Siemens 2008 Annual Report Download - page 25

At a glance – Our innovators and innovations 19
How important is innovation at Siemens?
There’s a clear correlation between our innovative strength and our business success. Generally
speaking, we make the most money where we’ve marketed creative new technology solutions that
benet our customers.
Where is the impetus for tomorrow’s innovations coming from?
Today, innovation ourishes less in isolated technology elds than in networks of application
expertise and industry know-how. For example, in the area of decentralized power supply, it’s
essential to have expert knowledge not only of generating units – that is, wind farms, solar power
installations, fuel cells, biomass and district heating plants – but also of control systems, energy
storage solutions and communications interfaces. A company that excels at a broad range of such
technologies will outpace its competitors. The key to innovation lies in mastering complexity. Add
to that the challenge of meeting new market requirements that are increasingly pushing the limits
of our technology portfolio – for instance, the growing demand among the burgeoning middle
class in China and India for products that are both high-tech and low-cost. Here, an understanding
of markets, technological opportunities and the globally optimized value chain is vital to success.
What are your most important tasks as CTO?
It’s crucial for us, as an integrated technology company, to leverage technological synergies across
our operating units – whether within an individual Sector, across Sectors or in cooperation with
the Corporate Technology Department. The CTO is responsible for making this happen and for
ensuring that research and development budgets are adequate. In addition, we have to know
where the Company stands technologically. While the Divisions possess the requisite expertise in
their elds, key insights can often be gained by assessing the technological base from a different
perspective. This, too, is the responsibility of the CTO. And nally, the CTO sets the parameters for
research and development. These include compliance with all applicable laws and regulations
such as statutory provisions for safety, security and environmental protection, the anticipation of
constantly changing social, political and economic conditions, and the development of guidelines
for platforms and architectures that are then used throughout the Company.
What does being innovative mean for individual employees?
Innovative employees think across disciplines and challenge xed assumptions while maintaining
a constant focus on market requirements. This approach isn’t restricted to a particular technology
eld or organizational level. The innovative process involves constantly asking yourself, “What can
I do better?” and “How can I outperform the competition?”
Interview with Chief Technology Ofcer
Hermann Requardt
Innovations are one of our key success factors – and being innovative
is one of our three Company values. Hermann Requardt, member of the
Managing Board and Chief Technology Ofcer (CTO), explains why it’s
so important for Siemens to produce a steady stream of innovations.