Sharp or dull?€¦ · today.« Buildings designed solely along the lines of technical and functional criteria fre - quently seem drab to him: »The aesthetics of a great and sustainable

2 TÜV SÜD Journal

Editorial

At www.tuv-sud.com/journal, you can let us know what you like about the new TÜV SÜD Journal. We are really looking forward to receiving your feedback!

Sharp or dull?

»Green« real estate is en vogue! The cover story of this issue of TÜV SÜD Journal

demonstrates that sustainable building practices not only make sense, but also

can set architectural standards. This combination of good design and functionality

was not chosen by chance to be the topic for the cover story: the issue you are

holding in your hands right now is a completely redesigned version of TÜV SÜD

Journal. This mixture was the very goal we had in mind when we undertook this

project. The entire magazine is designed to excite you with its contemporary

look and expanded spectrum of topics. We invite you to »take a look beyond the

horizon« – with feature stories, interviews and service sections that show just

how fascinating technological and societal trends can be.

The new TÜV SÜD Journal is a magazine that is not only for customers, but also by

customers. After all, we incorporated your ideas into the new design. Last fall, we

conducted a large-scale reader survey for this purpose. The survey generated

a lot of positive feedback

and a host of ideas for

future issues.

Cosmopolitan, reliable,

modern – the customer

magazine reflects the values

of TÜV SÜD. Like the company

itself, the journal has a long, successful history: Back in January 1897, the first

issue of the »Zeitschrift des Bayerischen Dampfkessel-Revisionsvereins« was

published. It is a direct ancestor of TÜV SÜD Journal. At www.tuv-sud.com/journal,

we will take you on a short trip through the magazine’s history.

Enjoy this issue!

Dr.-Ing. Axel Stepken

Chairman of the Board of Management of TÜV SÜD AG

DEAR READERS,

TÜV SÜD Journal 3

Table of contents

To the

POINTGet to the bottom of it! Our »add value« pages make complexissues understandable.

#28 From London to the worldWhen gold medals begin to be awarded at the Summer Olympics beginning in late July, things will be glittering at home as well. But just how do those images end up on your TV screen anyway?

#30 A guide to further trainingNothing is older than yesterday’s knowledge! Lifelong learners are the only people who stay on top of the times. The five biggest misconceptions about further training and ways to avoid them.

#32 5 minutes with TÜV SÜD#34 The final say

#06COVER STORYGreen has become the color of choice among star architects. As a result, they are combining sustainable building techniques with demand-ing aesthetics.

To the

TESTWhat’s on people’s minds? We take a close look at technological and societal trends.

#16 Hacker-safeHow can companies protect their IT systems? A former member of the hacker group Anony-mous has a few things to say.

#18 Confucius’ childrenChina’s students are considered to be the world’s most studious. But are they learning the right things? A visit to Jingan Education College – the school that emerged as the victor in PISA testing.

#4 TÜV SÜD in focus#14 5 minutes with TÜV SÜD

On the

MOVEA look at the world of tomorrow: These innovations could soon shapeour lives.

#22 The quiet winnersThe Münch TTE-2 is considered to be the world’s fastest electric motorcycle. At a race in Hungary, the bike showed just what it is capable of.

#26 Power-packed researchAround the world, researchers are busy working on alternatives to traditional nickel-cad-mium and lithium-ion batteries. Here is a look at five promising innovations and the stage of their development.

#21 On location#31 Dates/imprint

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TÜV SÜD im BildTÜV SÜD in focus

Market OPPORTUNITIESThe residents of a suburb of São Paulo, the bustling business center of Brazil, stop by a small, open-air market to buy their fruit and vegetables. But the eye-catching colors could lead them astray: up to one-third of food consumed in the country bears residues of pesticides, according to a study conducted by Brazilian health officials. To determine whether potatoes, cucumbers and onions are as safe as they appear to be, officials and farmers can draw on the expertise of TÜV SÜD in the future. By acquiring SFDK Laboratório de Análise de Produtos, a leading food tester in Brazil, the Group has expanded the network of food laboratories that it already has in Europe and Asia – and helps ensure that the people of Latin America can enjoy their food and beverages without worry.

More information on food safety: www.tuv-sud.com/industry/consumer-products-retail/food-health-beauty

4 TÜV SÜD Journal 5 TÜV SÜD Journal

TÜV SÜD Journal 5

TÜV SÜD im Bild

Market OPPORTUNITIES

TÜV SÜD in focus

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Cover story

GreenLIVInG

TÜV SÜD Journal 7

Cover story

LIVInG

Environmental and sexy: buildings can be both, you know! Just look at the work of star architectswho have created skyscrapers cooled by the wind, homes outfitted with integrated e-fuel tanks and cube

homes that can move. As a result, green buildings have become design objects.

e ight days – that’s all it takes to erect and dismantle the Fincube by designer and star architect Werner Aisslinger. It is designed

as a »house to go,« conceived for a mobile lifestyle. The floor plan of this residential cube can be modified to suit the needs and

desires of its residents. Wood cut in regi-onal forests, working in combination with panorama windows, creates a feeling of lu-xury – in just 480 square feet. The house can satisfy its own energy needs by relying on photovoltaic panels installed on the roof. Recyclable building materials, the short

construction time and the minimal impact on the landscape keep the building’s envi-ronmental footprint small.

The Fincube is a model example of green architecture – but, by no means, the only one today. After all, builders and architects recognized the need for sustainable build-

The Fincube (left) fits discreetly into its surround-ings and makes a small carbon footprint. Wood that originated from regional forests creates a natural atmosphere in the interior.

Text: Hendrik Nölle

8 TÜV SÜD Journal

Cover story

ing practices long ago: As a study by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) shows, buildings are still respon-sible for about 40 percent of global energy consumption and 80 percent of greenhouse-gas emissions. But just how does the limited number of stars in the world’s architectural ranks intend to change things? By creating buildings that are not only environmental, but also sexy.

New ethics in aestheticsTheir rallying cry is: sustainability must light a fire in people. The spark is a building style that teams energy efficiency with spectacu-lar design. In Milan, a residential and business district comprising completely CO2-neutral buildings is being built. The design for the project is the joint brainchild of Arata Isozaki, Zaha Hadid and Daniel Libeskind – three high-octane names in the world of architecture. Zaha Hadid – who became the first woman to win the coveted Pritzker Prize in 2004 – uses a special software that enables her to optimize both the design and energy aspects of her designs. From the start, these environmental criteria shape the design process. With this software, resource-conserving building techniques shall become just as commonplace as static calculations.

Daniel Libeskind, too, swears by the new approach: »Sustainability is the way into the future. Great architects must join this trend today.« Buildings designed solely along the lines of technical and functional criteria fre-quently seem drab to him: »The aesthetics of a great and sustainable structure should not be defined by the statement: this building is an energy saver.« To Libeskind, sustainability also includes a large measure of design quality that will fascinate people for

Just how spectacular green architecture can be is demonstrated by Zaha Hadid’s designs for the »CityLife« project in Mi-lan (right), Daniel Libeskind’s »Reflec-tions« residential complex in Singapore (below left) and the Pearl River Tower in Guangzhou, China (below right).

