Starting Your Own Automation Business and Becoming a Digital Integrator

“Don’t talk – let’s do it!”

That’s the motto of our guest Danny Denk, CEO and founder of Ecosphere Automation, based in the heart of Germany. Together with his company, he develops automation solutions using cobots in modular components through a building block principle, allowing them to be highly flexible and customizable. 

Having been an automation engineer for more than 20 years, Danny set out to create Ecosphere in 2019, leading to him becoming what he proudly calls a ‘digital integrator’ today with 15 employees. In this fourth episode of ReAutomated, he shares experience, knowledge, and concrete advice from his journey of automation, from starting your own company to using cobots in revolutionizing new ways.

With Danny, we also discuss what it means to be a digital integrator, why the building block principle works so well for tailor-made solutions, and how he built his own “Experience Center” to support his customers. Furthermore, he talks us through the automation landscape of Germany, while sharing his views on something often discussed on the show – how automation can help small and medium sized businesses (SME) overcome challenges.

Finally, Danny gives insight as to how his mission is helping not only SME’s, but also supporting local educational institutions, inspiring a new generation of students through automation.

Episode highlights:

• Cobots in building blocks: Drawing on his inspiration of playing with LEGO Technic as a child, Danny explains how and why using cobots in modular components can pave the way for highly customizable and flexible solutions.
   
• Being a digital integrator: Imagine if you could find everything you wanted for your specific automation project in one place. With Danny’s vision of digital integration, that becomes reality, as he talks us through his platform and experience center, serving one-stop-shop for automation.
   
• Starting your own (automation) business: Drawing on more than two decades of experience as an automation engineer and now being a successful company owner himself, Danny shares his concrete advice on how to start business in the field of automation.
   
• Education through automation: When not busy developing building block solutions, Danny and his team engages with the local community by educating students on the many benefits of automation. Learn how, and why he think’s education is such a gamechanger within the field.

Connect with Danny and Ecosphere Automation:

• Danny Denk on LinkedIn
• Ecosphere Automation
• "The Big Five for Life" by John Strelecky (Danny's book recommendation)
   

Stay connected:

• Show notes: re-automated.com
• E-mail: socialmedia@universal-robots.com
• Twitter: @re_automated
• Instagram: @reautomated
• LinkedIn: Universal Robots

Host: Chris Savoia

Producer and editing: Andreas Haagen Birch

Editor: Morten Vium

Legal disclaimer: The views, information, or opinions expressed during the ReAutomated podcast series are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of Universal Robots. Universal Robots is n