Bilfinger Magazine 01.2013

BILFINGER

magazine

METAMORPHOSIS | 8Bilfinger’s transformation to an engineering and services group

THE DUPLICATED PROFESSOR | 22 A Danish scientist and his robot double

THE SELF-MODEL | 32 Is our identity more than mere fantasy?

WHAT MAKES US UNIQUE

01.2013

ENGINEERINGAND SERVICES

“It’s raining cats and dogs,” remarked spectatorswatching breathless celebrity chef Jamie Oliver car-rying the Olympic flame a couple of miles throughtorrential downpour in Essex on July 7, 2012. A totalof 8,000 torch bearers took part in the relay throughthe United Kingdom, where even the foulest ofweather conditions could not extinguish the flame.It had undergone extensive testing at BMW’s climat-ic wind tunnel. The test facility in Munich was built

by Bilfinger and enables any weather conditions to be simulated true to reality — with the exceptionof white water. The flame was initially unable towithstand the spray at the Lee Valley White WaterCentre and had to be relit. On the second attempt,the rafting team around 20-year-old torch bearerZachary Franklin carried the flame through theOlympic course without extinguishing it — a triumphof British sporting spirit!

BRITISH SPORTING SPIRIT

2BILFINGERMAGAZINE01.2013

WE MAKE IT WORK3

Phot

osp

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CONTENTS EDITORIAL

8The newBilfingerThe construction compa-

ny has transformed itself

into a global engineering

and services group —

a fact that is not widely

known. That is about to

change.

20Interview:Roland KochWhere does Bilfinger

stand today and where is

it headed in the future?

An entirely new kind of

company will be created,

says the CEO.

22The professor’sdoppelgängerHenrik Schärfe had a

robot built that looks

exactly like him. In

Aalborg, Denmark he is

researching how people

react to his mechanical

double.

28Back to the futureAccording to the Aymara

people, time runs from

the future into the past.

This makes them differ-

ent from the rest of the

world.

32I think, therefore… am I?Our identity is all in the

mind, and “I” am just a

model generated by the

brain, according to

Mainz-based philosophy

profes sor Thomas

Metzinger.

38A GermanSaturdayBilfinger uses the notion

of German engineer-

ing—high-quality work

performed by diligent

staff. But are Germans

really so industrious?

44RememberingJulius BergerJulius Berger founded

one of Bilfinger’s three

predecessor companies.

He and his wife lost their

lives in the Theresien-

stadt concentration

camp.

48Success with familyCompanies have to

become more family-

friendly to stay competi-

tive. A guest article by

politician and entrepre-

neur Gisela Erler.

2WE MAKE IT WORKOlympic torch relay

6KALEIDOSCOPEIdentity

26COMPLEMENTARYFire and flame

34EUREKA!Solutions from Bilfinger

37WHAT EXACTLY IS... a long-run pig?

46

BILFINGER NEWSFrom the company

50INSIDE STORY Karen Schenkelberg

Over the next few months you'll be sur-

prised to see just how many people are

wearing the new Bilfinger logo on their

work clothes. These people will be employ-

ees at hospitals and power plants, at

schools and industrial facilities. They all

form part of our company, the identity

of which is shaped through interaction

among a wide range of skills and expertise.

Whenever I visit the various business units,

I never cease to be amazed by the wealth

of knowledge, and how that knowledge is

supplemented by our employees’ specialist

know-how. With our new brand strategy,

we want to highlight the enormous poten-

tial inherent within this diversity. “We

make it work” is therefore our core client

promise.

Yours truly,

DEAR READER,

Roland Koch

Chief Executive Officer of Bilfinger SE

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44

38

48

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KALEIDOSCOPE IDENTITY

WWW.EXACTITUDES.COM

INDIVIDUALIST?So you think you’re unique? You might want to take a look at the website created by AriVersluis and Ellie Uyttenbroek. The photo-graphic artists find their models on the streetsof Rotterdam and other European cities—people who at least on the surface are less an “I” than a “we.” The project is called“Exactitudes,” a term created from the words“exact” and “attitude.” In hundreds of tableaus,each containing twelve portraits, the photo -graphers reveal people’s desire to be uniqueand set themselves apart, while at the sametime documenting the need to belong to a group.

CRAZY about Erika

THE REUNION A man who hadn’t seen Mr. K. for a long time greetedhim with the words: “You haven’t changed a bit.” “Oh!” said Mr. K., turning pale.Parable by Bertolt Brecht

(2) Green eyes, 160 cm tall, Erika Mustermann, née

Gabler. This young woman became a cult figure

when the German federal government introduced a

new personal identification card in 1982. Countless

requests for a date and marriage proposals arrived at

the federal printing office that published a sample of

the new document but, alas, in vain. The authority,

which had photographed an employee to save on

costs, issued an information embargo.

(1) BRAZIL: The blue sphere represents the sky

above Rio de Janeiro on November 15, 1889, the

day when the empire became a republic. The

stars symbolize the federal states committed to

the maxim “ordem e progresso” (order and

progress). ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA: The

Caribbean state was looking for a new flag in

1966 and organized a call for tenders. This design

won the 500 dollar prize money: The black repre-

sents the African forefathers of the Caribbean

state and red their strength. The sun is rising

above the sea on the white beach. PALAU: The

moon is shining above the blue of the Pacific

Ocean. There is a tradition of felling trees, building

boats and celebrating when there is a full moon

on the island state with just 20,000 inhabitants.

BHUTAN: Saffron yellow is the color of the king,

and orange-red represents the power of Buddhism.

The thunder often heard in the Himalayas is

attributed to the white dragon, the national symbol.

He holds jewels—representing the nation’s per-

fection—in his claws.

SHOWING ONE’S COLORS Flags reflect the way countries see themselves

1

2

“Ich im Dialog” a work by Jan van Munster at the Zentrum für Internationale Lichtkunst (Center for International Light Art) in Unna.

The “I” perspective “I think, therefore I am,” declared René

Descartes. The “I” form, the basis of

the search for all knowledge and sense

of identity, in various languages:

I Bavarian

Jeg Danish

I English

Je French

Io Italian

Ick East Frisian

Ja Polish

Yo Spanish

Én Hungarian

Ég Icelandic

minä Finnish

Ego Latin

Jeg Norwegian

Jag Swedish

Já Czech

Ik Dutch

εγώ Greek

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llie

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9


THE NEW BILFINGERBilfinger has assembled over 300 individual brands under its umbrella over the past tenyears. The fact that the former construction company has long established itself as aglobal engineering and services group is not widely known. That is about to change asBilfinger is rebranding itself—and all of its subsidiaries.

1880

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pany

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1886

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n OH

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1890

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lius

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pany

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un &

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1895

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lius

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HG in

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mbe

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1900

11


Larissa Wächter, 46, loves her job as a cook at the

“Haus am Frankenberg” residence for senior citizens

in Hamburg. She does not stick to a strict set of menus.

She instead keeps lists of the 250 residents’ favorite

dishes. “We serve them their favorite meals on their

birthday, even if it’s asparagus in January.” Larissa

Wächter works at Bilfinger Facility Services. The fact

that there are companies which provide care services

for the elderly in the Group still often comes as a

surprise to the media and the general public. Many

newspapers continue to persistently refer to the “con-

struction group” when reporting on Bilfinger.

The company nonetheless now generates 80% of its

revenues through services outside the construction

business. Bilfinger delivers saltwater desalination

technology in the Arabian Gulf, maintains oil platforms

in the North Sea, converts coal power stations to cli-

mate-neutral wood-fired plants in Belgium, operates

hospitals and schools in Canada and the United

Kingdom and manages all of Deutsche Bank’s 1,300

properties in Germany—and those are just a few of

its activities. The “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung”

calls the company’s broad range of services “globally

unique.” The one-time construction company has

transformed itself into a globally active engineering

and services group.

This transformation was triggered by the prolonged

downturn that appeared once the construction boom

WE CREATECREATIVE WORK: Larissa Wächter does

not stick to a strict set of menus. She

instead chooses dishes that ensure nurs-

ing home residents feel at home.