TÜV SÜD Journal 9

Cover story

generations to come. After all, the length of a building’s life is determined not only by the material used to construct it, but also by its looks: A building that resembles a work of art will not quickly fall victim to the wreck- ing ball.

Drawing on new concepts that combine efficiency with aesthetics, Werner Sobek has made a worldwide name for himself. In Fa-sanen St. 87a in Berlin-Charlottenburg , he is sharing his secret of future residential living with visitors – the »efficiency house plus.«

A cube for the futureIt is zero-emission and completely recycla-ble. On top of that, it uses an energy concept that churns out more electricity than a four-person household outfitted with two electric cars and an e-bike will need to use. With its sweeping glass fronts, ebony façades made of photovoltaic modules and induction fields used to »fill up« the e-vehicles, the house ap-pears, at first glance, to be more consumed with technology than the love of nature. »Many environmental houses were commer-cial flops because of the dreary aesthetics of bareness they used,« Sobek says.

In the efficiency house plus, a home management system monitors the heating, cooling and ventilation system while remaining discreetly in the background – the residents’ only point of contact with the system are their own smart phones and a touch screen built into the wall. In the future, such de-

vices will be able to turn on the washing ma-chine once excess clean electricity becomes available.

Green buildings for ChinaSuch green technology is also attracting at-tention in those places where the construc-tion industry is booming. China, where half of the world’s construction activity will be conducted in 2015 and where a new skyscraper will arise every five days in future years, has some catching up to do in the area of sustainability.

It takes four times the energy per square meter to heat and cool an apartment in Chi-na than it does in Europe. Overall, China’s buildings use more energy than its iron, steel and cement industries combined. In recent years, the country’s government has under-taken a major effort to improve the energy efficiency of buildings. A comprehensive set of regulations was compiled – but the implementation of them has proven to be problematic. In areas located particularly outside the country’s major metropolitan areas, inspectors can hardly keep up with the work. The result: countless cheaply built structures, some of which will hardly sur- vive 20 years.

But China is also home to a number of showcase projects of green architecture as well. The 1,000-foot-high Pearl River Tower in the coastal city of Guangzhou is considered to be one of the world’s most energy-

percent of energy could be saved in the building sector by 2020.50

10 TÜV SÜD Journal

Cover story

Gleaming examples of sustainable building techniques: the »efficiency house plus« in Berlin (above) and the »future evolution house« in Vienna.

TÜV SÜD Journal 11

Cover story

efficient skyscraper. Its design reminds you a little of an electric razor. The building is shaped in such a way that streams of wind can be used to generate energy. In four places, openings have been made in the façade, and wind turbines have been installed here to produce some of the electricity used by the building. Before long, buildings of this size will be energy self-sufficient.

Community thinking in the building sectorWerner Sobek thinks that it is not neces- sary, or affordable, to apply sustainability to every building. Rather, his ideal centers on the principle of sisterhood. He calls for an approach that does not stop at the end of a person’s own property line. In this model, buildings that produce excessive amounts of electricity will compensate for the energy hunger of landmark buildings and avant-garde architecture. In such a neighborhood alliance, the buildings will help out one another, allowing the overall environmen-tal footprint for the area to remain small – without cutting any aesthetic corners.

Even with today’s technology, the UNEP says energy savings of up to 50 percent can be achieved in buildings through 2020. If you add the eliminated expenses for electricity to the calculation, the costs for the nec- essary investments would be nearly zero. As a result, the building industry offers the greatest potential for cutting greenhouse-gas emissions over the long term. Creating in-centives for sustainable building techniques is a matter for political leaders – but not just them alone. »Making ecology breath- takingly beautiful will probably be the most important job for architects and engineers to perform,« says the star architect Werner

»A new eco chic must arise. We need a concept of beauty that incorporates the environment.« – Werner Sobek, architect

Green buildings under the microscopeA number of certification systems have been set up around the world to evaluate buildings according sustainability criteria. Such labels are valuable stamps of quality that provide information on buildings’ en-vironmental footprint and future sustain-ability, thereby increasing their market- ability.

Complex lists of criteriaThe LEED Standard of the U.S. Green Build- ing Council is widely used internationally. National evaluation systems have also been put into place. In Germany, this system in-volves a certificate issued by the German Sustainable Building Council. TÜV SÜD certifies buildings according to established international standards and offers a sustainability certificate called TÜV SÜD ScoRE. TÜV SÜD also advises clients about the requirements that must be fulfilled to ob-tain the desired certification.

recommended reading about green architecture

Green Architec-ture Now! The book introduces readers to architects that have done pioneering work in en-vironmental design and examines the aesthetics of buildings. Philip Jodi-dio, Taschen, 416 pages.

Holistic Housing A book that uses 12 examples to illustrate how aspects of sustainable building tech-niques can be integrated into demanding forms of architecture. Hans Drexler/Sebastian El khouli, Edi- tion Detail, 288 pages.

Ecological Living The 33 dream houses from all parts of the world that are presented in this book demonstrate that glamour and green architecture make a perfect pair. teNeues, 220 pages.

More information on sustainable buildings:www.tuv-sud.com/industry/real-estate/ green-buildings

Sobek. He calls this new ideal of beauty »eco chic.« It is a process that he maintains must begin with a change in thinking on a societal level. »In the past, people were really interested in having the most horsepower under the hood,« Sobek says. »In the future, it will be important to be a member of that social class that uses resources prudently.«

Futurist Matthias Horx sees things much the same way. For two years now, he and his family have been living in the »future evolu-tion house« located on the outskirts of Vien-na, a state-of-the-art green building. »But an ›evolution house‹ is never finished,« he says. »The concept includes continuous innovation experiments in the areas of energy, house management, mobility, design and materials.« The future of green buildings is still over the horizon.


Standpunkte


Points of view

SUS TAIn ABILITYVisions for the architecture of tomorrow

POInTSWerner Sobek, engineer and architect Vice President of the German Sustainable Building Council

T oday, architects and en-gineers have more social responsibility than ever

before. They must design sustainable buildings that, for the good of future generations, will have a minimal impact on the environ-ment.

Sustainability must be-come a permanent part of the way that we plan and operate our built environ-ment. After all, buildings consume a very large share of energy and cause a great deal of CO2 emissions. Up to now, attention has generally been placed on energy efficiency, or the reduction of consumption. But this view of efficiency does not go far enough. We need active houses that produce more energy than they need – this is something that can already be done easily today. In addition, sustainability goes well beyond energy efficiency. It involves considera-tion of a building’s entire life cycle and touches on such aspects as comfort, func-tionality, recyclability. All of these things have to be taken into consideration. This is definitely a challenge – but it is one we are glad to take on, for the good of us all as well as for the good of future generations!

»We need activehouses that produce

more energy thanthey use.«

Werner Sobek’s »R128« house in Stutt-gart: the world’s first active house, energy self-sufficient and completely recyclable.


Standpunkte


Points of view

SUS TAIn ABILITY

OF VIeWProfessor Dr. Michael Braungart, University of Rotterdam

Founder and Director of the Environmental Protection and Encouragement Agency

T he focus in architecture should be less on energy ef-ficiency and more on con-

servation of resources. Every raw material being used must produce new resources. This creates a cycle without waste. I call this need the »cradle to cradle« principle.

