Page 8 - Shimadzu Journal vol.9 Issue1

“Cooperations always are based on trust and on personal relations” | INSIGHT from CUSTOMER

Prof. Uwe Karst centered around LC­ICP­MS as well as LA­ICP­MS and integration of their

major product lines to
complementary MALDI­MS work.
a larger extent, which
Cooperations always are based on trust and on per­
would be excellent es­
sonal relations, and a major reason for us to work with
Shimadzu equipment at a larger scale during my
areas of speciation analysis and
Habilitation phase, in which I had very limited equip­
chemical imaging. This is one
ment, was an excellent relation with the local sales pecially in our research
agent, who always was helpful to a much larger extent of the major factors we are
than we could expect, and who just was an outstanding trying to contribute to in
ambassador for the company. Of course, producing our cooperation with the
well­performing and robust instrumentation helps as Shimadzu European Innovation Center on Imaging.
well, but the more complex the analytical challenges
get, the stronger dependency will there be on excellent Take a look into the future:
communication and cooperation between individuals What will happen in your research field and
on both sides. Additionally, in our current situation, a how will the change influence the instru-
broad spectrum of imaging instrumentation from any ments/procedures in ten years?
manufacturer is particularly attractive to us due to the
complexity of our analytical problems and the increased To my opinion, this goes very much in line with my reply
chances to tackle the most difficult challenges. to your earlier question: I am aware of the fact that
your major markets of today are not the research areas
Could you share any requests that you have we are currently working on and that your sales will
with respect to analytical and measuring mostly go to the mass markets in the routine labs.
instrument vendors? However, we are facing an increasing degree of com­
plexity, and being prepared to address this situation will
Let me start with a very general statement that is not become even more important in the future. While the
addressed to any particular vendor at all: While the medical imaging area will continue to expand due to its
world of analytical challenges is converging more and immediate and obvious benefit for the patient/cus­
more, including even a vanishing “wall” between “or­ tomer, the chemical imaging area is harder to predict,
ganic” and “inorganic” analysis, there often are business as the immediate necessity for the paying customer is
decisions of instrument vendors that lead to fragmen­ not as clear, thus hampering massive investments in
tation of product lines and separation of business units this field. Regarding the scientific contents, there will
that are hard to understand in the light of the increasing be massive progress in chemical imaging as well, lead­
complexity of analytical challenges. Sometimes, I wish ing to strong optimism regarding the future develop­
scientists would be more involved in the business deci­ ment. However, reaching the mass markets in routine
sions at instrument vendors, as this is not a matter of labs (medical, environmental, food) will require a signif­
rapid sales only, but of long­term business relations and icant reduction of the costs per analysis and of the
business development in a complex market situation. It need for highly qualified personnel. This can only be
may be naïve to think that sometimes, wise achieved by strong improvements regarding the speed
long­term decisions should overrule of the analysis (more spots per second in imaging
rapidly profitable decisions, but it mode), improved hard­ and software integration and
would accelerate technical prog­ possibly even strategic alliances between vendors of
ress so much … complementary instrumentation or between different
divisions of one vendor. Let me conclude with the state­
Back down to earth ment that there is an increasing amount of light on the
again, my wish would be horizon, but that the full sunrise has to be earned by
that manufac­ hard work and smart decisions in academia and indus­
turers decide try. We will do our best to contribute!
to improve

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