A Single Question Can Change Our Lives
In his alumni story, Günter Struck, graduate of the Faculty of ETIT, shares how a chance conversation with a fellow student sparked over twenty invention disclosures, international collaborations, and an award-winning innovation journey:
An Authentic Success Story
As a sales engineer in Düsseldorf, I never imagined that a casual cafeteria conversation would shape my career path so profoundly and forge connections across continents.
"Günter, have you actually filed that as an invention?"
This simple question from Lutz Keferstein —a fellow student from my time at Ruhr University Bochum, whom I coincidentally reconnected with at Siemens in 2005—changed everything. Over lunch, I had enthusiastically shared details about a revolutionary SMT process I had developed.
His question opened my eyes to something I had never considered:
My solution could be patentable.
This realization triggered a true cascade of innovation. That first invention disclosure was followed by over twenty more across various fields over the next 20 years.
How powerfully ideas can connect people became strikingly evident in 2017, when our innovation journey took on international dimensions. Collaborating with Siemens Corporate Technology in Princeton, I met Dr. Heiko Claussen, Ram Kuruganty, and Dr. Tao Cui — a brilliant team that transformed my concepts into precise solutions.
(More about the team and project here)
Our smartphone-based machine monitoring solution, SIMOBILE —recognized as a finalist for the Werner von Siemens Award 2018—emerged directly from this cross-border collaboration.
(More in the video)
The pinnacle of our partnership came in November 2023, when together in New Jersey, we received the prestigious Thomas Alva Edison Patent Award — four dedicated engineers, united by an idea born in Düsseldorf and perfected in Princeton. (Watch the video)
Early 2025: Our latest global patent application has been filed. Tao Cui brilliantly translated my ideas for XR (Extended Reality) and CR (Contextual Reality) into precise technical specifications. What began as a simple machine solution is now shaping future technologies.
Yet beyond all patents and awards, what moves me most to this day is how professional contacts evolved into personal connections. Lutz as a patent attorney, along with Heiko, Ram, and Tao from Princeton, share with me not only technical discussions but also conversations about dreams, concerns, families, and our shared vision for the future. Our common values show us what we're truly working for and to what purpose.
One Key Insight
True innovation doesn't emerge from technology alone, but from the courage to seek conversations and build connections. One question, one open conversation can not only transform your own life but also deeply enrich the lives of others.
In my view, everyone has the potential to generate truly great ideas: Have the courage to share them! You never know which doors they might open.
Günter Struck, Alumnus of the Faculty of ETIT