1900

1905

Re

nam

ed J

uliu

s Be

rger

Tie

fbau

AG

1906

Re

nam

ed G

run &

Bilf

inge

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1910

Re

loca

tion

of J

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rger

Tie

fbau

AG

to B

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1912

IP

O of

Grun &

Bilf

inge

r

1920

1930

1940

1948

Re

loca

tion

of J

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s Be

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AG

to W

iesb

aden

13


associated with German reunification had ended. The

construction industry had collapsed in the mid-1990s.

Bilfinger responded by pursuing a strategy of further

internationalization. It also focused on new business

segments that would enable the Group to broaden its

spectrum of expertise as it sought to put together serv-

ice packages that extended far beyond construction.

The Group consequently acquired proud companies

with their own identities. In 2002 it took over the in-

dustrial insulation specialist Rheinhold & Mahla and

the Holzmann subsidiary HSG, which specializes in

facility management and the power plant service

provider Babcock Borsig Service in 2005. These three

major subsidiaries—all with numerous international

subsidiaries of their own—formed the nucleus of the

current engineering and services group which gener-

ates its income with the maintenance and repair of

industrial plants, power stations and real estate.

SHARPER PROFILEThe Group most recently comprised around 300 indi-

vidual brands, which meant that even employees

were no longer able to keep track. Stories are often

told of how colleagues from different units would

meet on large-scale projects and be unaware that

they belong to the same company. In future,

“Bilfinger” will appear in the name of all subsidiaries

and they will share a common logo, which will clear

up any confusion internally and raise the Group’s

profile with the outside world. “Everything belonging

to Bilfinger will also be called Bilfinger in future. Lots

of people will be astonished at how many places the

WE CARE

Executive Board members Roland Koch, Joachim Enenkel

and Joachim Müller with mayor of Mannheim Peter Kurz

(second from left) unveiling the new logo on the roof of the

company’s headquarters.

1950

1951

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loca

tion

of B

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isch

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Gese

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aft t

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ldor

f

1954

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nam

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nd B

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Baub

oag)

1960

1969

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erge

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AG

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to fo

rm J

uliu

s Be

rger

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1970

Gr

un &

Bilf

inge

r AG

take

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ajor

ity h

oldi

ng in

Jul

ius

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1975

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erge

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run &

Bilf

inge

r AG

with

Jul

ius

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er-B

aubo

ag A

G to

form

Bilf

inge

r + B

erge

r Bau

aktie

nges

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chaf

t

1978

Ac

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ition

of 5

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f Fru

Con

sha

res

1980

1984

Ta

keov

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f all

Fru

Con

shar

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1990

1993

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ition

of B

auld

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Horn

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2000

15


logo will be cropping up,” commented Roland Koch,

Chief Executive Officer of the company.

TAILORED SOLUTIONSThe company is undergoing extensive changes inter-

nally as well as externally. This is reflected in the

BEST program (“Bilfinger Escalates Strength”), which

aims to drive forward the integration process in the

Group. The individual companies worldwide will

work together more closely “for the benefit of our

customers,” emphasized Roland Koch. In future, cus-

tomers will be able to obtain all Group services from

a single source, tailored to their requirements and al-

most anywhere in the world. Employees from various

business segments and countries will attend courses

together at the new “Bilfinger Academy,” and there

will be intranet platforms to exchange information

on invitations to tender and orders. Regional repre-

sentatives are already at work; they monitor local

markets and share their knowledge with everyone in

the Group.

Christian Heilmeier is one such employee who has

long focused on the bigger picture. The construction

engineer manages a Bilfinger Construction branch in

Passau, Bavaria. With a 100-strong workforce, he builds

power plants and factories for customers such as E.on,

Infineon and Osram. When he discovered that Munich-

based Wacker Chemie was planning to build a plant

in the US, he put the chemical group in touch with a

US company in the Bilfinger Group. “It doesn’t matter

whether it’s a customer from my corporate unit or

someone else’s. We all represent Bilfinger,” Heilmeier

explains. That is the beauty of a global company—

customers are assigned a contact partner precisely

where and in the specific segment they require. |

WE CAN

IN THE INTERESTS OF THE CUSTOMER

AND COMPANY: Christian Heilmeier

put Wacker Chemie from Munich in touch

with a Bilfinger company in the US.

Text BERND HAUSER

2001

Re

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ger B

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r AG

2002

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of W

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la

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2003

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oup

2004

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17


Mr. Wünsche, you advised and accompaniedBilfinger on its repositioning. Can a new imagesimply be slapped on to a company? No, that can’t be done. A new corporate brand only has a chance of succeeding if it is in line with the culture andself-perception of the workforce.

Bilfinger consists of 300 individual companies—how do you find a common culture there?We conducted a survey that over 1,000 employees tookpart in. We also held workshops with managerial personneland interviewed the top management. We spoke with lotsof people in the Group and asked them what values theyassociate with their company.

What was the outcome?The results were astonishing. A number of very clear iden-tity features emerged from our interviews. The diverseviewpoints of the workforce were summarized into threevalues: We create. We care. We can.

What are they intended to express?“We create” represents the role of engineers who find cre-ative technical solutions to complex issues. “We care” re-flects Bilfinger’s very strong service-oriented mindset. “Wecan” indicates the company’s down-to-earth approach andreliable performance.

Is that how employees see themselves?Precisely. The workforce is self-assured and extremely pos-itive. This is a major asset for the company. Bilfinger’s newbrand promise — “we make it work” — which features inthe advertising campaign, is also based on this self-per-ception. The challenge was finding a single maxim withwhich all employees in the highly diverse business seg-ments could associate.

Is “we make it work” Bilfinger’s new core value? Yes, it’s a universal promise. Whether it is refineries, pow-er plants, real estate or transport projects, clients can restassured that Bilfinger will make their systems and infra-structure work.

What surprised you most when you becamemore familiar with Bilfinger? No other company I know so consistently brings togetherengineering qualities, customer orientation and sophisti-cated services. I still find that a particularly exciting busi-ness model.

CHRISTOPHER WÜNSCHE, 48, is managing partner at

KorzerWünsche, a marketing and communication consultancy.

WEMAKE

HAYDNWORK

Uwe Esche arbeitet bei Bilfinger. Er sorgt in der Alten Oper in Frankfurt dafür, dass im Bereich der Technik alles erfolgreich über die Bühne geht. Bilfinger verantwortet dort das technische und

infrastrukturelle Gebäudemanagement: Wir kümmern uns darum, dass sich der Intendant und seine Mitarbeiter auf das Wesentliche konzentrieren können – die Musik. www.bilfinger.com

“WE MAKE IT WORK”:

Bilfinger’s brand promise.

EMPLOYEES ARE THE POWER BEHIND THE BRANDInterview with “brand whisperer”Christopher Wünsche

WORKSHOP WITH MANAGERS:

What are the company’s characteristic features?

2007

Ac

quis

ition

of O

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g Ac

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of t

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2008

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2013

19

18BILFINGERMAGAZINE01.2013 In 1858, astronomer August Ferdinand Möbius

took a strip of paper and glued it together to form a ring, but before he glued it, he turned oneend of the strip 180°. The result was an objectthat had no top and no bottom — an object thathad but one edge and one side. Artists such asM. C. Escher were fascinated by this shape. Oneof his many drawings inspired by Möbius showswater flowing back into itself.

Engineers applied the principle to belt drives,giving them a design that wears more evenly. Audio tapes configured in this way can play backrecordings in infinite loops. Mathematicians, how-ever, were faced with a puzzle. Möbius had failedto produce an equation. The exact mathematicalformula for the band named after him was not dis-covered until 2007 by scientists in London.

What you get if you take a strip of paper, tie it in a bow and twist one of the ends 180° beforeattaching it to the other end is a three-dimension-al sculpture that has only one side and one edge:a variation of the classical Möbius band and thebasic form of the new Bilfinger loop.

