"We're going wireless!"
Interview with Jan-Erik Kunze, founder and managing director of IK Elektronik GmbH
Under the motto 'Make it wireless', IK Elektronik GmbH from Vogtland has been developing and manufacturing customized radio electronics components for various fields of application - from smart home to medical technology - for almost 30 years. Founder and managing director Jan-Erik Kunze talked to Wirtschaftsforum about his current innovations, among other things.
Wirtschaftsforum: Mr. Kunze, since 1996 you have been developing and manufacturing components for wireless data transmission with IK Elektronik for a variety of applications – in the process, what are the main areas of focus for your business activities?
Jan-Erik Kunze: We act purely as a service provider in the market and see our development and manufacturing activities as two separate processes, which we let our customers specify individually. In many cases, we dedicate ourselves to applications that do not primarily deal with radio technology, but where this technology is to be used to transmit data from A to B – for instance, in building technology: from remote control of shutters and lighting and heating systems to IoT connections for smart homes. Also, the recording of consumption data for utility billing can be specifically implemented via our radio systems. In industrial technology, sensor data about machine states is currently being captured with our modules, while in the care sector, for example, they are used in emergency call buttons for people in need of care.
Wirtschaftsforum: What innovations are you currently working on?
Jan-Erik Kunze: Fundamentally, every new product from our customers in which we are involved is associated with a considerable amount of thought and development effort. Especially through the connection to the cloud, many new fields of application are emerging. At the same time, the components are becoming smaller, finer, and more delicate, which increasingly challenges our grown expertise. Last year, for example, we contributed to a remotely maintainable smoke detector whose annual inspection can now be carried out entirely via the installed sensors, saving property management a lot of time and money. We also see great potential in the energy sector – after all, a lot of new control and regulation technology is needed to upgrade the network infrastructure for renewable energies, for example, to represent dynamic electricity tariffs.
Wirtschaftsforum: How are your manufacturing structures currently set up?
Jan-Erik Kunze: Fundamentally, IK Elektronik is characterized by a very high production depth: we can easily equip circuit boards, coat them, and process them manually. At the same time, we impress with a great flexibility in terms of volume sold: for certain sensors for specific machine tools we might produce only about 20 pieces per year - whereas for small radio modules for transmitters in common radiator distributors we produce several hundred thousand units in the same period. Meanwhile, in our own prototype construction center, we can also produce first components for a new product on a trial basis without having to initiate a complex manufacturing process.
Wirtschaftsforum: You founded IK Elektronik nearly 30 years ago - what might be the most important lesson you have learned as a CEO during this time?
Jan-Erik Kunze: I was very fortunate to be able to turn my passion for electronics into a profession. Today, our company employs a total of 50 people and we have been able to consistently focus on stable growth over three decades, which pleases me greatly. Creating a company environment where passion and expertise consistently come together was certainly the steepest learning curve I had as a CEO - especially given my strong tech-driven background. Today, my drive is to continue to provide a stable future for all those who have shown me this confidence.