Feeling good at Würth Elektronik

Würth Elektronik is planning the High-Tech Innovation Center as an attractive workplace.
The Würth Elektronik eiSos Group manufactures electronic and electromechanical components such as LEDs, sensors, and switches. It sees itself as a technology enabler for forward-looking electronic solutions and is part of the Würth Group, the global market leader in the development, manufacture, and sale of assembly and fastening materials. Würth Elektronik is deeply committed to the concept of support and service – a human-centered approach that the company also lives by internally.

When planning its new company location in Munich-Freiham, the company placed a high priority on the working atmosphere. The High-Tech Innovation Center (HIC) was designed to meet the demands of new ways of working. The aim was to create a place where the focus is not on the premises themselves, but on the people. This did not only apply to those who are physically present in the innovation center of the Würth Elektronik Group. Particular consideration was given to those working from home or elsewhere remotely, influenced by the experiences of the coronavirus pandemic.

To gather ideas for creating an attractive working atmosphere at the HIC, the Würth Elektronik Group turned to the HPI d-school. Two student project teams worked in parallel. Their different approaches resulted in several proposed solutions and prototypes. These included virtual interaction maps, collegial tools, and so-called “capsule modules” – separate work areas tailored to specific functions.

An attractive workplace is oriented toward people, not space.

In the Design Thinking process, our project teams identified the needs of employees and derived the following goals:

• Facilitate focused work.
• Promote interactive exchange between colleagues.
• Strengthen sociability and a sense of community within the company.

The resulting “DigiTwin” concept is based on a virtual map of the new working environment at the HIC, which the project team has divided into the areas “lab,” “focus,” “meet,” “collaborate,” and “socialize.” It enables spontaneous interaction between employees. The expertise of colleagues is tangibly present, as if the team were sitting around a table. In this way, “DigiTwin” brings back precisely the spontaneity that is often lacking in hybrid collaboration.
Another group developed a concept dedicated to the well-being of employees despite the lack of spontaneous conversations in the coffee kitchen or elevator. With the help of an app, self-reflection on one's own well-being and appropriate support measures will be encouraged.

The Capsule Modules concept also focused on the needs of employees. Interviews conducted as part of the Design Thinking process revealed that physical interaction increases the well-being of most employees. At the same time, however, many of them also appreciate the opportunity to retreat to their home office. This concept therefore involves distributing small, enclosed rooms throughout the building that provide settings for different needs. Employees can choose between “co-creation,” “lounge,” or “focus” capsule modules and book them online for their own purposes. Depending on requirements, the flexible rooms enable creative brainstorming in groups, informal interaction, or concentrated individual work. Soundproofing guarantees confidentiality, control, and flexibility between the different working modes in the innovation center at all times.