“A vibrant design based on a complex mathe-matical formula” — designer Vit Steinberger ofKorzerWunsche believes this is the perfect symbolfor Bilfinger. He and his team spent weeks work-ing on over a hundred drawings containing variousversions of the loop. Together with the Bilfingerlettering, it now forms the Group’s new logo. The interlinking design in traditional Bilfingerblue and the new dynamic green symbolizethe combination of engineering flair and serv -ice mentality and reflect the inner unity ofthe Group’s activities, which are inextricablylinked in a single lifecycle. |LO

GO!

Text PAUL LAMPE

21


INTERVIEW ROLAND KOCH

Mr. Koch, what is Bilfinger’s identity?

We are a new kind of company. Bilfin-

ger combines engineering and service

competence like no other company in

the world. Take a power plant for in-

stance. We can supply the boiler, the

piping technology or the denitrification

systems. But we can also provide the

maintenance services, conduct safety

training with staff and cater for them

in the staff restaurant. We can even

finance the power plant. Because all

these competencies are interconnected,

we have an answer to virtually any

question that a client might raise.

Please explain to us again why allthe companies in the Bilfinger Groupare being renamed? A company’s size and its reputation are

very important when it comes to com-

peting for orders. It’s very difficult to

convey the fact that we are a large

group with a broad range of services

if we present ourselves under dozens

of different names. A single name will

make our job easier.

Bilfinger is regarded as a man’sworld. When will the first woman besitting on the Executive Board?We want to see diversity in our ranks.

Our aim is to turn the male-dominated

German business from the last century

into a cosmopolitan company that is em-

braced by men and women alike. It isn’t

something we can achieve overnight,

but it’s something we’re working on.

In Germany there’s a great deal ofcompetition to recruit the best staff.Do you have any worries aboutrecruiting young talent?We’re privileged in that respect. We

have such a good image that lots of

people want to work for us. Nonethe-

less, we are focusing on some issues

that are new to us, such as work-life

balance. We are continuing to extend

the range of flextime options so that

our staff finds it easier to reconcile the

demands of work and family life. That

would also seem to me to be a crucial

element in ensuring that we attract

more women to our company over the

medium term.

You are looking at new issues, in -cluding the recent publication of asustainability report. Is that morethan just window-dressing?Bilfinger has long been a company

that, with its knowledge and expertise,

makes a contribution to environmental

protection. Energy efficiency and re-

source conservation are fundamental

aspects of our core business. But per-

haps we failed to spread the word suffi-

ciently in the past. The Sustainability

Report provides us with an opportunity

to publicize what we’re doing—not just

in terms of resource conservation, but

how we as a company meet our overall

responsibility for the future. We intend

to continue down this path and also ta-

ke our clients along with us.

Does that mean you want to imposesustainability on your customers?No, but there is certainly a need for ac-

tion, also with a view to cost-effective-

ness. Many customers are looking for

partners that are familiar with the issue,

from procuring green energy through

sustainable building materials to decen-

tralized power generation. We can do all

of that. In 2012 we appointed a Corporate

Officer for Sustainability Projects, Albert

Filbert. He is one of Germany’s most pro-

minent energy managers and will help

us to make sure our clients are aware of

this important offering.

As a politician, your focus was onsociety in general. What are yourmost pressing concerns as a CEO?If the Executive Board doesn’t perform

well, the future prospects of the people

associated with the company become

dimmer. The head of a company should

therefore first and foremost look after

his own work force. But also the pro-

ducts and services that we offer make

the world a better or worse place. What

happens in a large company like Bilfin-

ger is not without consequences for so-

ciety in general. In that respect, I’m

very well aware of my responsibility.

Do you already have a formula thatwill help Bilfinger deal with the eco-nomic crisis? The situation regarding orders received

is very encouraging. Nonetheless, the

economic situation is causing our

clients to initiate cost-cutting programs

that have a knock on effect on our busi-

nesses. That will dominate the next

few years. Our task will be to work so

well, so creatively and efficiently that

our earnings grow despite these chal-

lenges, while continuing to optimally

meet our clients’ expectations.

A NEW KINDOF COMPANY

Bilfinger is moving into the 21st century.What topics are on the agenda? An interview with Chief Executive OfficerRoland Koch.

Interview USCHI ENTENMANN


THE PROFESSOR’SDOPPELGÄNGER Robots that look almost identical to humans have been populating the filmworld for decades. They have, however, only achieved limited success inreal life. Henrik Schärfe believes that this is about to change.

23

Text CLEMENS BOMSDORF | Photos RICKY JOHN MOLLOY, HENRIK SORENSEN

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Something’s not quite right about this professor. His eyes

have a strange gloss to them. He sits stiff as a statue in his office

and remains seated behind his desk even when visitors enter.

He blinks and says “welcome,” but there’s something irritating

about his voice. “Welcome” says a similar voice that belongs

to someone else who has just entered the room and is stretching

out his hand. “It’s great that you were able to come,” he says.

“This gentleman here is my alter ego.” The men look almost

identical at first glance—the dark-brown eyes, the slightly

graying hair and the mottled beards. Yet the skin of the seated

man seems to be very smooth, as if he were a wax figure from

Madame Tussauds.

Henrik Schärfe, 44, is a professor at the Center for Computer-

mediated Epistemology at the Aalborg University in Denmark,

where he focuses on interaction between humans and machines.

His double is called Geminoid DK and is a robot. The real Henrik

Schärfe has attracted a lot of attention in the science world.

“There are only three research projects on geminoids worldwide

and the other two are in Japan,” says Schärfe, who made it onto

Time Magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in 2012.

When he travels on speaking engagements accompanied

by his android, he likes to joke that not only can he be present in

two places at the same time, he can be absent in two places

as well. His research nevertheless deals with a number of serious

questions: How should technology be designed to make it accept-

able to people? Why are most parents horrified at the prospect

of a robot like Geminoid DK engaging with small children in

kindergarten when they have no qualms about interactive com-

puter games and talking dolls?

NOBODY REMAINS UNTOUCHEDMuch of the research is carried out in an modest office at Aal-

borg University, where test participants come face to face with

the professor’s double. During these confrontations, Schärfe sits

in the adjacent observation room and controls the robot’s facial

expressions with his own movements. His voice also comes out

of its mouth. Schärfe occasionally sits with Geminoid DK in a

restaurant or takes him along as a passenger. “Nobody who

meets him is untouched,” remarks Schärfe. “When confronted

with such a phenomenon, it’s almost impossible not to consider

questions like: Who am I really? Where’s my place in the world?

And what role do we want to assign to modern technology?”

Men are less disconcerted than women, says Schärfe, while

small children find the geminoid somewhat frightening until

they understand that it’s a machine and that it’s being con-

trolled. And while furry, life-like robot animals are popular with

children and dementia sufferers for whom they are believed to

have a therapeutic effect, people in need of care to help them

bathe, for instance, always prefer machines to human-like robots

whose presence is seen as an infringement of privacy.

You should not misunderstand him, says Schärfe. “Nobody

wants to replace humans with robots. But we’re heading into a

technological future. Robots will increasingly provide us with

support in our everyday lives and some will have a human face,

because we find it more pleasant.”

ROBOT AS CONSTANT COMPANIONThe professor, who has three sons himself, believes the time will

come when robots are developed to look after children: “I’ve

tackled 3rd grade math three times and would have been thank-

ful if there had been a robot around to help me!” The geminoid

might even replace the “taxi mom”. “We already put our faith in

navigation systems. So why shouldn’t we trust robots to pick our

children up from school? I wouldn’t have any reservations about

that.” When one considers how quickly children familiarize

themselves with technology, it’s conceivable that they could de-

velop a form of friendship with the machines, in the same way

that their iPads and iPhones are their constant companions

these days.