Today’s view of sustainability is shaped by ques-tions involving morality and efficiency. This is the wrong premise. Instead of minimizing the environ-mental footprint, we should set positive goals. What we need is beauty, quality and true innovation. Buildings – like trees – should use solar power, produce nourish-ment, create areas where life can flourish, and cleanse water and air. We can create very productive gardens on roofs, cultivate nutritional algae on house walls and use CO2 as fertilizer. We have concrete that improves the quality of air by destroying nitric oxides, and you can build façades that repel light in the summer and retain the heat in the building during the winter and change their color as the seasons pass. What we need is architecture that benefits nature and celebrates people instead of viewing them as pests.

»efficiency is nosolution. A buildingmust be like a tree –

useful and luxuriant.«

Werner Sobek and Michael Braungart – two experts in architecture, two points of viewabout the topic of »green building.« While Sobek focuses on the responsibility

of his profession to develop a resource-conserving style of building, Braungart warns peoplefrom viewing architecture simply from the perspective of energy efficiency.

The branch office of Bosch Siemens house-hold appliances in Amsterdam: built ac-cording to the »cradle to cradle« principle.


5 minutes

Vehicle safety in India

TÜV SÜD is the first European company to offer vehicle inspections in India. More than 20 employees went to work at the end of June 2012 in the New Delhi pilot station that was built according to Ger-man standards. The workers perform such jobs as inspecting used cars for people buying the vehicles. The grand opening will be held in October, and many political leaders have been invited to attend. [email protected]

Expansion of theEMC network

In April 2012, ZACTA Technology Corporation became a member of the TÜV SÜD Group. The new subsidiary, based in Yokohama, Japan, is a provider of electromagnetic compatibil- ity (EMC) testing. TÜV SÜD anticipates that demand for EMC measurements will continue to rise, particularly for the medical and rail [email protected]

The easy wayto a tax break

Summer time is classic-car time. But how can the owners of a BMW 02 or a Mercedes Pagode obtain a classic-car license plate, which is highly coveted in Germany because of the lower tax rate attached to it? TÜV SÜD offers some insights in an entertaining video available in German language at www.tuev-sued.de/[email protected]

5Partner for Europe’s largest truck test

Nine trucks and three years: at the end of April 2012, Europe’s largest truck field test, bestof9.eu, got under way at the Lausitzring racetrack in eastern Germany. The commercial vehicle experts at TÜV SÜD are acting as a technical partner for the test. Serving as a neutral in- spector, they will ensure that the nine trucks taking part in the long-range test comply with the program’s strict rules. As part of the annual cycle of roadworthiness tests for commercial vehicles, TÜV SÜD will also monitor the tech-nical condition of the trucks and evaluate the wear and tear on material. »Advisory assis-tance about efficiency and the technical safety of commercial vehicles are core jobs performed by TÜV SÜD,« says Dieter Roth, Senior Project Manager Truck Services at TÜV SÜD. The bestof9.eu is also being supported by the Munich publishing company Huss-Verlag. Its magazine staff will evaluate the collected data and select a winner. The test’s categories are overall efficiency, fuel consumption and ve-hicle dependability. The drivers will also be interviewed about their personal experiences. [email protected]

Revenue and earningsgains in 2011

TÜV SÜD set records in 2011. The Group boosted its revenue to nearly €1.7 billion (2010: €1.55 billion). Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) jumped 12 percent from the previous year’s result and rose to about €160 million. The number of employees around the world grew by 1,100 to more than

17,000. Dr. Axel Stepken, Chair-man of the Board of Management at TÜV SÜD, took special note of the company’s increasing interna-tionalization: it generated about 35 percent of its revenue in 2011 outside Germany. One particular-ly good piece of news: TÜV SÜD expanded its strong position even

in its highly competitive domestic market. In 2011, revenue in Germany rose by 5.5 percent. You will find detailed business figures and background infor-mation in the annual report issued by the TÜV SÜD Group. The report can be ordered free of charge at www.tuv-sud.com/annual-report.

[email protected]

€ 1,7bIl.in global revenue was generated by the TÜV SÜD Group in 2011


5 minutes

SEConDS ofEnThuSIaSM

minuteswith TÜV SÜD

award for job film

The jury was impressed: The TÜV SÜD video »A Good Job for Sure« won a sil-ver medal at this year’s Best of Corporate Publishing Awards. Germany’s leading awards for corporate communications were presented on June 27, 2012, in Ber-lin. The video focuses on four TÜV SÜD employees who talk in detail about their jobs and give viewers authentic insights into the multifaceted jobs that TÜV SÜD performs. You can view the video in German language at www.tuev-sued.de/karriere.

[email protected]

60

Energy-efficient lights: new testing lab in atlanta

About 10 percent of energy demand in industrial countries is produced by lighting in private households and public places – an area offering plenty of energy-saving poten-tial. Thanks to a new laboratory in Atlanta, Georgia, TÜV SÜD laid the groundwork for the extensive testing and certification of all sorts of lighting in the United States. Tests involving the ENERGY STAR label are also possible. More than $1 million was invested in the new [email protected]

Germany’s smartest company sought

Which company has the best company training and talent management? The answer to this question is to be supplied by the German Training Award, a joint initiative of TÜV SÜD Academy and EuPD Research. The competition is open to all companies that professionally promote the further training of their employees and employ systematic talent management. »We think a smart company is one that not only knows how to recruit qualified employees, but also views the systematical support of talented employees and the strategic further training of all employees as a key factor in their success,« says Kai Probst, Managing Director of TÜV SÜD Academy. The German Training Award will be presented in four categories covering companies of various sizes. Interested companies can fill out the qualification form at www.deutscher-bildungspreis.de. A nine-member jury of experts will study and evaluate all applications and then select the participants of the final round.

[email protected]

1 million vehiclesin South africa

Growth vibes in South Africa: The TÜV SÜD investment company AVTS Roadworthy Sta-tions has inspected its millionth vehicle. The taxi driver Michael Olifant was greeted at the AVTS service center in Cape Town as the »milestone customer.« For Viktor F. Metz, a member of the management team at TÜV SÜD Auto Services, the one-million-figure is proof that TÜV SÜD and AVTS were optimally prepared for the introduction of periodic vehicle inspections in South Africa: at the moment, the country is debating a legislative proposal that would require all vehicles older than 10 years to undergo an inspection by a neutral third party every two years. Currently, the inspec-tion requirement applies only to vehicles used for commercial purposes. Private cars have to be inspected only when they are being sold to another individual. [email protected]

four employees talk about their jobs in one-minute talks.


Auf die Probe

16 TÜV SÜD journal

To the test

HACKER- SAFE

They are the worst nightmare of companies and government agencies: hackers

who take advantage of gaps in security to paralyze computer systems or access

confidential information. This is how the hacker group Anonymous stole banking

information from gaming-console customers and blocked credit-card websites,

among other things. A prominent ex-member who goes by the alias SparkyBlaze

reveals how companies can protect themselves from these kinds of Internet attacks.

