"CTE offers me exciting prospects."

From student to specialist. Today, Michael Gempp is an IT specialist in charge of major projects such as Roche's pRED. In this interview, he talks about his personal career at ControlTech Engineering AG.

Michael, would you recommend the dual study program at CTE?

Yes, absolutely. Students work very sensibly here. What they do should not disappear into a filing cabinet, but be useful for the customer and CTE. When I started in 2013, the IT department consisted of five people with a focus on internal IT. At the same time, we supported a few customers when it came to operating their OT infrastructures. This allowed me to quickly work independently, get involved and be productive. Instead of just thinking about theoretical scenarios, I programmed a prototype for a visualization with LabVIEW for a customer during my studies. Experienced colleagues were always on hand to answer questions and offer support. This pilot project even resulted in a follow-up order worth millions for CTE.

Is that why you stayed at CTE after completing your studies?

I was already involved in interesting projects and wanted to apply the specialist knowledge I had acquired directly to these projects and gain professional experience. At that time, we were already in the midst of developing CTE's position as an IT specialist and during this time we developed special infrastructure concepts and customized solutions for more and more customers. These included both networking and the operation of industrial production, for example in the field of chemical production or chemical disposal. I wanted to contribute to this development with my work and at the same time had the opportunity to develop my professional skills.

How have you been able to develop professionally?

As an IT service provider, you always have to keep up with the times and deal with important technologies and trends. Fortunately, CTE attaches great importance to further training so that we can support our customers with the latest technology. Network topics are becoming increasingly important, especially in the field of industrial IT. We have therefore continued to build up knowledge in this area. I was able to complete various training courses and certifications in the areas of network security, routing and switching. This specialist knowledge has in turn opened up new opportunities for me.

What opportunities have your further training courses opened up for you?

In my career, it has always been important to me to be able to develop both professionally and strategically. In the meantime, CTE has also developed significantly in the IT/OT sector and can draw on a comprehensive portfolio of developed concepts, solutions and services. On the one hand, this gives me the opportunity to support and take responsibility for exciting major projects as an IT specialist with my technical expertise. On the other hand, I can also contribute to strategic decisions in order to create the greatest possible added value for both the company and the customer.

Do you have an example of an exciting project that you were recently able to implement?

For Basellandschaftliche Verkehrsbetriebe (BLT), I was able to develop an extremely extensive network infrastructure that is used to monitor the systems of the streetcar rail network. This involves, for example, constantly checking whether the points are being heated correctly and are at the right temperatures so that their function is guaranteed at all times. I am currently working as an IT expert on Roche's pRED project . Developing real solutions together with the customer gives me great pleasure and makes every day something special.

Do you emphasize the authenticity of a work?

The great thing about my IT job in an industrial environment is that we're not just pushing bits around, but that it's about real products. If I can help to ensure that streetcar services in the region run smoothly or that a cancer drug that saves lives is developed at the new Roche research center pRED in the future, that's great, isn't it?