“The technology will be so advanced in the coming decades

that it won’t just be the head, eyes and a few facial muscles that

can move. Geminoids will walk down the street and, from a dis-

tance, people won’t recognize that it’s not a human.” |

>“WE ALREADY PUT OUR FAITH INNAVIGATION SYSTEMS. SO WHY SHOULDN’T WE TRUSTROBOTS TO PICK OUR CHILDRENUP FROM SCHOOL?”

WWW.GEMINOID.DK

27


COMPLEMENTARY

FIRE ANDFLAME

Kurt FriderichOver the years, 53-year-old Kurt Friderichhas welcomed firefighting crews from theNetherlands, Israel, Macau and Taipei toZofingen in Switzerland. Each year, he pro-vides training for around 5,000 firefightersfrom all over the world at the BilfingerIndustrial Services’ Chemical Defense andFirefighter Academy. In Zofingen, they learnmore than how to extinguish fires—theylearn to consider the consequential damageof their own intervention, as water for fire-fighting contaminated with chemicals canseep into the ground and wastewater treat-ment plants, causing considerable damage.“In many instances, fires can be simplyencapsulated. We create a kind of curtainwith a precisely measured volume of waterbehind which the fire can burn out withoutcausing further damage,” Friderich explains.

Jitesh PatelJitesh Patel, 47, a project director at BilfingerProject Investments, knows how to respond tohis customers and does it well. This is how heand his team secured the order for a complete-ly new kind of project in the English county ofStaffor d shire. The aim was to build fire stationsthat did not look like oversized garages butwhich would instead become a focal point ofthe community. Ten new fire stations have nowbeen built—all operated by Bil fin ger. Theyhave gyms, which can be used by firefightersand local residents, and community facilitieswhere groups and associations meet. “Visitorscan watch the fire crews jumping into theirengines in an emergency through viewing galleries designed specifically for that purpose.This affords visitors to the buildings a greatopportunity to see how emergency servicesreally operate,” says Jitesh Patel.

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BACK TO

THEFUTURE

Arduously, almost as if in slow motion,

Silverino Emamani paddles through the

reeds. In front of him lies Compi, a village

of just 50 small dwellings, a church and a

cemetery. Behind him, in the direction of

travel, is the vast expanse of Lake Titicaca.

On the shore, in the tiny fields, women are

digging potatoes from the earth with short-

handled hoes. The sun is intense, but does

not provide warmth. According to today’s

paper, you could withstand up to fourteen

minutes of exposure to its UV radiation in

Bolivia’s high plateau without any harmful

effects. Emamani, a fisherman, is in the sun

all day long. Time passes differently for him.

If you ask Emamani about the future, he

refers to it in his native tongue as “quipa

pacha,” the literal translation of which is

“time behind us.” When talking about the

past, he uses the term “nayra pacha,” which

means “time ahead of us.” Whenever men-

tioning the past, he intuitively points forward.

Almost all cultures believe that time is linear,

leading from the past into the future. But not the Aymara.

This people in the high plateau of the Andesbelieves the future is behind us.

Text TONI KEPPELER | Photos LUKAS COCH

Potatoes are treasured by the Aymara.

A farmer at Lake Titicaca brings the harvest home.

No other capital city in the world is as high as

La Paz in Bolivia at 3,600 meters above sea level.

29

31


If asked about the future, he makes a ges-

ture behind him, over his shoulder.

Compi is a village where only the Ay-

mara live, the indigenous people of Boli -

via’s high plateau who number just over

two million. When the Aymara look for-

ward, they see something completely dif-

ferent than all other known peoples of the

world. For almost all other cultures it is

self-evident that they come from the past

and are heading into the future. For the

Aymara, the opposite is true. They believe

that the future is behind them. Over their

shoulders. Where they have no eyes. They

cannot see it, and are not aware of it. But

the past stretches out ahead of them. They

are familiar with it and are certain that it

has existed. It is proven. Everyone can see

it. It is open, right before their eyes.

TWO TIME MODELS Most people use two basic models when

contemplating time. In one, the subject

moves linearly from the past into the fu-

ture. Idioms like “we are approaching the

end of the year” make use of this model. In

another model, we remain static and time

moves towards us—“the end of the year

is drawing nearer.” Both models have one

thing in common: the future lies ahead

of us and the past behind us. The Aymara

have difficulty conceiving that such per-

ceptions are normal.

AH YES, THE FUTURE Jorge Miranda, Head of Indian Affairs at

the Ministry of Justice, knows what it

means to think like an Aymara. After all,

he is one himself, and is in fact a Yatichiri

—a wise man who teaches the secrets of

life. He has tied his shoulder-length, jet-

black hair into a pony tail. “Everything we

know for certain lies in the past,” he ex-

plains with a glint in his eye. He draws

large circles on a sheet of paper: “That’s

the wealth of the past. But we live in the

present,” he explains, drawing a small

‘x’ beside the circles: this is the present.

“For every decision we make, we use our

knowledge from the past.” He connects the

circles and the small ‘x’ with an arrow, the

wealth of the past with the present. “Our

knowledge from the past exists in every-

thing we do in the present,” he points out.

“The present is continual change with an

eye to the past. And the present becomes

the past almost as soon as it has been ex-

perienced.” He draws an arrow back from

the ’x’ to the circles—what has just been

experienced now belongs to the wealth of

the past, which can be drawn upon as ex-

perience in the new moment of the pres-

ent. But where is the future in this way of

thinking? “Ah yes, the future,” says Miran-

da, making a typically Aymara gesture

over his shoulder. “Nobody has ever seen

it. The future is moot.”

Because they do not think of the future,

the Aymara are unable to govern, claims

the white minority, which ruled Bolivia

since the nation’s existence. Until the mid-

dle of the last century, the Indian majority

had no voting rights in elections. In 2006

Evo Morales became the first Aymara to

be elected president. The fair-skinned up-

per class often criticizes the indigenous

people and the president for being inca-

pable of planning and drifting aimlessly

through history.

IN THE GREY AREA “Absolute nonsense,” says Iván Guzmán de

Rojas, who belongs to the nation’s white

upper class. With his tangled grey hair

and eagle-eyed gaze, he looks like a cross

between Sigmund Freud and Albert Ein-

stein. Guzmán de Rojas is a mathemati-

cian by profession. In the 1960s he worked

on the development of a trivalent comput-

er, a system that does more than just dis-

tinguish between 0 and 1, and which cate-

gorizes everything as true or false based

on this logic. The trivalent computer

sought to understand the entire spectrum

of greater or lesser certainty found be-

tween these two extremes and draw

accurate conclusions from this grey area.

The research project was abandoned be-

fore such a system was produced. The

mathematician nevertheless came to

comprehend why his compatriots had

never really understood the Aymara peo-

ple. They think like the computer in the

project: trivalent.

Guzmán de Rojas sat down and wrote

a hefty tome on this subject. It is full of

mathematical formulas and illustrations

interspersed with complex example sen-

tences from the Aymara language. When

the Aymara make a statement, they indi-

cate the source. Did they themselves see

or experience something? Or had they

been told it? By who? How reliable was

this? A statement is more or less certain

depending on how the source of knowl-

edge concerned is rated. True and false

are just two of an infinite number of pos-

sibilities. And only what has actually been

seen with one’s own eyes is true. Aymara

are used to living with what European-

minded people would consider vague in-

formation from childhood onward, and

are capable of doing what only probability

mathematicians and chaos theorists can

otherwise achieve: They draw extremely

accurate conclusions for their daily lives

from these uncertain conditions.

STATE OF UNCERTAINTY Once this people’s particular logic has

been understood, says Guzmán de Rojas,

everything becomes very simple. “For an

Aymara, there’s not just yes or no. There is

a constant fluctuation between them.”

Those who can only see the past and do

not wish to plan the future need this state

of uncertainty, open-endedness or the ei-

ther-or. Only then can they proceed, weigh

the alternatives and test them in order

to reject the bad and retain the good.

“Aymara can perform what we would con-

sider to be a sharp about-face without

feeling they have become entangled in

logical contradictions,” he adds.