TO THE

TEST

#16 SECURE

IT-SYSTEMS

#18 CHINA’S

SCHOOL ELITE



Auf die Probe

HACKER- SAFE

What brought you to Anonymous?Discovering security lapses in computer systems is a passion of mine – along with fighting for free-speech rights. It doesn’t take long on the Internet to stumble on a page about Anonymous, and soon you’re poking around their chat rooms. That was the beginning – the same goes for most of the other members.

What do you think of politically motivated hacking?I think it’s OK to target authoritative re-gimes, gain access to their data and for-ward them on to WikiLeaks. But to post user names and passwords on a pastebin (a sort of blackboard for the Net) or to pass on information about the very people we’re fighting for – that’s wrong.

In your opinion, how does the world see hackers?Hackers are disliked. They are the big, bad wolves who should go ahead and come out of their lairs. In that sense, I think most people have no idea what hacking is. They use the same passwords for everything and don’t use antivirus software or firewalls.

Are companies more careful?Not necessarily. They have software and hardware that protect their systems from storage overflow, malware, DDoS (distributed denial-of-service attacks) and code execution. But what’s the point of having all this if it is so easy to figure out pass-words or trick someone into deactivating

the firewall? To do that, all you have to do is pretend to be Greg from computer main-tenance – this social engineering presents the biggest problem.

What advice would you give com-panies?Implement strict policies for information security, have an external company run regular security scans, set up systems for

intrusion detection, and train employees on the topic of data security and social engineering. You also have to constantly update not just your software and hard-ware, but the firmware for embedded sys-tems as well. Most importantly: hire good system administrators. You could even let them attend a hacker conference, such as DEFCON in Las Vegas. And don’t forget: Introduce good physical security measures as well. What’s the use of all the security software and other efforts when someone can just walk in, pick up the »secure« sys-tem and leave?

»In IT security today social engineering is the biggest

Problem.«


To the test

Interview: Thomas Weber

More information on IT security:www.tuv-sud.com/activity/focus-topics/embedded-systems/industrial-it-security

The man behind the mask

SparkyBlaze wants to start a new life on the straight and narrow. For that reason, he is keeping his true identity a secret. He is will- ing to share just a little bit about himself: He is between 20 and 30 years old, comes from Manchester and was a terrible student: »I was bored to death as a kid until I discovered com-puters. Now, I plan to study computer science in the United States. It was always a dream of mine to live there because I love guns – and they are illegal in Great Britain.«


Auf dem WegTo the test

Confucius‘China’s students are considered to be the most studious in the world. But are they learning the right things?

T he school day begins even before the sound of the morning’s first gong reverberates through the hallways. The teacher calls out

»shang ke« and then claps her hands. »Class time!« The seventh-graders dutifully stand up, offer a greeting and take a bow. They are clad in blue track suits. The red scarves of the Communist Party’s young pioneers adorn their necks. Down jackets protrude

from beneath the uniforms of some pupils. And for good reason: a distinct chill fills the air. The Middle School of the Jingan Edu-cation College has no heating system. The teacher has hooked up her laptop to a pro-jector. By the time the gong rings for the first class of the day, she is already going over the third slide of her PowerPoint presentation: a poem from the Tang Dynasty. In no time flat, the students have learned the eight-line

text by heart. No one interrupts, and no one cuts up. »We don’t want to waste our time,« one pupil says. »If we don’t pay attention in class, we are only hurting ourselves.« No one would ever think the pupil was trying to be an eager beaver by saying such things.

The pupils have accomplished some-thing that fills the dreams of millions of Chinese children and, above all, their parents: They have gained admission to a

childrenText: Bernhard Bartsch | Photos: Egill Bjarki


To the test

specialty school, one of the country’s elite academies that has the habit of rubbing some people the wrong way. When Chinese students took part in the PISA study for the first time in 2009, they immediately shot to the head of the class among their interna-tional peers. »Education traditionally has a high priority in Chinese culture, and our teachers have been thinking for a long time about how we can improve our system,« says Principal Zhang Renli. »Our PISA success didn’t come out of the blue. It was simply the result of long, hard work.«

The educational system in the People’s Republic of China demands that children, in particular, do this hard work. The con-cept can be found in such books as a recent

child-rearing guide that was dressed up as a memoir, »Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother.« After the book written by Amy Chua, a U.S. citizen of Chinese descent who teaches law at Yale University, appeared in 2010, it trig- gered an impassioned debate in Europe and the United States. While Chua’s call for children to be subjected to the maximum amount of pressure to perform was roundly rejected, it also nurtured the secreted, frequently un- spoken feeling among many people that the competitive spirit of the West had been sapped by decades of affluent, cushy lifestyles.

Where’s the fantasy?But other countries were comparing them-selves with the Chinese educational system

at a time during which this very system was being racked by self-doubts. And these doubts continue to eat away at it. There is no question about it: Chinese students learn a lot – they spend twice as much time attending class and doing homework as their American peers do, according to a study by the Asia Society.

But do they learn the right things? This question is an issue that is constantly debated in the Chinese media. A »fantasy-focused educational system« was the buzz words that Hu Jiankang, a politician who focuses on school policy, tossed into the de-bate last year. He went on to point out to his

A student-to-teacher ratio designed to produce success:

800 students/100 teachers. »In addition, every instructor teaches just one subject so that he or she can really specialize in it,« Principal Zhang Renli says.

The blackboard is completely covered. The playing field is totally vacant: the school‘s curriculum is heavily biased toward the natural sciences. Mathematics, biology, chemistry and physics are required subjects for every student. Art, music and physical education play only a bit part.


To the test

fellow citizens that not one of the 20 most sig-nificant developments in recent years that had had a major impact on people’s lives had originated in China. It is a bitter pill for a country that once considered itself to be the most in-novative in the world, a nation that came up with such things as gunpowder, printing and dentures. »China’s schools are good at preparing students to take standardized tests,« says Jiang Xueqin, Assistant Principal of the High School at the highly respected Peking University and one of the most prominent critics of the current system. »This is indeed the way to train good bureaucrats and auditors, but not creative, innovative people.« But, he argues, creativity and innovativeness are the very traits that China needs if it intends to become something more in the international economic pecking order than a low-cost factory.

Where’s the individual support?Instead of relying on the PISA results, Jiang prefers to talk about a comparative study that the International Organization for the Evalu-ation of Educational Achievement conducted in 2009. In this study, Chinese students did

rank no. 1 in mathematics. But when it came to creativity, they fell to 17th place among 21 countries. Chinese experts can certainly cite some more positive statistics, including those demonstrating the rapidly rising num-ber of Chinese patent registrations, scientific papers and researchers returning home from abroad. And there is no doubt that China’s rocket-like economic growth is largely due to the work done by its engineers, scientists and developers. But there is also no doubt that China is leaving a huge share of its po-tential untapped as long as it pushes all of its students through the same elite production line without giving the slightest bit of consideration to their individual abilities and ways to encourage these talents.

The system works like a soccer league: the best students go to the better schools, and less capable students are sent to the minor leagues. Many children have weekly

Inequality:

18 timesmore money is invested in each child’s education in Shanghai than in China’s low-income provinces, according to a U.N. study.

