In November 2022, Sven Hoffmann strengthened the team at Switzerland Innovation Park Ost AG (SIP Ost) as head of the R&D center and member of the management board. In an interview with him, we clarify what he does as head of the R&D Center and how you can benefit from his work.
Hello Sven! Please briefly introduce yourself and your career.
Hello everyone! My name is Sven Hoffmann and I grew up on the Rhine, on the western edge of the Ruhr area, only about 60 km from the Dutch border. I completed my studies in Dortmund in the chemistry department. I then did my doctorate in the field of instrumental analysis, for which I spent 1.5 years at a research institute in the USA.
Analytics, ie the chemical discipline that deals with the identification and quantification of substances, finally brought me to my first job at the Siemens headquarters in Munich. There I dealt with damage analysis. I then moved to Metrohm in Herisau, where I held many different roles – most recently I was head of the Systems Engineering department and Innovation Manager. In general, I am very interested in innovation and technology topics, as well as interdisciplinary cooperation.
I am married and the father of two adult children. I like to spend my free time in a variety of ways. So I’m busy with building dioramas, carpentry, photography, 3D printing, CAD design, home automation and programming µ-controllers. Even on vacation I can’t sit still or lie around on the beach. Active holidays with cycling or hiking – that suits my taste!
What experiences do you already bring with you?
On the one hand, my education gives me a scientific background that accompanies me in my work. On the other hand, I have been able to gain a lot of experience in industry over the past 18 years. Through these two perspectives, I can understand the needs and challenges of the two “worlds” and hope to be able to act as an active bridge builder.
What exactly do you mean by R&D Center and what goals are you pursuing with it?
The R&D Center has the task of working in depth on the thematic priorities of “sensor technology” and “health” of the SIP Ost and of intensifying the cooperation between research and industry in these areas.
What does a typical working day look like for you?
We are currently in the middle of the construction work. This means that I read up on many different topics. I also engage in active networking by meeting with representatives of our research network. This will make it easier to promote collaboration between research partners and industry in the future.
What is the most important tool you need for your work?
These are probably the same ones that many others use: Email, Teams and Google.
How can the general public benefit from the SIP Ost R&D Center?
We want to help ensure that (new) technologies make the transition from research to series production in products more quickly, so that they can be integrated into everyday life as soon as possible. Especially in the field of sensor technology in combination with the topic of health (e.g. smartwatches), consumers are currently only seeing the beginning of what is actually possible.
Have you already defined ideas or projects that will be tackled in the future?
Naturally! Unfortunately, it is still a bit early to report on this at this point…
