Travelling to work by plane

Dr Bernhard Sünder

The headquarters of AMS GmbH are located in a multi-storey building between the university and the main railway station. The offices appear inconspicuous, but the idea behind the company is all the more important. The company for applied measurement and systems technology (AMS) is not only one of the global market leaders in the field of big data, but also works at an international level with leading automotive groups such as Daimler and Audi. Dr Bernhard Sünder is the brains behind the company, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, and reveals why he comes to work by plane.

You founded AMS GmbH 25 years ago. How did the idea come about back then?
Dr Bernhard Sünder: I was working for a large company in Darmstadt that dealt with measurement technology. At that time, the development of software for measurement data began. Previously, everything was analogue. The digital data had to be processed with software. I had already developed software at the old company and started my own business, initially in Flöha. There was a special funding programme there, initiated by Professor Kurt Biedenkopf. I was given engineers whose salaries were taken over for a year on the condition that I then hired twice as many. Peter Daetz, the manager at Siemens at the time, was in charge of this project. And so one thing led to another.

And how did you end up moving from Flöha to Chemnitz?
About eight years ago, there were new developments in the field of measurement data. The amount of data was increasing exorbitantly. This allowed us to grow significantly. During this process, I looked around for new premises and was happy to have found something in Chemnitz. The connection to the railway station is very good and there is public transport on the doorstep. Our biggest problem is finding good software engineers. But this problem exists throughout the market. Nevertheless, we are trying to continue to grow with every opportunity.

The mechanical engineering graduate is a Cologne native and has been a fixture in the Chemnitz region for 25 years. Nuclear technology was losing growth at the time, so Dr Sünder decided to focus on the new developments in measurement technology. In doing so, he struck at the heart of the times, as data analysis was becoming increasingly important: from the automotive industry to energy supply and dental technology. Nowadays, many sectors produce an immense amount of data.

Simply explained: What is done in your company?
There are many companies that have specialised in sensor technology, i.e. the collection and generation of measurement data. Most companies pass this data on to their customers and think "eat or die". This is exactly where we come in and have found our hobbyhorse in post-processing. We analyse the data, a lot of maths and lots of graphics. The applications range from the engine test bench to driving tests and haptics - in many areas of research, we process and present the collected data to the engineers. This in turn enables them to optimise their processes.

What advantages does Chemnitz offer as a location?
Firstly, if you look at the map of Europe, Chemnitz is advantageously located in the centre. Secondly, Chemnitz is always somewhat forgotten compared to Leipzig and Dresden, it plays a subordinate role. We can use this as a locational advantage by retaining local skilled labour. With almost 40 employees, we are an employer that has created jobs in the highly qualified sector. We want to keep it that way. We have it very nice in Chemnitz - we don't have the culture of Dresden or the flair of Leipzig. But Chemnitz is a very beautiful city with lots of opportunities: the Ore Mountains to the south, the lake district to the north - you are totally flexible in your leisure time. The cost of living is low and the quality of life is high.

Your company also has sites in Detroit and Shanghai. Do you notice anything of the international trade war between the USA and China?
It's more or less bypassing us, we're far too small for that. What makes big sales for us is not relevant for politics.

What highlights, but also crises, have you experienced in the last 25 years?
As we are a high-tech company, we invest a lot in new products and innovations. It's always a game with fire. When things get worse in the automotive industry, we struggle. So in 25 years, there have always been moments when we have been on the edge. But we have always managed to survive and at the moment our technologies make us a highly sought-after company on the market. We no longer have existential crises like back then.

But if the automotive industry falls into disrepute as a result of the diesel scandal, won't that have negative consequences for your company?
Quite the opposite. Our measurement technology is all the more in demand as a result. We have received a number of projects based on this. For example, car manufacturers have to determine exhaust emission values in road tests. As a result, we have new orders to adapt the data analysis.

What is your personal highlight from the past 25 years?
One highlight this year was that I was included in the qualification for "Saxony's Entrepreneur of the Year". I've also been flying since I was 18. 20 years ago, when the company wasn't really going well, I had to give up flying and all my pilot's licences expired. Five years ago I said to myself, either you do all your licences again or you'll never have another chance. When I got all my flying licences back, that was my personal highlight, which I was also able to use for the company. It's well known that Chemnitz's transport links are not exactly perfect. We use Jahnsdorf airfield a lot. We do everything in Europe by plane from Jahnsdorf. We have had our own company aeroplane for three years now and we travel a lot with it: Graz, Toulouse, Paris, Stuttgart, Zurich. This is an individual advantage that makes us independent of transport problems.

What do you want to happen in the next 25 years?
I hope that AMS, its technologies and its staff will continue to exist and grow for a long time to come. Chemnitz should also be put more on the technology map. For example, there is the World Robot Olympiad, where we sponsor several teams. One of our teams even made it to the world finals in Thailand this year. Our vision is for the German final to take place in Chemnitz in 2020. We want to become more visible through this initiative. Many people aspire to be happy at global companies such as IBM or SAP. But if you really look behind the scenes, smaller companies like ours give you far more opportunities to develop and actively shape your career.