LEARNING FROM THE PAST They have achieved a great deal by apply-

ing this method. The region surrounding

Lake Titicaca is regarded as the birthplace

of the potato. The Aymara have been culti-

vating this crop for millennia. They have

experimented, crossbred and refined it,

and around 3,000 varieties exist today.

The women in the fields around Compi

harvest black, brown, yellow, orange-

colored and even violet tubers from the

ground. Each variety tastes different.

When the Spanish and later the English

came to America, they took a few plants

back to the Old World. For a long time,

the potato was only used here as an orna-

mental plant in the gardens of dukes and

bishops. It took generations before the

Europeans understood that the plant’s

tubers were edible. Had they considered

the potato’s past, they would have discov-

ered this much more quickly. |

“NOBODY HASEVER SEEN IT.THE FUTURE ISMOOT.”

>

A statue dedicated to Eduardo Avaroa, a descendant

of Spaniards and a 19th century Bolivian war hero,

points to the left. The Aymara children in front of it

are going in the opposite direction.

33


INTERVIEW THOMAS METZINGER

I THINK, THEREFORE ... AM I?

Mr. Metzinger, do I exist or not? Thomas Metzinger (smiles): Of course

you exist. But I assume what you are al-

luding to is my theory that the “I” as an

autonomous self does not exist. Brain

research proves that our entire subjective

experience is based solely on neuronal

processes in our brains. The conscious

self is something the body construes to

understand itself.

The body construes my “self”?Exactly. It feels as though there is a little

man sitting behind the eyes looking out

into the world. The body, a mass in space,

delimits him externally which is what we

identify with. The basic feeling that our

brain conveys to us is that of being some-

one.

But I think and feel—are you sayingthat has nothing to do with me? There is a famous experiment. If a test

participant looks at an artificial hand, a

stuffed rubber glove, on a table, while his

own hand is covered alongside it and

both are repeatedly stroked in the same

way with a small rod, the artificial hand

will be perceived as the test participant’s

own after a while. The hand is artificial

but it feels as though it is mine, a natural

part of my “self.”

That means I cannot be certain of my perception of myself as a realperson or the outside world? That’sunnerving.Yes, some people find this alarming. The

brain translates perceptions into a sub-

jective consciousness. When I say “I”—

“I’ve cut myself,” “I’m a philosopher” or “I

want a coffee”—I’m referring to the con-

tent of a self-model created in the brain.

Then I could simply say to myselftomorrow: “I’m going to wake up andcreate a fantastic model of myself.” Unfortunately not. Our brain construes a

highly complex and constantly changing

model of reality in milliseconds. It con-

sists of our physical perceptions, memo-

ries, feelings and desires. When you look

forward to breakfast, you have the feeling

that you are this “self” that is eagerly an-

ticipating something. However, this an-

ticipation is essentially part of a highly

selective, neuronal brain construction

that we deem to be our “self” because we

cannot experience it as a model. The

process is simply too fast.

And why is this significant?Firstly, the fact that the “self” is the con-

tent of a process that has developed over

millions of years of evolution from a sim-

ple animal organism, which perceives the

limitations of its body, to humans able to

discover, express and resolve problems,

represents major advancement in knowl-

edge. Gaining a more accurate under-

standing of our position as players in a

world perceived by us subjectively and

comprehending that other people proceed

through life with the same sense of self

provides an extremely valuable insight.

Does my brain develop the “I” modelalone or does the environment andsociety play a part?Many layers of the human self-model are

shaped by external factors. This begins at

a very young age when small children,

for example, imitate their parents or learn

what is right and wrong. The opinion one

has of oneself also depends on the socie-

ty in which one lives. If lots of people

make it clear to us that we are of little

importance, our self-model becomes a

poor one.

My “I” belongs to me—do groupshave a “we”? Social groups have always developed

self-models. Tribal doctrines, popular

beliefs, religions and forms of political or-

ganization can create strong group coher-

ence. This can be dangerous as German

history has taught us. However, individu-

als can also draw strength and reassur-

ance, which supports and makes them

stronger, from a sense of “we” where the

“I” feels part of a greater whole.

Could this also be applied to companies?You mean “corporate identity.” If employ-

ees identify with their company then it

becomes part of their self-model. That is

very dangerous unless their own desires

and interests are in return clearly reflect-

ed in company policy — the “adoption”

must work both ways.

Interview PAUL LAMPE

Neurophilosopher Thomas Metzinger believes our identity, the “I,” is just a figment of our imagination.

BOOK TIP:

Thomas Metzinger, The Ego Tunnel:

The Science of the Mind and the Myth of the Self.

Basic Books, 2009

Photos plainpicture/fStop, private

35


EUREKA! SOLUTIONS FROM BILFINGER

ELECTRICITY FROMEXHAUST GASIn the past, emissions from power stations were merely decontaminated. Today, they are a source of energy.In the 1960s, factory and powerstation smokestacks were builttaller in order to minimize the im-pact on the people living aroundthem: evidence of early environ-mental awareness. But because theeffect of taller smokestacks was tospread sulfur and nitrogen oxidesover a wider area, the benefit tothe environment was questionable.A solution arrived in the form ofnew flue-gas purification technolo-gies, which since then have be-come increasingly sophisticated.Toxic nitrogen oxides are brokendown and split into nitrogen andwater vapor. Soot particles arecharged electrostatically and col-lected in a filter. A calcium solutionis used to split sulfur dioxide andconvert it into gypsum for use inthe construction industry.

The latter process, calleddesulfurization, is a specialty ofBilfinger Power Systems and canrender almost 100 percent of thesulfur dioxide that results fromburning coal harmless. It is com-plemented by the “Powerise” sys-tem, which feeds the heat gener-ated by the process back into thecycle, further reducing CO2 emis-sions.

In the 670 megawatt R Block at the Boxberg lignite-fired powerstation in Saxony, 35 megawattsof thermal energy are converted inthis way to 7.5 megawatts ofelectricity. At the Mehrum coal-fired power station in Lower Sax-ony, 30 megawatts of excess heat

are turned into 6.5 megawatts ofelectricity.

Powerise can improve the effi-ciency of power stations by up to1.5 percentage points. Althoughthe process was developed 30years ago, it is only now becom-ing standard throughout theworld.

A state-of-the-art system isnow operating in the Lagisza power station in Poland, while another is planned for Turow. In Finland, Powerise is used in the biomass combustion process,which may represent an importantarea in the future.

GOING UNDERGROUNDSaskPower, the Canadian utility,will also be using a system de-signed and supplied by Bilfinger at its coal-fired power station inthe province of Saskatchewanwhere, for the first time on an in-dustrial scale, CO2 will be filteredfrom flue gas, compressed andthen stored under pressure under-ground (a process known as car-bon capture and storage — CCS).

Bilfinger has already been in-volved in a similar experimentalsystem from Vattenfall in Branden-burg.

The modernized power stationblock in Saskatchewan will go into operation in 2014. The storedCO2 will be fed via a pipeline tothe Weyburn oilfield 100 kilome-ters away, where it will be used toforce oil from deep layers of rock.

SENSOR TECHNOLOGY

OPTIMIZED ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTIONA pilot study by Bilfinger has shown that Alstom cansave up to 40 percent of the electricity it uses annual-ly to light its production site in Birr in Switzerland.This optimization is made possible by modern sensortechnology and by linking the lighting to the existingbuilding technology so that its brightness can be

adjusted by zone and according to the time of day.This saving potential has impressed the Swiss FederalOffice of Energy to such an extent that it is contribut-ing approximately 40 percent towards the investmentcosts, which will have paid for itself in around threeand a half years.

WEAR AND TEAR

SMOOTH OPERATOR

What is the exact point at which a worn partshould be replaced? When is it neither toosoon nor too late? Erich Meyer, a senior engi-neer at Bilfinger Industrial Services in Linz, hasbeen examining this issue and has made the“Vibra Check” market ready. The device meas-ures vibration from transmissions and pumpsand forecasts when exactly they need to bereplaced. Meyer has also developed a condi-tion-based approach to lubricant replacement. This process analyzes whether lubricantneeds to be replaced on the customary two-year cycle or whether it might remain effec-tive significantly longer. These developmentsallow Bilfinger to offer its customers in theprocessing and manufacturing industry realsavings potential. Erich Meyer has beenawarded the “Bilfinger’s Best” employee prizefor his hard work on behalf of customers.

