Earlier this month, Bongki Engel joined Odense Robotics as the new Business Development Manager of Odense Robotics’ regional Sonderborg hub. Bongki will be responsible for initiating and developing the hub in close collaboration with Sønderborg Vækstråd. A key task will be strengthening a regional network for companies engaged in robotics, automation and drone tech. Bongki has more than 20 years of experience from the LEGO Group and the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including postings in the Danish Embassies in Argentina and Bulgaria.
How will you make a difference for robot and drone companies?
I am dedicated to supporting our members on their commercial journeys by drawing on my own competences and experiences. I look forward to working closely with Sønderborg Vækstråd to strengthen a focused network within robotics, automation, and drone tech in Southern Jutland.
Southern Jutland contains a large number of component manufacturers, machine manufacturers, integrators and knowledge institutions, who all operate in or have a strategic commercial interest in utilising the synergies among players to the fullest.
I am also eager to bridge the smaller and medium-sized robot and automation companies and the leading industrial corporates in especially Southern Denmark. We also hope to scale this activity to the rest of the country. I also look forward to providing our members with tangible increased value through targeted initiatives such as Robotics Innovation Sprint or internationalisation activities.
Overall, my ambition is to develop, innovate and provide Odense Robotics’ value proposition to the members, so they experience a value add to their business they would not necessarily have gotten. A huge cadeau to Bitten & Mads Clausens Foundation for their sponsorship to Odense Robotics, which has paved the way for this strengthened effort.
What are you most looking forward to?
I am eager to start visiting the companies and understand where they are, where they want to go and what challenges they consider to be obstacles for success. This is a prerequisite for us at Odense Robotics to customise our activities and initiatives based on the needs and wishes of our members.
In the long term, I am looking forward to exploring what the next robotics, automation and drone leaps looks like. Where is the industry headed? What are the drivers behind the developments? How can Odense Robotics help influence these? And what can Odense Robotics do to help our members prepare themselves for the journey?
What experience can you draw on to make a difference for the industry?
I have experience from the private as well as the public sector, which means I have solid insights for example into how to create new private and public partnerships. I look forward to benefitting from this as robotics, automation and drone technology is of equally relevance in the public as in the private sector – education, welfare services, transportation, to name a few.
Furthermore, I have provided counsel to many Danish SMEs on international markets and I have a firm understanding of what it takes to reach new markets or consolidate one’s position on various markets.
Finally, I would also like to assist Odense Robotics and the members in securing the best possible political and legislative framework conditions. Appropriate framework conditions are the perquisite for leveraging the growth potential in the entire robotics, automation and drone industry.