UPDATE - The innovation magazine from Phoenix Contact

UPDATE - The innovation magazine from Phoenix Contact | Phoenix Contact

The power of the elements How the sun, wind, and water move the world The sun is the universal source of energy. Heating and cooling causes the atmosphere to move, water to evaporate, and make rain possible. 2,245 megawatts – the largest solar park in the world. 57 square kilometers in Rajasthan in the north of India 41 g CO2/kWh are generated by a photovoltaic system after the manufacturing carbon emissions are amortized after approx. two to three years (coal, 820 g CO2/kWh) The sun provides more energy in one hour than mankind consumes in a year 11 % of Germany’s electricity demand could be covered if every roof had a photovoltaic system installed 700 square kilometers of solar surface could cover the world’s electricity needs. That is around 378,000 soccer fields! x 378,000 18 % current average efficiency of the latest- generation photovoltaic panels 72 m Ten years ago, Swiss engineer and pilot André Borschberg completed the longest non-stop flight of all time, lasting five days and nights, in a solar-powered aircraft. The wings of the solar-powered plane were studded with more than 17,000 solar cells Weight: 2.3 t Average speed: 70 km/h 365 m 59.3% of the kinetic energy of the wind can theoretically be utilized by wind turbine generators 200 m i d n w d r a d n a t S n o i t a t s r e w o p i n o i t a t s r e w o p d n w e d u t i t l a - h g h u a k p h c S i i 368 m 157 m r e w o t V T n i l r e B l a r d e h t a C e n g o l o C The high-altitude wind power station in Schipkau/ Brandenburg (to be completed in 2026) will be the tallest wind power station in the world 1 liter 5.15 quadrillion tons – the weight of the entire mass of air on Earth. That is about one millionth of the Earth’s mass of water that is 100 meters high contains about 1 kilojoule of potential energy 90 % <2% current average efficiency of the latest-generation hydro- electric power plants New turbine technology and so-called fish ladders reduce fish mortality to less than two percent and open up migration routes to spawning grounds Highest hydroelectric power plant capacity worldwide in megawatts 0 0 0 , 4 1 0 0 0 , 6 1 0 0 5 , 2 2 Itaipú (Brazil/Paraguay) Baihetan (China) Three Gorges (China)

Andre Koehnke, Head of Vertical Market Energy, Phoenix Contact EDITORIAL Hope for the future Dear readers, There is hardly any other topic today that points so clearly to the future as energy. In 1859, Edwin Drake discovered a rich oil well in Titusville, Pittsburgh, USA. This discovery marked the beginning of industrial oil production. Oil and gas became the drivers of the modern world. But the power of the lost primeval forests of prehistoric times did not and does not come for free. The price of our unrestrained use of fossil fuels is now becoming apparent. Yet we have the power and the technology to turn the tide when it comes to heat, transportation, light, and propulsion. Alternatives, especially wind and solar energy, have long been able to replace oil and natural gas. In this issue of our customer magazine, we highlight the possibilities, technologies, and approaches for making the energy transition a success. We also show the people are part of this exciting journey into the future and what drives them. At Phoenix Contact, we are committed to the energy transition. Wherever electricity can replace the combustion of oil or gas as a form of energy, it is possible to obtain this energy from renewable sources. And that is where our technologies are used. Throughout the world and with success. On the way to an All Electric Society. The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine 3

The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine Y G R E N E Generate This issue is the first in a series that focuses on the topic of energy – its generation, storage, distribution, and consumption 4 The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine Committed to sustainability – Himmighausen is not only the ancestral seat of an age-old noble family. The generational mindset is also reflected in a state-of-the-art solar park 06 Natural resources The sun is the main force behind all activity on our planet. Its energy can be used directly via solar panels. Or via the detour of wind power, which captures the movement of the atmosphere heated by the sun. On the other hand, the energy detour via the combustion of fossil fuels, which were created through the capture of solar energy by photosynthesis, is proving to be a mistake in the long term.

