contribute to increasing our visibility as an employer,” explains KNIPEX’s head of HR Kai Wiedemann. Although the “ex-cellent employer” certificate is open to all sectors and company sizes, TÜV Rheinland is not plan-ning an overall ranking across all sectors. Rein-hard Bier has a very clear opinion on this: “From our point of view, it makes no sense to compare consultancies with nursing homes.”

excellent employers!Labor shortage? Not for

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30 GLOBAL // Batteries

Modern rechargeable lithium-

ion batteries have made

unlimited mobility possible.

But buying cheap bargains

on the Internet

or leaving them in the

sun can quickly turn into

a nightmare.

Warm, hot,

boom!

contact 02.15 31

The young trainee wearing overalls feels her pocket getting warmer and warmer. ,How

strange’, she thinks. Then there's a loud bang and an acrid smell fills the room. Her pants have caught fire. This is not a scene from a hor-ror movie but rather the painful reality experi-enced by a young Swiss woman. Was it the ciga-rette lighter? A box of matches? None of the above. The rechargeable battery in the woman’s smart phone had overheated and exploded. The result was sec-ond and third degree burns on the woman’s thigh. “If the bat-tery keeps getting hotter, then it may be that it’s reaching the end of its lifespan or that it’s faulty. You should defi-nitely replace it in that case,” says Matthias Baumann, an expert for battery technology at TÜV Rheinland.

A REALLY EXPLOSIVE TRADE

Original parts and high quality lithium-ion bat-teries do not normally pose a threat. They have an intelligent battery management system. Should the inner pressure become too high, there is a predetermined breaking point. The battery bursts open before it can explode. “However, if someone uses the battery in a way it was not de-signed for, even an original part may blow up,” Baumann explains. According to the expert, most people are still not sufficiently aware of how to properly handle lithium batteries. For instance, if you overcharge a rechargeable battery with too high a voltage or too much electricity it will ex-pand and explode with a hiss or bang and burn out. The force of such an explosion is comparable to that of a small firecracker. Intelligent chargers are better at reacting: they automatically regulate the electricity for charging and never discharge the batteries completely. People should also be wary of alleged bargains on the Internet. Usually

these rechargeable batteries are only so cheapbecause they are of lower quality and lacking the kinds of protection mechanisms found in origi-nal products.

SQUEEZE IT, HEAT IT UP, LET IT GO

In the laboratories of testing organizations such as TÜV Rheinland, energy storage systems for smart phones, computers, electronics and large

home storage systems undergo rigorous and extensive testing in order to minimize

potential risks and dangers during their use. “For example, we

squeeze a rechargeable battery in order to test its deformability,” Matthi-

as Baumann explains. The employees are also not afraid to drop or shake the batteries

and to pound away at them. Following this or-deal, the quality and condition of a rechargeable battery can be seen. “If a cell phone falls to the ground then the battery inside it mustn’t shatter into a thousand pieces or, worse still, explode,“ says the expert. However, TÜV Rheinland also carries out additional tests on rechargeable bat-teries in order to find out how the battery reacts due to a short circuit or if it has been overcharged with too much electricity. And to round the whole thing off, the energy storage systems are subjected to extreme heat, cold and open fire – something which you should definitely nottry at home!

Questions on this topic?Matthias Baumannmatthias.baumann@de.tuv.comphone +49 911 655-5993

A wolf in sheep’s clothing: rechargeable batteries can quickly turn from modern energy storage

devices to dangerous explosives.

1. Only buy original rechargeable batteries from the manufacturer

2. Follow the manufactur-er’s instructions

3. Only use the charger that goes with it

4. Steer clear of usedrechargeable batteriesor alleged bargains on

the Internet5. Keep batteries away from

heat sources such as radi-ators, stoves or direct sunlight

6. Do not leave batteriesto charge near flammable materials – especially if unsupervised, for exam-ple over night

BATTERY TIPS

A lff ii hh ’’ ll thihi hh bbll bb tt i

32 KNOWLEDGE // Testing Classrooms

They’ve got a lot on their plates: study-ing until their heads spin, followed by homework supervision and extracur-

