It's time for engineers to transform themselves in digital age!

Anchor:As youused to be an engineer before taking a management role in Siemens Factoryautomation, would you please let us know from your point of view what haschanged in the manufacturing market or in the automation market now? And forthose engineers in this field, what should they do to adapt to the changingmarket?

Westerholt: In thepast couple of years, tremendous changes have taken place in manufacturing. Notonly China, but also any other country in the whole world has given the firstpriority to upgrading industries, which is regarded as the most important thingby government.

Under this circumstance, engineers have to transferthemselves from classical engineers to more intelligent engineers, who have tobe well trained and educated. And they should be equipped with differentknowledge, including how to increase the productivity of the factory and the capacityof management.

Anchor:It seems thatengineers are standing at a special turning point nowadays. What have Siemensdone to help them on the transition?

Westerholt: Siemenshas a long history of establishing a close cooperation with the universities.For example, in 2005, we launched the Siemens Automation Corporates withEducation program in China, which has brought us many successful stories.

However, we gradually foundthat it often took a long time for our graduates to adapt to the enterprises.And this is exactly what we need to further improve.

Therefore, in 2018, we haveproposed to establish the Intelligent Manufacturing New EngineerCollege-Enterprises Alliance to foster the “New Engineer”. With this alliance,the industries and universities will become much closer together than everbefore.

Anchor:Differenttypes of engineers are working at Siemens. What qualities do they have?

Westerholt: To beginwith, we need automation engineers who can provide our customers with the bestsolutions. They should fully understand the customers’ needs and ask questionsfrom the perspective of customers, such as how to increase the productivity.

As for our product managers, they are required to translatethe changes in the market to product and clarify what kind of innovation is availablefor a new product.

New engineers should be equipped with more additional skillsthan classical engineers. They should understand how to digitalize processesand look at the entire value chain ranging from the product design to theproduction.

In the future, intelligent manufacturing engineers will haveto be educated in a totally different way.

Anchor:Would youmind sharing with us your career life where you develop yourself?

I worked as an electrician at 16, and then I came intouniversity and studied for about three years and a half. After graduating, Ientered Siemens, working as an engineer.

Later I took a chance of being a product manager even thoughI had little related background about being responsible to design a product.And this position offered me the first experience of management. This is how I developedmyself.

I was curious and also took some risks. I stepped out mycomfort zone and tried new jobs. Apart from these, Siemens also provided me witha lot of training to become a good manager. And every failure also helped me tolearn and develop myself.

I believe that taking the challenge fearlessly, having theattitude of life-long learning and being curious will help you to develop yourself.

Now I have been in China for about five years. It’s achallenge for people to live abroad. But I am here working at a powerfulorganization. I am happy to be part of China’s industrial upgrading and Iexpect to see what it will be in the future.