SIGNPOST Take-off and landing are performed manually, the rest of the inspection is carried out autonomously by drones thanks to TOPseven 28 Vibrations reveal problems. On wind turbines as well 24 Josef Ecker knows what solar park operators need. After all, the Phoenix Contact Solution Partner is one himself 14 Energy on point – Synhelion bundles the power of the sun 20 Canadians use heat, pressure, and a fabric duct to combat ice formation on wind turbine generators 34 SOLUTION PARTNERS Sunny prospects Josef Ecker comes from a family of farmers. But instead of grain, the enterprising entrepreneur now harvests energy from the field | 14 FOCUS Energy in the spotlight It can get pretty hot in the blazing sun. Why is this exactly the right thing for a Swiss company? | 20 DEVELOPMENT When a wave warns The Wölfel company specializes in the detection and evaluation of vibrations. It also develops new solutions for wind turbine generators in collaboration with Phoenix Contact | 24 AUTONOMOUS DRONES Argus-eyed drones Manual intervention is only required for take-off and landing. For any other time, TOPseven has taught its small drones to behave autonomously | 28 ROTOR BLADE HEATERS Hot against ice Canadian and Finnish developers are using two very different methods to combat ice on rotor blades | 34 Editorial | 03 Behind the scenes | 40 Legal notice | 41 The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine 5

SOLAR POWER N oblesse oblige. Anyone like Georg von Puttkamer, goes back centuries, is used to thinking in the who was born into a family whose lineage Making a virtue out of necessity But this railroad line proved to be a suitable building block for the solar park idea. As von Puttkamer became more aware of the issue of climate change and the need for long term. Of course, not everyone would rise to this challenge. But the son of this noble family, originally from responsible personal action, he realized that the railway Hinterpommern, follows in the footsteps of his ancestors line, which he had always seen as a burden, was about to and is striving to keep the house, farm, and land together prove its worth 130 years after its construction: Land along so that he can pass them on to future generations. railroad lines can be used for concessioned construction And since von Puttkamer was not born yesterday and the yields from forestry and fields are not without risk due to climate change and the bark beetle, this forestry graduate and qualified tax consultant decided back in January 2020 to turn a low-yielding field into a large solar park. And a flagship park at that. This is because the solar park is within walking distance of the family’s home which, in fact, is the 300-year-old Himmighausen Castle with its adjoining estate and large landscaped park. A little less glamorous is the railroad line on which passenger and freight traffic runs from Hanover to the Ruhr region. The busy route runs just a few meters away projects such as solar parks. This means that there is no need for complex development plans and therefore a considerable amount of bureaucratic red tape to go through the approval process. So should four generations of railroad noise be good for something positive after all? Especially as the 16.4 hectares of agricultural land on which the solar park was to be built was rich, but not making anyone rich. This is because the land was rich in stones. A country road runs along the other side of the long valley on which the site is located. Railroad line, monoculture, road – a solar park would be most welcome here. from the castle and divides the stately garden into two However, the landowner had not reckoned with bureau- halves, as it does the entire estate. cracy, environmental impact assessments, and concerned citizens. There were a large number of objections and complaints, and the park became a political issue. It therefore took a good two years before the idea slowly The 16.4-hectare solar park extends to the right and left of the railroad line in the Fischbach Valley, whose stream flows into the Emmer River in Himmighausen 10 The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine

Jumping back in time to the construction phase: The solar panels are arranged in 684 strings connected to 57 inverters The park feeds energy into the public grid via two grid connections, each with a power control unit 12 25,650 GWh of power is generated by the park from the sun. That is enough for around 5,000 single-family homes photovoltaic panels were elevated so that there is space between them for groves and wildlife became a project. There are no projects without a project planner – and this role was filled by BLG Projekt from Wolfhagen. Phoenix Contact became the technical cooperation partner. The reason behind taking on this role was not completely altruistic, because the solar park is not far from the company’s own All Electric Society Park and serves as an opportunity for visitors to see the practical implementation and expertise of the Blomberg-based industry leader. meter power field into small plots. The idea was not only to combine a habitat for endangered animal and plant species with power generation, but also to restore the original, small-scale cultural landscape with hedges and groves. Sowing native flowers and herbs between the rows of modules gives insects a rich menu and prevents soil erosion at the same time. Not only insects, but also birds and wild animals find this so interesting that they simply ignore the elevated power modules – and some even use them as cover. Sheep are used as live lawnmowers to Diversity instead of monoculture prevent the bushes from taking over the solar panels. The The result is a very special solar park. It’s not just fence, which surrounds the entire power plant for safety the performance data that is impressive, but also its reasons, also plays a second role – one of animal welfare. integration into the landscape. Instead of continuing to What sounds like an idyll for nature lovers also delights eke out a rather dull existence as a monoculture sprayed with artificial fertilizers and pesticides, hedges and native fruit trees will in the future divide the 164,000 square- the investors. The power yield is so high that the revenue yield of the former farmland is 25 times higher than before. Not without pride, von Puttkamer calculates that → The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine 11