ricular sports in the afternoon. Many pu-pils spend the majority of their day in a school building rather than outside in the fresh air – a state of affairs that could lead to health problems. “The quality and the combination of the building materials used, the furniture and the cleaning prod-ucts have an impact on the air quality in classrooms,” explains Dr. Walter Dorma-gen, a TÜV Rheinland expert on hazardous substances, microbiology and hygiene.According to TÜV Rheinland, almost one-third of all teaching spaces in Germany contain hazardous substances. Allergicreactions like watery eyes, itchy skin or headaches among children and teachers are all possible consequences and symp-toms of contaminated air. In severe cases this can even lead to chronic illness. Ex-perts call it the ‘Sick Building Syndrome’:a sick building that makes people sick. “The problem is that these symptoms can also be observed even in people who don’t work in a sick building”, says Walter Dor-magen. “That is why the symptoms areoften not associated with the buildingmaterials used or with repair or cleaning products,” says the expert.

THE UNDERESTIMATED DANGER

OF CONTAMINATIONMany school buildings house another source of danger: contaminated materi-als. “Building materials such as PCB and carcinogenic, recycled tar prod-ucts can still be found in many schools,” states the expert from TÜV Rheinland. “When these con-taminants are released during con-struction work or the airflow is di-minished due to new windows or insulation measures, the result can also be hazardous.” Another critical point is the reaction of old glues or paints with some of the newer chemical construc-tion products, according to Dormagen. This can lead to an uncontrolled release of haz-ardous substances into the air. “The interaction of new building materials with each other and with prior contaminants in old build-ings creates an endless list of pos-sible combinations,” he points out. Even though the Ger-man Federal Environment Agency has issued recom-mendations on the hy-giene of school interi-

For many pupils in Germany, school stinks. Not because of the

exams, grades and teachers, but because of the hazardous sub-

stances often found in the building materials that are emitted

into the air. A current pilot project shows that odor-free schools

aren't necessarily more expensive.

LOW EMISSIONS GO TO SCHOOL

33contact 02.15

ors, they are not binding. “Some schools have been modernized over the past few years,” says Dormagen. “However, there are still many buildings waiting to be refur-bished by cash-strapped local authorities.”

SLIGHTLY MORE EXPENSIVE AND

MUCH HEALTHIERThe “Healthy School Environments” pilot project showed that low-emission building and modernization is not much more ex-pensive than building with conventional construction materials. In the project – jointly carried out by TÜV Rheinland and the Sentinel Haus Institut with support from the German Federal Environment Agency – two identical classrooms were set up on the TÜV Rheinland premises in Cologne. One with conventional building materials from the hardware store and the other made exclusively from products which had been tested for hazardous sub-stances. A series of measurements were then carried out under real-life conditions to measure and assess the pollutant content in the air. The results were shocking: the level of pollution in the air was up to 27 times higher than the upper limit of the reference value. By contrast the classroom built from and equipped with non-hazard-ous materials and furniture displayed val-ues that were all well within the acceptable limits – at very similar costs. Depending on cost of construction and/or modernization, the financial difference lay between 0.2 and 2 percent more for the low-emis-sion variant compared to that with conven-tional materials. “The well-being of our children should be our top priority. Not carrying tests out beforehand puts the health of our children and teachers at risk, which is completely unacceptable,” saysDr. Walter Dormagen.

Questions on this topic?Dr. Walter Dormagenwalter.dormagen@de.tuv.com phone +49 221 806-2342www.tuv.com/gefahrstoffe

Raise your hand for low-emission construction! It’s not much more expensive than using conventional construction materi-als and improves quality of life in schools.

Not a sunny prospect: the yellow-colored fl oor contains many substances that can lead to allergies and discomfort.

The company sends out invitations to an international conference. Back to the office to pack quickly: smart-phone, notebook, USB stick and the documents from

the safe. But where is the key? And why is that window cleaner standing there staring at me through the glass door? This is how the IT security game for employees at Adidas begins. The hero must make it to the conference without leaving his laptop in the taxi or letting data be stolen by spies. The e-learning game presents the players with a realistic everyday situation to confront them with the possible difficulties posed by technologies. ‘Serious gaming’ is the magic term that is currently charging up the booming e-learning industry. It refers to fun, hands-on training on the PC. TÜV Rheinland has been offering e-learning policies and programs since 2012. With around 20 employees, Workplace Learning Solutions (WLS)is growing at a double-digit rate annually. Apart fromlearning platforms, the portfolio includes online courses and their development - and more recently, seriousgaming as well.