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37


EUREKA! SOLUTIONS FROM BILFINGER

Recently, a pig went berserk in northern Texas. It shot

out of its dark passageway, flew 150 meters into the air

and smashed through the wall of a nearby house. No-

body was injured, but the residents of the town of Grand

Prairie were dumbfounded by the pig’s power. It’s un-

clear what happened to the pig after the accident, but

it’s likely to have ended up as scrap metal—after all, this

pig was a device used to check pressure levels in gas

pipelines.

Like pneumatic dispatch systems, these moving de-

vices are deployed in pipelines and perform various jobs

on their journey. They are mostly carried along by water,

but air or gas pressure can also be used to propel them

through pipelines. Long-run pigs sometimes even cover

dozens of kilometers. So-called dumb pigs clean oil

residue from pipelines, whereas smart ones detect corro-

sion using ultrasound technology or document pipeline

routes via GPS. Some experts claim that these devices

are known as pigs because they produce a noise similar

to the grunting sound made by their cousins in the ani-

mal world, or the name may simply be an acronym

formed from “pipeline investigation gauge.”

Pigs can now plough their way through the tubes of

tiny paint spray guns, which are six millimeters in diam-

eter, or through 1.80-meter wide pipelines. Bilfinger Pip-

ing Technologies frequently uses their services. They’ve

also appeared in James Bond movies: One time, a long-

run pig smuggled a spy through the Iron Curtain during

the Cold War, another time it was a nuclear bomb. In any

case, these pigs are jacks of all trades.

Text JAN RÜBEL | Illustration SKIZZOMAT

… A LONG-RUN

PIG?

What exactly is

For years, plans to widen the A1 highway atLövenich near Cologne to six lanes were sur-rounded by controversy because some of thehouses in the town lie directly adjacent to itsroute. The noise would have been intolerablefor the occupants. A solution has now beenfound: a 30,000 m2 glass roof. One and a halfkilometers long and with a total of 20,000glass panels making up 1,500 separate mod-

ules, the enclosure rests on steel-reinforcedconcrete walls and arches over the widenedsection of the highway.

The enclosure cuts noise levels for thenearby residents by two-thirds. The structurewas built by Bilfinger Construction and thecompany will also maintain and repair it andthe associated operating and traffic manage-ment technology for a ten-year period.

GROUNDBREAKING

MAGNETS HELP TO FIND THE HIGGSPARTICLE

Researchers working with the particle accelerator at Cern in Genevahave found the long-sought Higgs particle. It was the final unknowncomponent of matter, and scientists are hailing its discovery as ground-breaking. The Higgs particle creates mass, ensuring that the basiccomponents of matter hold together and interact. The high-tech mag-nets that keep the elementary particles on track as they accelerate to-wards the speed of light in the experimental system were produced byBabcock Noell, a Bilfinger Group company. Bilfinger is also manufactur-ing and delivering 113 superconducting magnets for the FAIR (Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research) accelerator in Darmstadt.

Bilfinger Hochbau has developed a portable monitoring system that renders energyflows in buildings transparent and detects energy cost drivers. The data is capturedwith sensors, forwarded to a measuring device housed in a rigid case and analyzed.In older apartment buildings, for example, energy requirements can be cut by up to 15 percent with better boiler settings and an adjustment to the flow temperature.In 2012, the portable measuring kit was awarded the Rhine-Neckar MetropolitanRegion Innovation Prize for energy-efficiency solutions.

INNOVATION AWARD

PORTABLEMEASUREMENTTECHNOLOGY

NOISE CONTROL

GLASS ROOF REDUCES NOISE

39


Bilfinger uses the notion of “German engineering” to promote itself — high-quality work done by diligentemployees. But are the Germans really so industrious? What, for example, do they do on the weekends?Photographers set out to determine what a typical German Saturday looks like.

A GERMANSATURDAY

BRUSH, VACUUM, POLISH: 50 years ago two Augsburg-based businessmen patented an “automatic washing system for motor vehicles.” Today there are some 1,400

car washes in Germany, each with their wet rotating brushes leaving up to 500 cars in pristine condition on sunny Saturdays. Car lovers use a chamois and vacuum clean-

er to add the finishing touches to their cleaning ritual, as here in Essen. Photos FRANK SCHULTZE

THE NEXT BEND IS ALWAYS THE BEST: Marvin enjoys the adrenaline rush on the “Alpenexpress,” while his mother’s enthusiasm is more tempered. Well over four

million visitors flock to the Europapark theme park in Rust, Baden-Württemberg, every year, despite the endless queues for the rides and the high ticket prices.

Photo ERIC VAZZOLER

41


WEATHER OKAY — CHECK, LANDING STRIP CLEAR — CHECK, FULL THROTTLE: Jens Wellpott from the Jever aeromodeling club points his Gemini biplane into the

wind as per the takeoff procedure. The landing strip is freshly mown. The propeller revs up, giving Wellpott the opportunity to put the model aircraft, wingspan 92 cm,

through a series of loops and dives. “I sometimes feel like I’m sitting inside,” says the club’s youth officer. Photo KATHRIN HARMS

DIY: Most Germans live in their own home. To cut costs, they tend to take on the construction work and maintenance themselves: some 30 million people in Germany

describe themselves as do-it-yourselfers. There’s only one day a week available, though, and that’s Saturday. It’s then they set to work, with help from the neighbors and

the in-laws. In Kerpen in the Rhineland, Walter Freitag and his son-in-law start work on landscaping the front garden. Photo LUKAS COCH

CURRYWURST RANKS AMONG GERMANY’S BEST-LOVED FAST FOOD. German singer Herbert Grönemeyer dedicated a song to its delights back in 1982, with

the lighthearted lyrics sung in his deep Ruhr accent. In 1949 Herta Heuwer’s snack stand on Berlin’s Kantstrasse was the first to offer a fried sausage cut into strips,

drowned in tomato sauce and topped with a good sprinkling of curry powder. At the “Profi-Grill” in Wattenscheid it’s prepared according to their own recipe and served

on porcelain plates. Photos FRANK SCHULTZE

42BILFINGERMAGAZINE01.2013 43

SIX CROSSES WORTH A FORTUNE: Week after week the dream of those six right numbers draws some 21 million players to the 23,000 Lotto outlets in Germany. You

can also play Lotto on the Internet. But kiosk owners, such as Gerda Rauh and her husband in Murrhardt, Baden-Württemberg, rely on their regular customers: people

also come for a chat. Photo VOLKER HOSCHEK

NO TIME TO REST: When it comes to their garden, there’s no day off for Rudersberger retirees Kurt Wurst and his wife. And they’re not the only ones. The noise from

the tiny lawn mower engines is a permanent feature of village and suburban life on Saturdays. There are around five million gasoline lawn mowers standing at the ready

to cut the grass in Germany. Photo VOLKER HOSCHEK

TOMORROW’S STARS: Marlene from SpVgg Rommelshausen checks her teammates’ association cards. The DFB, Germany’s national football association, has just under

seven million members. DFB vice president Hannelore Ratzeburg singles out the thrilling 2011 Women’s World Cup in Germany as the reason behind the rise in female

membership to the current levels of around 1.1 million women and girls. Photos RAINER KWIOTEK, ULI REINHARDT

45


Bilfinger’s transformation to an engineering and

services group is not the first remarkable metamorpho-

sis in the company’s long history. The first took place

when Julius Berger won a contract to construct a two-

kilometer long avenue in 1890—he was actually the

owner of a transport company that he had taken over

from his father before the age of 20. Five years later, he

founded his first construction company, which was to

become Julius Berger Tiefbau AG in 1905 and later Bil-

finger + Berger Bauaktiengesellschaft.