Hurry up and get to class! The first class gong will not sound for another 15 minutes. But that won’t stop the teacher from starting early.

schedules that are so jampacked with ap-pointments that they resemble those of top managers. In addition to tutoring sessions that last well into the night, they attend special weekend courses devoted to mathematics and essay writing. Rewards and prizes keep the children in line.

The ultimate destination of this drill is the National Higher Education Entrance Examination that students take at the end of the 12th grade. From the very first day of kindergarten, young Chinese live their lives in the shadow of the so-called »Gaokao,« a three-day examination conducted through- out the country at the same time. Nearly half of the approximately 20 million students in a particular age group take the test each year. Roughly half of them will be accepted by a college. But only graduates of the elite uni-versities will have really good career oppor-tunities. Less than 10 percent of all children make this jump.

Learning is a central element of Chinese culture. Principal Zhang Renli quotes Con-fucius: »Just as the artisan needs a workshop to complete his task, the noble one requires steadfast learning to complete his journey.« He adds that the school system has moved beyond simple memorization. »We are do-ing more group work and are encouraging students to find their own solutions to their classwork. The children enjoy it, and they are better adjusted,« he says. »But you don’t get accepted to a university by being well-adjust-ed. You get in by scoring well on the test,« adds the principal who is reaching the end of his 50s. »Only with hard work and diligence.«

More information on education:www.tuev-sued.de/management_systems/ education_quality

TÜV SÜD journal 21

On location

People:

The teddy bear tester

W ill Bruno, a 10-inch stuffed ted-dy bear, actually turn out to be a problem bear? He has everything that children love: a

cuddly body, eyes of black buttons and a fluffy coat. But that’s not good enough for Robert Zieg-ler of TÜV SÜD. In the toy-testing lab in Munich, he slips the teddy bear into a clamp. Applying a force of 70 newtons, the weight of 16 pounds, he pulls on the toy’s arms and legs to see whether the stitching will hold. He then applies 90 newtons to those button eyes. They must remain in place for 10 seconds. If they do so, it is a safe bet that the eyes will not come loose during play and possibly even be swallowed by a child.

Bruno handled the pressure of the first test well. Now, it’s time for the second round. For this test, the bear has to have his left arm amputated. The coat and the inner-material have to be checked. Parts of them are placed into diluted hydrochloric acid that has been warmed to 100 degrees Fahrenheid, a so-called bath of stomach acid. Should noxious substances show up in the solution, Bruno will be a real problem bear. After all, these harmful substances could be released if a child sucked on the bear’s coat. But that’s not the case with Bruno. Now, he has to move onto the next test: the flamma- bility check. Robert Ziegler really lights the bear’s fire this time. The flame should not spread faster than 30 millimeters per second. »We simulate what could happen if a child with a teddy bear got too close to a candle,« Ziegler says. »Sometimes, it is al-most too much to bear. But it would be even worse if a child was injured by a toy.«


More information on toy testing:www.tuv-sud.com/industry/consumer-products-retail/toys-children-products

Robert Ziegler, 44, handles toys, child-care products and playground equipment at TÜV SÜD.


Auf dem Weg

In training runs, the Münch TTE-2 regularly leaves motorcycles with combustion enginesin the dust. The electric motorcycle is regarded as the world’s fastest and at a race in Hungary,

the bike showed just what it can do.

ON THE

MOVE

#22 POWER

IN THE TANK

#26 NEW

BATTERIES

Thequiet

winners


On the move


Auf dem Weg


R ight before the race, the world champion reaches for a jar of »Apothekers original horse liniment,« and rubs a

walnut-size amount into his neck and then to his upper arms. In a last step, he massages it into his calves. The smell of mountain pine now wafts through Box 27 at Hungaroring. It’s a short ritual be-fore the race, just like the special energy drink the motorcycle pro prepares for

races. »It goes straight to the cells,« Mat-thias Himmelmann says while he stirs the orange-brown liquid with a felt-tip pen held upside down. Later, when he’s speeding around the track at 140 mph and his pulse’s racing at 180 beats per minute, it’s good if the body still has some energy reserves to tap, he says.

Matthias Himmelmann – sturdily built, tan, cheerful – is the top racer on the Münch team. He is the world champi-

on of the TTXGP series, a type of World Cup for electric motorcycles, and de-fending champion of the FIM-ePower Championship. His team manager calls him an »adrenalin-filled fighter who is still level-headed.« Himmelmann wants to win. But, today, there’s not a trick in the book that helps: no level-headedness, no salve, no energy drink. Himmelmann fails to finish the second race of the FIM-ePower Championship

Text & Photos: Timour Chafik

Will the asphalt stay dry? One last glance at the clouds. A team handshake. Then Katja Poensgen and Matthias Himmelmann from Münch Racing take off on their electric motorcycles and race to win.

On the move


On the move

series in Hungary. During the third lap, his Münch TTE-2 comes to a stop shortly after the long straightaway. »Electrical problems!« he shouts to the marshal as the other two starters race by. It’s not the nearly 350-volt high-tech battery for the electric engine that has died. Of all things, it’s the 12-volt board-net battery – the kind you can find in every hardware store – that’s gone on the fritz.

A starting lineup with three racers – that’s a manageable field. This is the result of the fact that many racers and motorcycles are still recovering from the legendary Isle of Man TT race held a few days earlier. Münch, by contrast, is giving all it’s got in Hungary and has sent two racers to the starting line: Katja Poensgen has been racing alongside Himmelmann since this spring. While he applies his magic ointment, she plays »Con-

31 milesA charge of the battery gives the Münch TTE-2 this range. In real-life traffic situations, the motorcycle could travel about 130 miles on a single charge.

nect Four« with her daughter. She loses the game, but not the race at Hungaroring.

A shot of pioneer spiritThe Würzburg-based motorcycle-maker Münch is responsible for putting the most high-performance serial-production motor-cycle in the world to date on the road: the Mammut 2000. And now the company’s venturing into e-mobility – from the most powerful combustion engine to the fastest electric motorcycle. If you want to know why the Mammut-makers are so fasci- nated by electrically powered two-wheelers, ask Thomas Petsch, mechanical engineer, entrepreneur and team manager for Him-melmann and Poensgen. Petsch bought the Münch brand in 1997, fulfilling a childhood dream. He now calls it his own and is imbuing it with pioneer spirit. »E-mobility is the fu-ture,« he says. »Besides, championing something like this is a great deal of fun for me, especially since you can do it as a small team. You don’t have to be a big manufacturer.«

With the Münch TTE-2 – 80 kW of power output, torque topping 12,700 revolutions a minute, 460 pounds, speeds of 140 mph to 150 mph – the team of Petsch, Poensgen and Himmelmann regularly offer up surprises. The first: there is no roar, no sound from shifting, no ear-deafening noise. There are also no thundering vibrations that surge through your body when the pack speeds by: All there is to hear is a constant buzz. »The speeder bikes of the Imperial Forces in ›Star Wars‹ – that’s what it sounds like,« says Thomas Schuricht, the technical brain of the team. »Our sound has attracted a real fan base.«

Cutting power instead of opening the throttleWhat else is different? Electric motorcycles have no gear boxes or clutches. »From the get-go, there is continuous torque. The bikes accelerate in no time flat. And if you cut the power, the engine doesn’t brake. Instead, it continues to roll without losing almost any speed,« Schuricht explains. »In races, we take

Matthias Himmelmann (left) is the world champion of the TTXGP series, the World Cup for electric motorcycling. He, however, was bestead by his teammate Katja Poensgen (right) during the race at the Hungaroring racetrack. The motorcycle pro with the number 65 also pulled up to the starting line on a Münch TTE-2.