NATURAL AMBITION LEADS

TO LEARNINGWeb-based trainings are classic e-learning tools based on PowerPoint presentations. A presenter guides learners through the individual chapters, and at the end a test determines whether the learning content has been understood. "What we have lacked so far is the interaction and fun," explains Christoph Hieber, Head of WLS. "With the take-over of the Dusseldorf company Zone 2 Connect GmbH, we are now adding experi-ence to knowledge." The first projects that com-bine the

Learning by playing - probably one of the

most important rules of nature. So-called

‘serious games’ takes this further with clever

training exercises. Behind the entertaining

and exciting digital content there is often

an important educational purpose for the

company.

34 KNOWLEDGE // Serious Games

Careful! A spy is lurking behind the door! E-learning games encourage the play-er to confront the issue of data security.

Questions on this topic?Christoph Hieberchristoph.hieber@de.tuv.com phone +49 89 374281-501www.tuv.com/global-academy

ing content has been tent een contacked so far is the ac is tthe cked

Christoph Chris h he take-eke-ny ny

QuesChristochristophone www.t

PLAY WHIL

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LEARNING

According to the independent MMB Institute for Media and Competence Research, the approximately 250 German e-learning companies grossed nearly 600 million euros in sales in 2013, 13.5 percent more than the previous year.

LEARNTEC, the e-learning industry trade fair, is held annually in Karl-sruhe. This year, around 225 ex-hibitors welcomed roughly 6,900 international trade visitors. In 2016, the 24th LEARN-TEC takes place between January 26 and 28.

34.3 million Germans use digital games, 29.1 million of them regularly. The average player’s age is 34.5, 52 percent are male.*

FACTS ANDFIGURES

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classic web-based training with a fun framework are already being planned. The benefits of learning through play areobvious: "I follow a voluntary set of rules in order to achieve my goal," explains Arne Gels, Head of Sales and Projects at WLS, who co-designed the the game for Adidas. The players develop a natural ambition to reach their goals and each action is evaluated directly. IT Security, for example: if the player makes the serious mistake of letting a stranger know his PC password on the phone, a slightly alarmed, but also somewhat disappointed "Uuuh" emanates from the speakers. The word "incorrect" comes up on the screen in large redletters. A brief text clarifies the mistake and the player can run through the scenario again. This is how learning takes place, so it's a fun game.

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36 PEOPLE // Innovations and Patents

A key to more innovation: patents not only offer protection from imitation but they also serve as a standard and a basis for progressive technology.

Who invented it?

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It is the year 1904. The sun is high over the Swiss canton of Bern. Its warmth radiates through the large windows of the patent

office. In one of the offices of this opulent stone building, a so-called “Third Class Techni-cal Expert” is sitting and leafing through docu-ments relating to an invention in the field of electro-technology. Deep in thought he taps the accompanying drawings with his pen. He isn’t really able to fully focus on his work today. His head is too full of wild ideas about light, space and time. This employee’s name is Albert Einstein. Yes, quite right. Between 1902 and 1909 the world-famous physicist worked as a patent examiner at the “Swiss Federal Office for intellectual property” in Bern. It was during this time that Einstein completed some of his most important works. Among other things, he discovered the formula E = mc². Working after office hours, of course. Unfortunately he was not able to patent this formula, even though one might say that he was certainly sitting in the right place to do it.

This is because patents cannot be granted for discoveries, but only for inventions that are novel, sufficiently distinguishable from the state of the art and of commercial application. For example, if you were to discover a hitherto unknown plant variety, you would not be able to patent it. If you extract a substance from the plant that is effective against skin cancer, then you could patent the use of this substance as a cancer treatment.

