Insights | Berghof Group

All good things come in three? No, in four!

July 14, 2020

It is a veritable success story: Starting in 2008, the network ‟Research & Development” of Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) Reutlingen organizes the ‟Innovationstage” on an annual basis. The idea behind is to connect the companies and the scientific institutions of the region and, by this, to stimulate innovations.

For Berghof Group innovation is a central theme, clearly illustrated through the leading principle „Your Innovation Hub“. This is why Berghof is a great devotee of this concept and, for the fourth time already, hosted one of the ‟Innovationstage” in 2020. We find no difficulties in doing so, because the various products and services of the Group give a possible link again and again for the topics of the event series, that are extremely diverse. This year we organized it as an online event for the first time to minimize the risk of infection with Corona. ‟Clever solutions from Berghof are very much in demand in various industries. It is much easier to name the topics that we are not dealing with”, Peter Hirblinger, CEO of Berghof Holding, sums up the particularity of the group of companies in his welcoming speech for the virtual attendees.

Berghof is grouping six operating companies with nine different business units under the umbrella of the holding company. During the two-hour online event, our speakers demonstrated, via four presentations, in which capacity Berghof Group’s subsidiaries dealing with ‟Environmental Technologies, Air and water quality”, the motto of this year’s ‟Innovationstage” event at Berghof.

The first to appear is Dr. Kimball Roelofs, Head of Research & Development at Berghof Membrane Technology GmbH.  He gives an overview about the functional principle and the USP’s of our systems for the filtration and separation of process streams and wastewater for industrial applications, that are used successfully all over the world. ‟Due to their design our membrane systems are more robust and durable and our customers have reduced chemical costs for the cleaning of the membranes”, explains the membrane expert. This is why the ingenious systems from Berghof not only make a valuable contribution in protecting the valuable ressource water, but are also sustainable beyond that.

Sustainable ideas are getting more and more important not only when it comes to water consumption, but also if you think about land usage. So the special expertise of the business unit Berghof Environmental Engineering, the specialists for the assessment, renovation and revitalization of small to large areas as well as building and industrial complexes, is more and more wanted. ‟With our environmental risk analyses we ensure a balance between ecological and economical thinking, which makes the conversion of contaminated wasteland possible”, Andreas Sonntag, one of the managing directors of the unit, sums up his special metier.

Did you know, that you can promote strong root growth by ‟lighting design”? This is only one of many fascinating topics, that Berghof Group’s latest acquisition is dealing with. Gigahertz-Optik GmbH is specialized in systems for the measurement of optical radiation for industry and science. ‟These accurate optical measurements make it possible that we all can to use the great potential of modern lighting technology completely and safely”, Dr. Ralf Zuber, Head of Research & Development of the company founded in 1986, clearly states the significance of this technology.

Speaking about significance: The Corona pandemic has brought a great deal of attention for UVC sterilization technology. This is why the fourth speaker of the ‟Innovationstage” event at Berghof, Simon Schlegel, has recently even more demand than in usual times. He is CEO of sterilAir AG from Switzerland, which uses special high-performance reflectors of Berghof Fluoroplastic Technology GmbH in their systems for optimum power output. ‟For sure, the sterilization of air or liquids with UVC was popular before the Corona pandemic. But this has made us all even more sensitive for the germ load. So now, we all literally have our hands full”, he demonstrates that this radical change not only poses considerable risks, but also chances for companies that are ahead of its time with their innovations.

So it has once been demonstrated: The remarkable diversity of Berghof Group and the strong collaboration based on mutual trust in the ‟Innovation Hub” not only guarantees continuous innovation, but also economical stability especially in challenging times.

You haven’t been ablo to participate at the online event, but are interested in the presentations of the four speakers. No problem: Just send a short mail to Mark Boettger, Head of Communication of Berghof Group. He will be happy to organize that for you.