Digitalization Partner and Encourager
Interview with Sven Heinsen, Managing Director of Conscia GmbH
Cybercrime is a serious threat. It can occur anywhere people use computers, smartphones, tablets, or other IT devices – at home, in companies, authorities, universities, and on the move. According to the Federal Ministry of the Interior, the number of crimes in the area of cybercrime has risen again in 2003. Reason enough to deal with the topic of cybersecurity. And to find solutions. Like Conscia Deutschand GmbH from Ettlingen.
Wirtschaftsforum: Mr. Heinsen, Conscia GmbH sees itself as a digitalization partner for customers, focuses on cybercrime, and has grown steadily in recent years. What special impulses have sustainably influenced the development of the company in the past?
Sven Heinsen: The Conscia story began in 2003 in Copenhagen, where they successfully established and gradually developed an IT business. In 2013, they decided to continue their growth course in foreign European countries. Over time, Conscia acquired companies in Sweden, Norway, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Slovenia, so today we have 16 branches in Europe. This international expansion, financially secured by Private Equity, is an important hallmark.
Wirtschaftsforum: What philosophy underlies this acquisition strategy?
Sven Heinsen: Each company must be a leading technology company in a country, sharing the Conscia values and striving for excellence. For us, the Network of Knowledge, networking across borders, is very important. Although we have grown inorganically, this growth path was accompanied by a very high organic growth, which was more than 20% in recent years. Thanks to our careful acquisition strategy at a sensible pace, a healthy organization could emerge, a company with local independencies and a common DNA. Naturally, Scandinavian culture also significantly shapes our development. We see a high degree of healthy work-life balance, a strong affinity for digitalization, and not least a great willingness to digitalize; something we miss in Germany.
Wirtschaftsforum: How is Conscia positioned in Germany?
Sven Heinsen: Through the acquisition of two companies, we now have four locations in Germany and operate as Conscia Deutschland GmbH. In Hannover, Leverkusen, Ettlingen, and Munich, we have 150 employees, with a recent revenue of 45 million EUR.
Wirtschaftsforum: Are there plans for further acquisitions in Germany?
Sven Heinsen: As a group, we aim to continue growing, especially in Germany, although current market conditions are challenging. Particularly in the areas of cybersecurity and digitalization, we see great opportunities to bring our expertise to bear and establish ourselves as a leading provider in the defense against cyber threats and as a reliable digitalization partner in Germany.
Wirtschaftsforum: Cybercrime and digitalization are central themes for Conscia. Could you elaborate on that?
Sven Heinsen: We want to make digital transformation safe and simple for companies; for this purpose, we build data highways and ensure that they are safe to travel on with cyber security solutions. In addition, we help customers gain easy and secure access to the cloud world. This requires our efficient Security Operation Center SOC, the heart of cyber security, which continuously monitors the cyber landscape.
Wirtschaftsforum: Conscia primarily works in Germany for the SME sector, focusing on healthcare and public services. Has the issue of IT security reached here?
Sven Heinsen: Every IT decision-maker knows today that cybercrime is a real threat. Nonetheless, they often try to achieve security in the most cost-effective way possible. In the case of a simple solution for a complex security problem, unfortunately, crucial elements are neglected.
Wirtschaftsforum: What topics and plans will occupy Conscia in the future?
Sven Heinsen: AI is a major issue. It will be integrated into all services and platforms that we provide to customers. Self-learning security systems are useful as they can quickly adapt to new threats and increase security – provided that they are deployed correctly. Furthermore, AI will play a significant role in the context of skills shortages. Although our industry alone lacks 150,000 IT specialists per year, we aim to grow organically and through acquisitions over the next five years to become Europe's leading company for cybersecurity and IT services. With the Network of Knowledge, we have the optimal corporate architecture for this. We will continue to work on establishing a culture that encourages people to build and share knowledge. In this context, we hope that there will be more digital motivators in Germany in the future, supported and promoted by politics, society, and the business community. People who give valuable impulses to the digital transformation should be given a stage to talk about it. This is a personal matter of the heart.