PROTECTION AND PROGRESS

Patents have two functions. On the one hand they protect an invention from imitation for twenty years. On the other, patents lead to more innovation because a patented invention is disclosed. This means that anyone can get in-formation about the invention from the patent office. The new knowledge that is disclosed by the invention can then be used as a standard and basis for further developments and inven-tions. This provides an important impetus for technological progress.

A newly discovered plant cannot be patented. But a substance that is ex-tracted from a plant and used in the production of new medicines can.

IF YOU PATENT TOO LATE…

Johann Philipp Reis invented the tele-phone. Or was it Alexander Graham Bell?

Elisha Gray? Or perhaps Antonio Meucci? Here are the facts: Reis was the first to estab-lish a functioning electrical telephone con-nection in 1861. But he didn’t have the capi-tal to continue developing his invention. Bell submitted his patent application for a telephone device in Boston on 14 February 1876. Just two hours be-fore Gray! He was rewarded for his inven-tion with fame, glory and a lot of money. Around 600 patent lawsuits, involving Gray and Meucci and others followed, out of which Bell generally emerged as the victor. However, he did not enjoy patent protection in Germany. This was good news for Werner von Siemens, who began producing tele-phones there in 1877.

38 PEOPLE // Innovations und Patents

Every year thousands of patents are registered worldwide. Last year, 65,958 were registered by the German Patent and Brands Office alone, 17,814 of which came from abroad. But how does one actually know if your invention hasn’t already been thought up by someone else and registered as a patent? And if it would even stand a chance on the market? Bruno Götz knows the answers to all these questions. As head of the Patents and Standards department at TÜV Rheinland, he advises and supports anyone wishing to have their inven-tion protected by a patent – from large multina-tionals to individual inventors. As part of the service, Bruno Götz and his team offer global protection research and monitoring: which patent has already been registered elsewhere in the world? How long is it protected? Is registra-tion worthwhile? What’s the competition up to? “All these questions need to be answered in order to lead an invention to success,” explains the engineer.

MASKS, GONDOLAS AND PATENTS

The patent office is the oldest department of the TÜV Rheinland Group. For 145 years, tech-nical experts have been offering support in the area of industrial property rights, which also includes brand and design protection. The first patent law as we understand it today is in fact more than 500 years old. It was adopted in 1474, in a city now better known for its masks, canals and gondolas: Venice. The independent republic was a major European power in the fifteenth century and a center for international trade. In addition to arts and sciences, handi-

Coca-Cola lost its claim against Pepsi in 2014 in a dispute over a confusingly similar-looking bottle. The soda giant keeps the recipe for its iconic brown drink a secret. If it were patented, anyone could mix and sell it with impunity after twenty years.

systematicallyChecking inventions

Bruno Götz manages patents for businesses.

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crafts also thrived. Glass blowing workshops, dye houses, weaving mills, sugar refineries, silk factories and book printing flourished. The patent law helped ensure the survival and advancement of the local businesses. It provid-ed the inventors of new tools and equipment ten years of protection against imitation.

Patent law remains an important topic to this very day. It plays an especially important role for globally operating companies who want to enter new business areas, increase their market share or keep the competition in check. The never-ending fight for innovative ideas on the global market is usually fought out in court. Apple vs. Ericsson, Adidas vs. Nike and the perennial question of who invented it first.

CORRECT ASSESSMENT FOR SUCCESS

As the area of patents is a broad and sometimes confusing field in which a lot of money can be made or lost, Bruno Götz has developed a unique system for patent assessment. With it, patents can be assessed according to objective and qualitative criteria – such as technology, law, market, finance and strategy – and evaluat-ed for their financial potential. “The assessment is carried out by a committee of experts from the respective technical departments of the company,” explains Götz. “This makes the deci-sion for or against the registration or extension of a patent much easier.” Depending on the scale, companies can save up to 30 percent of their patent costs this way.

Bruno Götz is not able to get his innovative assessment system patented. Just like Albert Einstein, he may be sitting in the right place but what he has come up with is a not an invention, it's a method. And unfortunately methods – like E = mc² – are not patentable.

THE BEGINNING: PATENTING BY RECIPE

The idea of the patent first emerged around 700 BC in the Greek colony of Sybaris on the Gulf of Taranto in Southern Italy. The Sybarites were real food connoisseurs. They adored exquisitely prepared meals and con-ceived a multitude of extraordinary recipes. In order to ensure that these recipes were not stolen and used for the culinary glorifi-cation of others, copying another recipe was simply forbidden. The recipes were officially protected for at least one year.