On the move

Green power pack: the Münch TTE-2

If one converted the power of the TTE-2’s 680 battery cells into combustion-engine terms, the result would be about 0.4 gallons of gasoline. The Münch motorcycle’s three-phase engine, however, uses this power with more than 90 percent efficiency. The lithium-polymer battery needs to charge for four hours in order to tap its full output of 80 kW. »Of course, we can‘t maintain this level of power over the entire racing distance,« says Technical Director Thomas Schuricht. »So we have to ride as if we had forgotten to fill the tank but still want to reach our destination.« Speaking of goals: At the next race, Münch plans to set up a wind turbine next to the pit to produce electricity for the TTE-2. Motorcycle racing just doesn’t get any greener than that.

It took 30 months to develop the Münch TTE-2.

More than € 500,000 were invested in the electric motorcycle by company ownerThomas Petsch during this time.

advantage of these roll phases of about 500 meters where we cut the juice to give the batteries a rest.« Those who race bikes with combustion engines, by contrast, open their throttles to the max and are constantly shifting gears. This generates road changes that make the motorcycle difficult to handle. »We don’t shift gears, so the bike handles well and the ride is much smoother.« That sounds a bit like a Carrera track: cars that accelerate into the curve fly out of it.

Listening to the bike»We have watched traditional racers end their training sessions dumbfounded,« says Himmelmann. »They simply couldn’t believe that we were faster than their combustion-engine bikes.« Riding electric motorcycles is very different, he adds: You have to learn restraint, employ different timing, really lis-ten to the motorcycle and use the electricity wisely. »You notice when the battery slowly gets weaker. The motorcycle doesn’t accelerate out of the curve quite so rapidly.«

But listening to the motorcycle hasn’t done Himmelmann much good today: He’s dead in the water. Teammate Poensgen speeds by, finishes the eight laps and wins hands down. Had Himmelman completed the race, all three starters would have graced the podi-um. »We would prefer the challenge of racing against more motorcycles and not just have three motorcycles in the starting lineup,« Schuricht says. »After all, when you’re always at the front of the pack – and we don’t have any real competition – you fall into a routine, or shift down a notch, and that’s when the stupid mistakes occur.«

The world champion is standing below the podium and smells like mountain pine. His teammate pulls her daughter onto the winners’ podium – and now there are three standing there.


More information on e-mobility:www.tuv-sud.com/industry/automotive-transportation/e-mobility


On the move

Power-packed researchBatteries are about to undergo the most sweeping changes since they were invented by the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta in 1800. Around the world, researchers are busy working on alternatives to traditional nickel-cadmium and lithium-ion batteries. The graphic here details five promising innovations and the stage of their development.

@

+

–

Product

Idea

Potential

Obstacles

Online

Thin-film battery Textile battery

A lithium-ion battery that is transparent and thin and as flexible as film: student Yuan Yang from Stanford University has succeeded in creating conductors that are invisible to the naked eye.

A battery without any liquid electrolytes, woven into clothing: this is the goal of the re-search team led by Professor Maksim Skoro-bogatiy of Polytechnique Montréal.

The areas of application are enticing: thin-film batteries, for instance, could replace the current technology in smart phones, enabling the devices to be both lighter and flatter.

According to Maksim Skorobogatiy the batteries have enough power to make safety vests blink, heat gloves, send an SOS or even run a defibrillator.

The energy density is still one-tenth of that available in a nickel-cadmium battery. Yuan Yang expects it will take three years until the battery reaches the same level.

The material surrounding the polyethylenoxide electrodes, the lithium-iron-phosphate cathode and the lithium-titanate anode is not yet strong enough to protect these components sufficiently.

You can view a video about the thin-film bat-tery at youtube.com/watch?v=5boywxr8ot4. More information on the home page of Yang‘s professor: www.stanford.edu/group/cui_group

At www.photonics.phys.polymtl.ca, you will find continuously updated research reports and the latest papers by Maksim Skorobo-gatiy and his team.

Text: Lukas Pitule


On the move


Power-packed research

Carbon battery Cement battery Redox-flow battery

K eys that open doors with radio signals and heating valves that are controlled by an app: the growing

wave of electrification taking place in everyday devices has given a fresh charge to the creativity of battery developers. They are working to turn everyday materials like plastic, cloth and concrete into energy-storage sys-

tems. Instead of using heavy recharge-able batteries, energy reserves can be stored in components like the case of a notebook or the body of electric cars. Cell phones could be recharged on the road by using T-shirts, and the walls of a building could store solar power generated on the roof. None of the con-cepts is ready for the market yet. But each of them has promise.

The car body as an energy-storage unit: European researchers and automakers intend to turn this idea into a reality by using a mix of carbon fibers and polymer resin.

The composite material is both stable and light enough for use in automaking. 1,100 ponds of material could extend the range of an electric car by 40 miles.

The material is more of a capacitor than battery. It can be charged and discharged in a flash – the perfect solution for using brake energy, but a poor choice for a constant energy supply.

Lead researcher Emile Greenhalgh of the De-partment of Aeronautics at the Imperial Col-lege London offers insights into the project at www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZ7A51h6cwU

Walls acting as batteries: researchers led by Qiaoli Meng of the University of Buffalo have achieved this by using a composite consisting of cement, zinc, magnesium dioxide and carbon.

When the mixture dries, it is as hard as concrete. As a result, it is not only able to store energy, but also has the static properties required for buildings.

A kilogram of the composite can store just a few microwatt hours of power. But this defi-ciency can be offset by the fact that tons of concrete are used in buildings.

You will find an article on the project writ-ten by Qiaoli Meng at http://wings.buffalo.edu/academic/department/eng/mae/cmrl/ documents/cement_matrix_battery.pdf

Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute are working on a battery whose converter technology and case are stationary and whose charge is transportable in the form of electrolyte fluid.

Like hydrogen obtained from the electrolysis of water, such redox-flow batteries can help buf-fer the overcapacities of solar and wind power units and store the excess electricity.

Researchers do have 20 years of experience with this type of battery, in which the electro-lyte is located outside the cells in contrast to traditional batteries. But the size is new.

You will find detailed information about the redox-flow concept of the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology (ICT) at www.ict.fraunhofer.de/de/komp/AE/rfb.html

More information on batteries:www.tuv-sud.com/industry/telecoms-information-technology/battery-certification

28 TÜV SÜD journal

To the point

TO THE

POINT

#28 LIVE TV:

HOW IT WORKS

#30 SEMINAR

GUIDE

When gold medals begin to be awarded at the Summer Olympics starting on July 27, 2012, things will be glit-tering at home as well. But just how will those images

actually end up on TVs, tablet computers and notebooks?