Julius Berger was what would today be called a self-

made man. Born into a modest Jewish

family, he rose to become one of the

leading construction contractors in

the Weimar Republic. He was born in

1862 in Zempelburg, a small town

with a population of 3,000 in western

Prussia 125 kilometers southwest of

Gdansk. His father sent him to Berlin

at the age of 12 to take up an appren-

ticeship with a leather wholesale firm.

He returned to the family transport

business three years later in 1878. He

soon found himself more frequently

transporting building materials in-

stead of grain. It was this, along with

his own small avenue contract, that

led to his becoming increasingly familiar with the con-

struction industry. When he had learned enough, he

switched professions.

Berger relocated his company, which had become a

major contractor carrying out the construction of roads,

drainage systems and railways in the eastern Prussian

provinces, to Berlin in 1910. He secured his first contract

abroad in 1911: the construction of the eight-kilometer

long Hauenstein base tunnel between Zurich and Basel.

This project proved a masterstroke, earning the compa-

ny bonus payments and enhancing its reputation in

society.

After the First World War, Berger took part in the

peace negotiations in Versailles as a representative of

the German construction industry. He warned that if

France and Germany failed to reach reconciliation this

would “certainly not be in the best interests of the Ger-

man people.” His firm grew to become one of the lead-

ing construction companies in the Weimar Republic.

Berger was involved in the expansion of the Berlin un-

derground rail system as well as the extension of the

port of Königsberg and the construction of the Neckar

barrages near Heidelberg. The company was also in-

creasingly active abroad, with activities in Turkey, Iran,

Romania and Egypt.

After the National Socialists seized

power in Germany, Julius Berger suf-

fered the same fate as many other

Jewish entrepreneurs of the time.

Under pressure from anti-Semitic

propaganda, he stepped down as the

managing director of his company at

the end of 1933. Two of his daughters

emigrated to Uruguay, and he took

the son of a deceased daughter to

safety in Switzerland. Flora and Julius

Berger were deported to a concentra-

tion camp in Terezin in September

1942 where they died of hunger and

exhaustion. Just a few weeks before

his deportation, Berger wrote: “As

someone born and raised in Germany and who from a

young age has managed a successful business that has

contributed to the German economy, I did not assume

that I would have to leave my fatherland. This is why

my wife and I chose not to emigrate.” Bilfinger will

endow the Julius Berger Prize to commemorate this

great entrepreneur. The prize will honor courageous en-

trepreneurial activities relating to Berlin’s urban devel-

opment. In the spirit of the award’s namesake, it is to

provide an incentive to make Berlin a place of cultural

and social diversity. The prize, which will be jointly en-

dowed by Bilfinger and the Verein Architekturpreis

Berlin e. V. (Berlin Architecture Prize Association), will

be awarded for the first time in 2013. |

Julius Berger, the founder of one of Bilfinger’s three predecessor companies, was born 150 years ago.The company is endowing a prize in his memory.

REMEMBERING JULIUS BERGER

Text MARTIN KRAUß

Julius Berger was a contractor through

and through. The photo shows him in 1925

together with members of his staff at the

Teliv Tunnel construction site in Romania.

47


BILFINGER NEWS

Bilfinger has presented its first sustaina -

bility report and provided a declaration

of conformity with the German Sustain -

ability Code. The company intends to

build on and systematically document

its commitment to conserving resources

and to improving social conditions in

the future.

At the same time, Bilfinger is posi -

tioning itself as a supplier of sustaina-

ble products and services that can be

put together by clients in industry and

the real estate sector according to a mo-

dular principle. Individual components

range from energy analysis to the im-

plementation of savings measures and

relevant guarantees. “A great deal of at-

tention is being paid to the topic of

energy efficiency among politicians

and clients,” says Albert Filbert, who

has headed Sustainability Projects at

Bilfinger since May 2012. Electricity, hea -

t ing and compressed air are the areas

that offer the greatest savings potential.

2013 is Richard Wagner year. To mark

the 200th anniversary of the composer’s

birth, the National Theater in Mann-

heim, which has a long tradition of

Wagnerian productions, is taking a com-

pletely new approach to Wagner’s opera

cycle “The Ring of the Nibelungen.” Di-

rected by Achim Freyer, one of the most

important personalities in contempora-

ry theater, it is to be a visually stunning

“Gesamtkunstwerk,” a synthesis of mu-

sic and poetry, visual art and theater.

The production is being documented

by film maker Rudij Bermann, who is

following this exceptional director as he

works and revealing his artistic and

creative processes. Besides the docu-

mentary, the four-part Ring Cycle is also

being filmed. Bilfinger is the main spon-

sor for this project.

The Netherlands produces more gas

than any other country in Europe.

Around 75 percent of this production is

distributed by the gas supplier NAM.

Together with partners, Tebodin, a spe -

cialist engineering company and Bilfin-

ger subsidiary, has taken on all the engi-

neering, procurement and installation

work at all of NAM’s onshore plants.

Tebodin is responsible for design and

engineering technology, while the part-

ners are in charge of construction and

installation work. The consortium will

provide services worth several hundred

million euros for the duration of the

five-year contract.

Natural gas is considered the most

environmentally-friendly fossil fuel

with CO2 emissions 50-70 percent

below those of coal.

Decentralized power stations are ex-

pected to become increasingly important

for future energy supplies. Bilfinger

Power Systems and the Technical Univer -

sity in Cottbus have developed a micro

gas turbine which can supply hospitals,

schools or factories with electricity.

The use of digester and biogases makes

these turbines particularly environmen-

tally friendly because waste heat can be

supplied to the buildings’ air condition -

ing systems. This allows the mini power

stations to achieve maximum efficiency.

The prototype is currently being tested

in the Bilfinger Power Systems factory

in Dortmund. It produces 315,000 kWh

of heat and 155,000 kWh of electricity—

enough to make a small village self-suf-

ficient.

The new 60-kilometer “Emisor Oriente”

tunnel is considered one of the most

important sewage projects in the world.

Its purpose is to prevent Mexico City

from being flooded with its own sewage

during the rainy season. At 50 years old,

the existing sewage system is crumb-

ling and much too small for the popula-

tion, which now numbers 25 million.

The first ten-kilometer section, which

can carry an astounding 150,000 liters

of rain and sewage per second, was

completed in October 2012. Bilfinger has

equipped two of the surface pumping

stations with fully automatic rake

screens. Extending 30 meters down wards,

they trap flotsam as it travels through

the system and convey it to the surface.

The sewage tunnel is scheduled for

completion in 2014. Bilfinger has been

involved in the rebuilding of the sewage

network in Mexico City for many years,

and supplies rake screens and sluices

with which the channels can be com -

pletely closed off for maintenance or in

emergencies.

More sustainability Bilfinger sponsors filmNatural gas from the Netherlands Mini power station

Water project for Mexico City

Berlin is building a carbon-neutral district

The largest carbon-neutral urban

neighborhood in Europe is being estab-

lished around the Schöneberg gasome-

ter in Berlin. The commercial and scien-

tific district on the EUREF campus is to

become a center for innovation and for-

ward-looking projects. The concept in-

cludes energy supplied from renewable

sources, a local “micro smart grid” and

energy-optimized buildings.

The first new building on the five-

hectare space was built by Bilfinger

Hochbau for immediate occupancy. The

fully automatic building services system

ensures that consumption is minimal.

The office block has been awarded the

LEED in Gold Sustainability Certificate.

The development of the campus is

supported by scientific institutions and

international companies. It is also the

location of Berlin’s largest model project

for energy-efficient urban transport

concepts. Since the 2012-2013 winter

semester, the Technical University

Berlin has offered three master’s degree

courses on the subject of “The City and

Energy.”

Phot

os 1

23R

F S

tock

Fo

to,

EU

RE

F A

G

YESTERDAY In the summer of 1962 some 37

children of employees at Grün & Bilfinger in

Berlin went on a holiday to the west of Germany.

