"A disaster on every level"
“That’s when our own problem-solving expertise—which we normally use for clients—came in handy in our own situation,” says host Ralph Kühnl to Thomas Kilimann, managing director and partner at io. He is referring to the fire that occurred two years ago in Heidelberg’s Bahnstadt district. That’s because io’s office building caught fire. It was a disaster on every level: Within just a few hours, the general planner had to create a new work environment to continue its projects. But what seemed impossible turned out to be a success: “The fire broke out on Friday, and by Monday we were back up and running,” reports Kilimann.
For io, a holistic, interdisciplinary approach is the be-all and end-all
The interview was broadcast on July 1 on the regional TV station rnf as part of the MetroVision series. The program showcases “innovation and excellence from the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region,” as Kühnl noted in his introduction. With Kilimann as a guest, the episode offers insights into the world of industrial planning—naturally with a focus on io as a general planner that addresses all of its clients’ challenges throughout the entire supply chain and develops comprehensive solutions. Holistic, interdisciplinary approaches are the be-all and end-all for io. After all, “large facilities are like an organism,” as Kilimann explains. “You can think of it as a body in which every technical element has its function and is interconnected,” which is why io brings all areas of expertise together under one roof. The episode also covers data management and AI integration, innovation and overregulation, elite U.S. universities and io University, Generation Z, and pill manufacturers. It offers infotainment with added value for doers and decision-makers—and comes highly recommended!