„LIVE AR OUNDTHE WORLD

#3Up and away

With parabolic antennas, TV signals are transmitted by satellite

(e.g., Sirius) to broadcasting centers (e.g., the German public station ZDF in Mainz) – traveling 22,000 miles above the Earth and back in less than half a second. In contrast,

the Internet signal that has already been compressed by the entry server is

simply sent to the streaming server.

#4

The right format The streaming server converts

the audio and video data into a suit-able file format for Web TV, for example RMTP (Real Time Messaging Protocol).

Signals are also converted at TV broadcasting centers: video and audio

of 270 MBps are compressed to 8 MBps in a matter of 1.2

seconds.

#2It‘s all in the mix

Cables transmit the signals to TV broadcasting vehicles

for selection and the mixing of video and audio data – as well

as for live streaming on PCs and the like on the entry

server.

#1Action!

Digital TV cameras record the competition.

The images are converted into electrical signals.


To the point

TÜV SÜD journal 29

Auf den Punkt

„LIVE AR OUNDTHE WORLD

#5Well distributed

The signal is fed into traditional TV networks (cable,

satellite, DBV-T) with this 1.2-second delay. The data for Web TV are now distributed as well: the live steam is

then transmitted through the so-called entry point to an entire network of

servers in the content delivery network (CDN).

#6The finish line

Computers and cell phones can access data from the

CDNs using a Flash or QuickTime player. Antennas, cable or satellite dishes deliver the

signals to TVs.

#7As good as live

The events at the Olympic Stadium in London appear almost

in real time on the screen. Thanks to 4G, the new standard in mobile data

transmission, it will even be possible to smoothly stream over mobile phone

networks: 4G allows for data transmission rates of up to

100 MBps.


To the point

More information on TV and multimedia:www.tuv-sud.com/industry/consumer-products-retail/electrical-electronics


To the point

Guide:

Traps of further training

The scheduling trap:Professional-development courses assure that com-panies and employees re-main competitive over the mid- and long-term. Do not fall into the temptation of constantly putting them off because of pressing daily business matters.

2 The provider trap:Only targeted, professionally sound seminars pro-

duce results. Before you sign up for one, check on

the quality of the organizer: consult professional

journals, online portals and colleagues. Or even

have a personal preliminary consulting session.

3 The price trap:The lowest-cost seminar is not necessarily the best one. Keep quality and the desired qualifi-cation in mind: Will an individual course really help you out? Will a state-ment of participation be enough or do you need a recognized certificate?

The preparation trap: People who explore the seminar’s topic ahead of time will profit that much more from further training. As a result, you can ask more targeted questions and get more answers that especially address your needs and offer specific suggestions for applying the infor-mation you have learned at work.

5 The ignorance trap:Further training offers nothing? Without keeping your base of knowledge up to date, you miss out on opportunities to find more inter-esting jobs, take on further respon-sibilities and earn a higher salary.4

1

Lifelong learning is nothing new, as this 2001 German stamp demon-strates. It shows Lämpel, the teacher from Wilhelm Busch‘s »Max und Moritz.« The text says: »The decision is thus: That people must learn something, can learn something, thank God, their whole life long.«

Nothing is older than yesterday’s knowledge! Lifelong learners are the only people who stayon top of the times. The five biggest misconceptions about further training and ways to avoid them.

More information on further training:www.tuv-sud.com/activity/activities/training


Academy | dates

Training tipsTÜV SÜD AcADemy

In each issue of TÜV SÜD Journal, we introduce to you a selected series of seminars. This issue’s topic is:

Energy efficiency of buildingsHeating and cooling, warm-water supplies, electricity: huge reservoirs of untapped savings are lurking in many buildings owned by companies and private individuals – and they do not have to sacrifice one bit of comfort in the process. TÜV SÜD Academy offers several seminars and training courses on this topic. The programs help architects, energy consultants and facility managers design their buildings more efficiently:

An overview of selected seminars

The German Energy Saving Ordinance 2012 in theory and practice – evaluating buildings in a future-focused manner

The energy analyst – qualified assessments of energy costs

Technical expert for the hydraulic adjustment of heating units

Detailed information on seminars and open dates online atwww.tuev-sued.de/academy

TÜV SÜD Academy Contact: Christan [email protected]+49 89 5791-2643

08/09/10cALeNDAR

AUGUST

e-miglia, Start in Munich, Aug. 12–16

Eurobike, Friedrichshafen, Aug. 29 – Sept. 1

IFA Consumer Electronics Trade Fair, Berlin, Aug. 31 – Sept. 5

SePTemBeR

dena Energy Efficiency Congress, Berlin, Sept. 18–19

InnoTrans, Berlin, Sept. 18–21

Husum Wind Energy, Husum, Sept. 18–22

IAA Commercial Vehicles, Hanover, Sept. 20–27

MedConf, Munich, Sept. 25–27

OcTOBeR

Expo Real, Munich, Oct. 8–10

EAS, Berlin, Oct. 9–11

Chillventa, Nuremberg, Oct. 9–11

You can experience TÜV SÜD in person at the following trade fairs, congresses and events. Our team of experts is looking forward to meeting you.

More information on the dates: www.tuv-sud.com/events

ImPRINT

Publisher: TÜV SÜD AG, Westendstraße 199, 80686 München

Owners: TÜV SÜD e.V. (74,9 %), TÜV SÜD Stiftung (25,1 %), Westendst. 199, 80686 Munich

Head of Corporate Communications: Matthias Andreesen Viegas

Project Manager and Editor in Chief: Jörg Riedle

Contact: +49 89 5791-0, [email protected]

Realization: Medienfabrik Gütersloh GmbH, Neumarkter St. 22, 81673 Munich

Printing: Eberl Print GmbH, Kirchplatz 6, 87509 Immenstadt

Photo credits: Corbis (1, 4, 5, 21), TÜV SÜD (14, 15, 21, 32, 33), GettyImages (16, 17), Egill Bjarki (18, 19, 20), Timour Chafik (22, 23, 24,25), Deutsche Post (30), Illustrations: LULU*

TÜV SÜD Journal appears quarterly. Articles appearing in the magazine are copyrighted.

TÜV SÜD Journal is printed in a climate-neutral manner on paper from sustainable forestry.

carbon neutralnatureOffice.com | DE-141-430877

print production


5 minutes

5Company health

Employee health has long been a strategic issue for com-pany executives. Now there is a new reference book for all companies that want to improve their health-management systems: the 2012 Corporate Health Yearbook, co-pub-lished by TÜV SÜD. You can order it at [email protected]

In Spain for Audi and VW

TÜV SÜD has its sights set on the used-car market in Spain. During the next three years, the company will support the main distributor for VW and Audi to improve and expand its used-car sales network on the Iberian Peninsula. Among other services it provides, TÜV SÜD set up a training program for this purpose. [email protected]

Child protection

China is one of the key producers of toys. Reason enough for TÜV SÜD to team up with the German Society for Inter-national Cooperation to provide information at a series of symposia about international product-testing mechanisms. The aim of these efforts: to improve toy safety, particularly in terms of the materials used to make them. [email protected]

On July 1, 2012, several changes to the vehicle roadworthiness test took effect. The most important change: the elimination of backdating. Appointments for the next roadworthiness test are no longer determined on the basis of the actual

expiration date, but rather on the actual appointment for the test. An invitation to procrastination? No, say the TÜV SÜD ex-perts. After all, vehicles tested more than two months late must complete an in-depth roadworthiness test at a 20 percent higher rate. And they risk incurring a fine from the police. Another change that took effect on July 1, 2012: a short test drive at a minimum of 8 km/h must be conducted as part of each roadworthiness test. Using a special diagnostic device, such safety

systems as ABS and distance control are examined.

