Please introduce yourself briefly.
My name is Marcel Kaltenberg and I work as a Junior Project Manager Development and I am responsible for internal project coordination together with the developers of the mechanical, hardware, and software components. I also support the other project managers in development work, customer communication, and project planning.
How did you get into medical technology?
Through my studies, I came into contact with interdisciplinary product development at an early stage and have always been interested in the development processes for industrial products. As a freelancer during my master's degree, I first came into contact with product development in medical technology, which was more or less by chance. The practical relevance and the associated product diversity have always been exciting for me, which is why I have stayed in the industry.
What's the biggest challenge in your job?
This question is not so easy to answer. I would say that the biggest challenge is probably taking on the role of liaison. That means communicating and acting as a bridge between the development team, other departments, customers, and external manufacturers and suppliers. The main thing is to get everyone on the same page and ensure that the project plans are adhered to.
What challenges do you see for the future?
I think it will become increasingly difficult to master the balancing act between short time-to-market and the highest quality - while at the same time ensuring stable supply chains and sustainable solutions that meet the increasing requirements.
If you could decide for yourself, what kind of product would you develop/build?
I found the question very interesting, so I actually thought about it for a while, but then I came up with the topic of fitness and health wearables. I think this is a very exciting topic in general, and I would find it very cool if there were a similar system that, perhaps using sensors or AI support, offered the possibility of detecting potentially critical physiological changes, such as diabetes or other cardiovascular diseases, at an early stage and implementing this with hardware, software, and mechanical components.
If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why?
I could answer that right away, because I've actually thought about it quite often *laughs*. It would definitely be teleportation. The idea of being able to be in different places from one second to the next would be an absolute dream. For example, drinking coffee at the Eiffel Tower on Sunday, then taking a walk through the Grand Canyon, and then eating pizza in Naples at lunchtime — that would be pretty cool.
What do you like most about your job?
It may sound a bit cliché, but it's actually the variety. I think that, especially as a project manager, no two days are the same. Of course, there are stressful or unpleasant appointments or tasks, but I have to say that since I've been here, which is now a good year, I haven't been bored yet. And because you're in constant contact with a wide variety of trades, there's a steep learning curve, which isn't the case in every job after a year, so that's a huge plus.
What makes BYTEC a great place to work?
Employees are highly valued and supported here, and although most colleagues have very dynamic day-to-day work, everyone always has time to answer questions or pull together and develop new ideas. And what I also see as a huge advantage here, unlike in large corporations, for example, is that you can accompany the development phases from the initial idea to actual market readiness, which makes it extremely attractive.
How would you describe our team in three words?
I had to think about that for a while, because it's not easy to describe something in just three words. But I decided on these three: smart, dynamic, and persistent.
Why persistent?
Because we're developing something that doesn't exist yet, so you have to try some things over and over again until something works. That can be discouraging at times. But everyone on the team is willing to come up with a new solution or try it 10 times until it works, and then they're willing to put in overtime if necessary, as long as they achieve the goal.
