A new beginning in the well-known
Two uplifting stories from Adlershof returners
On a growth mission: Thomas Laurent is building the Adlershof branch of M Squared © WISTA Management GmbH
Sees opportunity in the pandemic: Claus Heitmann is technical managing director at eagleyard Photonics © WISTA Management GmbH
Now is bad time for a new beginning? Not at all. We spoke to two successful company heads, who, after a time away from Adlershof, launched new careers here as “returners”. Two encouraging stories.
It’s a small world. When Thomas Laurent got on board at M Squared (a provider of high-end lasers and instruments for quantum technology, biophotonics, and chemical analytics) to set up a new German branch, he was amazed. Talking to his colleagues in Glasgow about the new location, they gave him a very familiar address: Rudower Chaussee 29. His bosses in Scotland had already rented a space at the Innovation and Start-up Centre in Adlershof. “I was surprised,” he says with a laugh. And happy. Hello again, Adlershof!
Laurent is a kind of repeat offender when it comes to Adlershof. As the co-founder and technical managing director of eagleyard, a Ferdinand-Braun-Institut spin-off specialised on high-performance laser diodes, he was responsible for successfully launching the company. When he left, Laurent switched industries and took care of sales for near-earth satellite communication services at a Munich-based company, used, for example, for the internet of things. A bold move – and it wouldn’t be his last.
M Squared, a Scottish company founded in 2006 and a leader in quantum technology, made him offer that was just too tempting: Establishing a service centre with laboratories for maintaining and repairing laser systems, becoming head of sales for German-speaking countries, and pitting the unity of a European high-tech project against the Brexiteers, in Berlin no less – this was too good to be true. Wasn’t he afraid of taking the plunge? “I don’t really feel fear anymore,” says the 52-year-old. “There will always be cycles of boom and bust. Becoming aware of this and accepting it is the key to tranquility.” And to success. Laurent has no doubts about his new job in Adlershof. Pandemic, or no pandemic: “I was sent here with clear growth mission,” he says. The 5-strong team is expected to grow to seven or even ten employees come spring. There is no lack of orders.
The same applies to Claus Heitmann – who, as technical managing director of eagleyard Photonics GmbH, is in some ways Laurent’s successor. He once founded the Adlershof-based company c2go inprocess solutions, which he headed for twelve years before dropping out after it was sold to Trumpf Laser. “I originally wanted to take a deliberate break after my self-employment,” says Heitmann. He didn’t last long, soon became the manager of the Marzahn-based laser diode manufacturer Lumics, and, thanks to his extensive network, returned to Adlershof in September as CEO: “I’m looking forward to a new and exciting challenge – with the nice side effect of seeing many familiar faces and meeting former colleagues,” the 48-year-old is pleased to say. What else intrigues him about his new beginning? It’s companies like Lumics and eagleyard – which were created by inspiring minds and great teams, evolved, and asserted themselves on the market for innovative laser modules. “This is where I want to start. My goal is to preserve the agility of a former start-up and going forward with professionalisation,” says the microsystems technology engineer.
While doing so, he doesn’t see the pandemic as an obstacle but as a chance: “A chance to improve working together digitally and fostering the ‘we’.” Even without direct personal contact, Heitmann sees the new methods of working digitally in different locations as a chance for strengthening teams. Looking to the future with optimism, he doesn’t find his decision courageous but rather normal. In any case, the Adlershof campus seems to be a good place for such career paths and conducive to returners. “Adlershof has a spirit of its own that is hard to put into words,” says Heitmann. “It’s just a special place that empowers people, creativity, entrepreneurship, and an open mind beyond the scope of individual companies.”
By Chris Löwer for Adlershof Journal