They spent three weeks at the company’s

expense in a residential home for schoolchildren

in the Odenwald. The aim was to provide support

for parents during a difficult period, as the wall

around Berlin had been completed in the previous

year. The Bilfinger holiday camps still exist today

but now bring the children of employees from

across Germany together.

TODAY Women are still underrepresented at

Bilfinger. They account for just under 16 percent

of the workforce and only seven percent reach

senior management level. In response to this situ-

ation, Bilfinger launched a series of initiatives in

2011 and made better work-life balance a top

group objective. The proportion of women in

management positions is to equal the proportion

of women in the rest of the workforce by 2020.

Bilfinger has been collaborating with Gisela

Erler’s pme Familienservice since 2012 to provide

better support for employees with families.

TOMORROW Dealing with the issue of family

and careers is a mandatory subject at secondary

schools. Bilfinger invited primary school pupils

from Heidelberg to take part in a workshop: How

do I envisage my life? How should the world of

work be structured? The result: Companies must

do more to ensure a healthy work-life balance in

order to attract young people. The 2012 Universum

study also confirms this. When asked about the

most important criteria for selecting an employer,

the top priority for both men and women was not

salary or promotion prospects, but the opportunity

to reconcile family and work life.

49


FUTURE

If you want to form a really good

team, you have to bring together people

with differing characteristics.

This is underlined by studies on col-

lective intelligence where mixed groups

perform significantly better than teams

made up solely of men or women. The

“Women Matter” series of studies by the

consultancy firm McKinsey also bears

this out. Companies that appoint women

to senior management positions are ul-

timately more successful. They have

greater levels of value creation, higher

profits and are managed more sustain-

ably.

That’s what the research says. But re-

ality is often different. While almost

80% of women in Germany pursue a ca-

reer, they are underrepresented at all

management levels, as evidenced by a

joint analysis of the 30 DAX companies.

The larger a company is, the fewer

women hold senior positions. That does

not bode well for the future as senior ex-

ecutives are difficult to find and many

highly qualified women would like to

advance professionally if greater harmo-

ny could be achieved between family

and career.

A TOP MANAGEMENT ISSUEIn contrast to many men at the present

time, women turn management posi-

tions down if they constantly have to

juggle their time or the corporate culture

does not meet their expectations. High-

profile examples include Angelika

Dammann, who stepped down from

SAP’s Executive Board after just a year,

and Anne-Marie Slaughter, Hillary Clin-

ton’s director of policy planning, who

gave up her position because it was in-

compatible with her role as a mother of

two teenage sons. On one hand, politi-

cians need to help establish a better

work-life balance. We need an adequate

number of kindergartens, day care cen-

ters and full-day schools. We need com-

prehensive support services—not only

for children but also for elderly parents

who require care. And we also need boss-

es who are sensitive to these needs and

who set an example. If women work

more, men must inevitably spend more

time looking after the children and eld-

erly family members. In future, it is

therefore not only female but also male

potential managers who will require the

flexibility to meet these responsibilities.

If the office lights of the top manage-

ment are still on at 8:00 p.m. and they

are checking to see whether employees

are still at work too, then career and fam-

ily are incompatible.

WHO IS PURSUING A CAREER? Companies endeavoring to become fit for

the future must take much greater inter-

est in the various work-life expectations

of their staff than in the past and learn

to respect them. This does not mean that

nobody can work more than 60 hours a

week in future. It is about ensuring that

this is not made a career development

requirement. |

GISELA ERLER is a politician, academic and

entrepreneur. In 1991, she founded pme Familien-

service, a company that provides services for fam-

ilies ranging from emergency childcare to support

for family members in need of care. Bilfinger also

works together with pme. In 2011, Gisela Erler was

appointed an honorary federal state councilor for

civil society and civic participation in the green-

red federal state government of Baden-Würt -

tem berg.

SUCCESSWITH

FAMILYCompanies must become

more family-friendly to sur-vive in today’s competitiveenvironment. If they don’t,

they will not be able to find women for managementpositions. Guest commentary

from Gisela Erler.

AND AT BILFINGER?

Port

rait

Th

om

as

Kie

nzl

e

KAREN SCHENKELBERG

51


INSIDE STORY

What did you enjoy most as achild?Running around after supper with the

other kids from the neighborhood till

late at night. We rode bikes, and played

ball and hide-and-seek. Our parents sat

outside in the yard visiting with the

other parents while watching us.

What’s your favorite pastime?I go swimming before work several

times a week. As a child I spent the

whole summer in our church’s swim-

ming pool.

How much time do you have toyourself each day?The time that I spend swimming or

working in my yard. Those are the

only times of the day when I can

think in peace.

What’s your favorite word?Family. It’s a word that brings to mind

warmth and security. My friends are

part of my extended family.

Your greatest achievement?Together with my husband, raising

two children who have grown up to

be responsible adults. Kevin is now 24

and works in retail. Jennifer is 25 and

works at Starbucks. She’s also now

in the process of helping to organize

a new church community.

What are you thankful for?For my faith. It fills me with hope.

Is there anything in your life thatyou would still really like to do?I’d like to spend three months with my

husband driving across America visit-

ing our National Parks. Just sleeping

under the stars in a tent and enjoying

nature!

Is there a place that you woulddefinitely not travel to?To the moon; I hate long flights.

What faults are you most likely toforgive? Forgetfulness. Although I always make

myself lists of all the things I shouldn’t

forget….

What does home mean to you?That question makes me think of a TV

series back in the 1950s called “Leave

it to Beaver.” It was all about an idyllic

suburb where the kids are always up

to something, while their mothers

do the cooking and their fathers work

a lot. That’s just how I grew up—in a

small Christian community. The bonds

of family and friendship were so close

that I always felt safe and secure.

Do you know anyone who has areally good marriage? My husband and I! We met at Bilfinger

thirty years ago, and we worked to-

gether a lot. My parents’ marriage is

the example I try to follow: They were

together for over sixty years! It was a

lifelong love affair.

What do your friends appreciatemost about you?That I say what I mean, always offering

an honest opinion.

Do you know a poem by heart? No, but I can think of countless songs

that I listen to with my underwater

MP3 player when I’m swimming.

If you were to give your childrenone piece of advice for life, whatwould it be?Do something with your life that ful-

fills you and makes you happy! In the

long run, money, power and influence

are no substitute for happiness.

What’s the best thing about your job?The variety. No two days are the same.

I never get bored.

What’s the most joyous thing onearth for you?Sitting in my backyard having a barbe-

cue with good friends and family.

Karen Schenkelberg, 54, is part of the management team at Bilfinger IndustrialServices in Ballwin, Missouri. She grew up in a small Christian community insuburban America and has remained true to her roots.

ABOUT 65,000 PEOPLE WORK AT BILFINGER. EACH OF THEM HAS THEIR OWN STORY TO TELL.

Interview FRED FILKORNPhotos PAUL NORDMANN, 123RF

BILFINGER MAGAZINE 01.2013

www.magazine.bilfinger.com

Published by:Bilfinger SECarl-Reiss-Platz 1– 568165 MannheimGermanyTel. + 49 (0) 621 459-0www.magazine.bilfinger.com

www.bilfinger.com

Editorial director:Michael Weber, Bilfinger SEProject management:Dr. Daniela Simpson, Bilfinger SE,Bernd Hauser, [email protected] and Layout:Steven Dohn, Theo Nonnen,Bohm und Nonnen, Büro für Gestaltung

Photo editing: Barbara Bylek, agentur.zsCover photograph: Kathrin HarmsLitho: Katja Leppin, Thomas NikolaiPrinting: ColorDruck LeimenTranslation: Baker & Harrison, BruceMacPhersonCirculation coordination:Business Service WeberPaper: 100 % recycling

Bilfinger Magazine is published inGerman and English. All rights arereserved. Items by named contributorsdo not necessarily reflect the opinionsof the publisher. The reprinting orelectronic distribution of articles orexcerpts of articles is prohibited with-out the express permission of thepublisher.

Bilfinger Magazine 01.2013

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