Later in the Middle Ages, inventions were classed as the common property of a guild. In addition to this, privileges were be-stowed. In 1234 for instance, a certain Bonafusus de Sancta Columba was granted the special right, valid for 15 years, to pro-duce cloth in a specific way. This right was granted by the mayor of the city of Bor-deaux where Bonafusus and his journey-men worked. Other privileges of this kind were mainly bestowed on citizens in the Italian cities of Venice and Florence. In 1421 in Florence, Filippo Brunelleschi was granted the exclusive right to build and use a freight boat with a lifting device for transporting blocks of marble. Many historians view this privilege as the first piece of legislation in the history of indus-trial property rights.

Questions on this topic?Bruno Götzbruno.goetz@de.tuv.comphone +49 911 655-4920www.tuv.com/patente

Publisher: TÜV Rheinland AG, Corporate Communications, Am Grauen Stein, D-51105 CologneTelephone: +49 221 806-0Email: CorporateCommunications@de.tuv.comInternet: www.tuv.comResponsible: Aud FellerEditor: S+L Partners GmbH, ColognePrinting: Druckhaus Ley + Wiegandt, WuppertalPhotos: Corbisimages.com/Gregor Schuster (Titel); thinkstockphotos.de/snvv (pp. 2-3); istockphoto.com/Savas Keskiner (pp. 2,8,) Gilbert Collection/fotoLibra.com /H. Grosvenor (pp. 3, 37); 123rf.com/Franck Boston (pp. 2-3, 26); Koelnmesse Bilddatenbank (pp. 2-3, 26-27; /Corbisimiges.com/Tim Tadder (pp. 4-5); istockphoto.com/BrianAJackson/bedya (pp. 6-7); Fotolia.com/fineart-collection (pp. 14); Fotograf A.Beier/FC Bayern München (pp. 14); Jochen Galsterer/TÜV Rheinland (pp. 15); Fotolia.com/bluebay2014/Bertold Werkmann (pp. 16); Fotolia.com/JiSign (pp. 17); Repower Deutschland GmbH (pp. 17); 123rf.com/kraphix (pp. 20); Fotolia.com/iconimage (pp. 20-21); depositphotos.com/silvertiger(pp. 22); Fotolia.com/chesky (pp. 22); Fotolia.com/Svetoslav Radkov/Ramona Heim (pp. 24-25,25); Kleine Fische (pp. 28),123rf.com/alphaspirit (pp. 30); thinkstockphotos.de/VladNikon (pp. 31); Fotolia.com/amphotolt (pp. 31); 123rf.com/Yuniardi Wibowo (pp. 34-35); thinkstockphotos.de/Keith Haig (pp. 36); Fotolia.com/weseetheworld/dispicture (pp. 36-37); istockphoto.com/apomares (pp. 38); BillionPhotos.com/Fotolia.com (pp. 39); TÜV Rheinland AG (pp. 2, 3 ,9, 10-13, 18-19, 21, 23, 25, 31, 32-33, 34, 38-39)

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Dates

September 1 – 4 AIMEX, Sydney, Australia

September 9 – 12 MYMEX, Johor Bahru, Malaysia

September 15 – 18 Husum Wind, Husum, Germany

September 30 – October 2UrbanTec Brasil, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

October 10 – 14 Anuga, Cologne, Germany

October 23 – 27 International Hospitality Exhibition, Milan, Italy

October 27 – 30 A+A, Düsseldorf, Germany

October 28 – 29 Cloud Expo Asia, Singapore

November 3 – 5 European Utility Week, Vienna, Austria

November 16 – 19 Medica, Düsseldorf, Germany

December 3FHI, Düsseldorf, Germany

December 16 – 18 SEMICON Japan 2015, Tokyo, Japan

TRANSPARENCYWhy consumers no longer accept secrets

OPTIMIZATIONHow processes can increase employee satisfaction

PROTECTEDWhen is a patent application worthwhile and how does it work?