[email protected]

Vehicle roadworthiness test: Several changes as of July 1, 2012

5MILLION VEHICLEROADWORTHINESS TESTS are conducted in Germany each year.

Entry into the South African real-estate market

TÜV SÜD is systematically expanding its activities in South Africa: The company has acquired the Cape Town-based company WAC Projects, the largest independent provider of inspection and consulting services for elevators. Its range of services in-cludes consulting for new and existing elevators, periodic safety and quality inspections and due diligence. In the future, a particular area of focus will be services related to the energy efficiency and sustainability of [email protected]


5 minutes

minuteswith TÜV SÜD

MetroSolutions joins the TÜV SÜD Group

Advising, inspections and certifications for traffic projects in metropolitan regions are one of TÜV SÜD’s areas of expertise and a growth market. Metropolitan-area projects in which TÜV SÜD has been involved recently include those in Bangalore, Delhi and Mecca. Thanks to an acquisi- tion, the company has now bolstered its presence in Asia: Based in Hong Kong, MetroSolutions Limited advises government officials, train operators and investor groups on urban rail transport projects. According to Klaus Bosch, Managing Director of TÜV SÜD Rail, the acquired company ideally com-plements TÜV SÜD’s services: »There‘s a strong need for developing urban rail transport systems in Asia’s metropolitan areas in particular, as private transportation will not alleviate the traffic problems in Asia’s megacities.«

[email protected]

IN THE YEAR

2005 MetroSolutions begansupporting metropolitanrail projects.

Municipal vehicle fleets bank on efficiency

Garbage collection, street cleaning, public works – local officials require a number of commercial vehicles to do these jobs. A repre-sentative survey jointly conducted by TÜV SÜD and the market-research institute Technomar shows what towns and municipalities look for when buying vehicles: for more than half of them, energy efficiency is one of the most important buying factors. The main motiva- tion of the fleet operators: lower costs through decreased fuel consumption. Nearly one-third of respondents are currently considering the purchase of electric [email protected]

Guaranteeing safe equipment in Germany

The regular inspection of tech-nical equipment by independent experts ensures a high level of safety. Without regular techni-cal inspections, dangerous de-fects could go unnoticed. These are the key findings of the 2012 equipment-safety report, a com-prehensive list of statistics about

defects published by the authorized inspection bodies for elevators, pres-sure equipment and equipment used in explosion-hazardous areas. The inspection bodies point to a number of problems with elevators: Two-thirds of the elevators tested in 2011 exhibited defects while almost every 10th elevator had »safety-related defects.« The latest report is available at www.vdtuev.de.

[email protected]

450,000elevators underwentan authorized inspectionin 2011.

Family car of the year

»Safely mobile« was TÜV SÜD’s motto at the AMI trade fair in Leipzig. The highlight at the TÜV SÜD booth was the award presentation for the »family car of the year.« The readers’ choice award is jointly presented with the trade magazine AutoStraßenverkehr. [email protected]

More than 15,000 readers voted: The Skoda Roomster is the favorite car of German families.


The final say

All good things co me from above


The final say

Drones don’t have such a good reputa-tion. After all, their name is generally associated with military missions. None- theless, the potential of these flying robots extends deep into everyday life.

T he neighbor’s gazebo has recently begun to take on the trappings of a research lab. His latest toy is lying on the table: a drone. The tiny flying robot looks something like a cross

between a UFO and a helicopter: a slim gray body packed with an integrated camera and a complex technical set of organs in its trunk; rotors on the four arms on the side that enable the so-called quadrocopter to hover in the air. The remote control is directly integrated into the cell phone as an app. You just have to shell out €300 or so to hop aboard the new trend, the neighbor says as the drone’s motor buzzes to life.

Far away from the fun and games in the neighbor’s garden, high-tech drones have emerged as an important market of the future. Unmanned aircraft have become a boom business in the aviation industry. Still, drones can’t shake their shady image. Critics have concerns about people’s privacy. Even the neighbor has caught wind of this issue: As a private individual, he would be committing a crime should he spy on or film somebody.

Drones are true jack-of-all-trades: They can fly quickly and safely into remote areas, pinpoint forest fires, measure the spread of hazardous materials or lay the groundwork for rescue operations. Scientists and re-lief organizations have already enlisted their aid in such missions.

Right now, researchers are trying to make these unmanned aircraft even more effective and intelligent while teaching the technology to take more matters into its own hands. Today, drones have to rely on ground-based pilots to handle the flying. In the future, the air robots are to fly to destinations on their own, figure out routes and get around barriers. In addition, they are to automatically fly in formation without run-ning into one another.

Using drones to deliver medicine and relief sup-plies to out-of-the-way areas is just one of the major possibilities that the aircraft have opened up. The vision of the future also extends to parcel transport and even personal transportation. A Swiss research team has already developed claw-equipped drones that can erect buildings. U.S. researchers have pro-grammed drones to play musical instruments. And, one day soon, we may even have drones that can cook a meal, serve it and clean up afterward – by this time, at the latest, it would be time to throw a party in the neighbor’s gazebo.

All good things co me from above


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Africa’s groundwater reserves (depth of water in meters)

A new atlas brings hope to millions of people in Africa who, until now, have had no access to safe drinking water. The map created by a team at the British Geological Survey led by Alan MacDonald provides the key to the continent’s

groundwater supplies. It shows in detail where and at what depth the precious liquid can be found. »Most of Africa’s populated regions sit on water reservoirs that can be accessed by a hand pump,« the group of

experts writes in the trade journal »Environmental Research Letters.« The yield of these water sources, which are often located not even 50 meters below the Earth’s surface, is usually quite limited, but is sufficient to supply the local area with drinking water. As a result, people would no longer have to draw their water from sometimes polluted rivers and lakes where there is risk of such deadly diseases as cholera.

People without clean drinking water The Earth contains a huge amount of water – an estimated 330 million cubic miles. But only three percent of that is fresh water. This comes largely in the form of ice in glaciers and the polar ice caps. Roughly 30 percent appears as groundwater. Lakes, rivers and marshes make up just one percent. The proportion of people without access to clean drinking water varies greatly across the conti- nents (source: WHO 2012):

Africa 34%West Asia 20%East Asia/Pacific 9%Latin America 6%

Europe 1%North America 1%

Hope for Africa

Documents

Sharp or dull?€¦ · today.« Buildings designed solely along the lines of technical and functional criteria fre - quently seem drab to him: »The aesthetics of a great and sustainable