SOLAR POWER the entire park will be carbon neutral after around two and a half years, including all the CO2 emitted during the construction phase and that emitted through the remote control technology. This ‘remote control’ function enables the grid operator to access the park and stabilize the grid frequency and voltage. In addition, the electricity manufacture of the technologies used. generated can be sold by direct marketers on the electricity Stress for the grid It is time for a change of scenery. Georg von Puttkamer exchange”. The journey from the first idea to a functioning solar park was not an easy one. However, the organizational leads us from the castle to the solar park. Here, we meet and technical hurdles have now been overcome. The sun Burkhard Dittmann. He knows the system and details inside out, because the Phoenix Contact sales team expert was involved in the planning and installation of the system is shining, the inverters are humming, and the park is making every effort to repay the investment made with renewable and clean energy. This not only pleases its from the very beginning. As he opens the gate, Von Puttkamer tells us that “the output of 12 GWh from the 25,650 elevated photovoltaic panels covers the needs of around 5,000 single-family owner, but also lays the foundations for future generations. And far beyond the boundaries of their own farm. (lo) himmighausen.com homes”. This means that Himmighausen, with its 450 blg.eu (German only) inhabitants, will become a net exporter of electricity. Burkhard Dittmann adds, “The only catch is that the power generated here far exceeds the power required on site – that is, if you look at the solar power generated during the day. At night, however, the ratio is reversed. Because there isn’t any power available from the sun at night, the local loads must be supplied by the public power grid. Without suitable control mechanisms, this will quickly push the power grid to the limits of its capability”. It is clear that the family entrepreneur has also become an expert in solar parks. “Since 2019, there has been a binding application rule that states that the active and reactive power fed in by generation plants such as our solar park can be influenced via the grid operator’s “The idea was and is to combine a habitat for endangered animal and plant species with power generation”. Johann Georg von Puttkamer It also has to pay off! The landed gentry of East Westphalia think in practical, traditional terms and – as in the case of von Puttkamer – also as visionaries 12 The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine

The sun controller Accessing the public power grid is the task of the power control unit (EZA-Regler). It acquires the system data and communicates it to the grid operator. At the same time, it enables secure remote access. Burkhard Dittmann explains how the control system works. “The programming language Matlab Simulink was used to train the PLCnext Control, the core of the power control unit, in its control and access functions. These functions are certified. Freely programmed functions can also be used. The yields from the individual components of the system in Himmighausen are recorded. The power control unit also processes data from a weather station”. Dittmann pats “his” control cabinet almost lovingly. “But the components alone are not enough. We had to go through a component certification process for our solution. The manufacturers of generators, such as inverters, must obtain unit certification for their components. And on top of all that, the operator also needs a system certificate. The operator is only entitled to the full feed-in tariff once the system has been certified as a complete system. update.phoenixcontact.com/en/ Burkhard Dittmann not only knows the Himmighausen Solar Park inside out: the Phoenix Contact engineer is also an expert on power control units 431.5 TWh of electricity were fed into the German power grid in 2024 (Statista 2025) Controller, network modules, independent power supply, IO links, and energy measuring devices are components of the power control unit The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine 1313

SOLAR POWER J osef Ecker has become a well-known face on who has the pleasure of visiting the enterprising the renewable power generation scene. Anyone entrepreneur at his company headquarters near Landshut is first greeted by an idyllic Franconian setting. In the middle of cornfields lies what at first glance appears to be a typical Bavarian farm. Lots of light-colored wood, a 2008. “In the beginning it was a one-man show together with a few students, and we worked exclusively in the solar sector right from the start. But I’m not an ecowarrior at all”, laughs Josef Eckert. “I trained as a farmer and an electrician, with are both full-fledged apprenticeships. The real driving force behind the switch to electrical operations at that time was the lack of prospects in long main house, barns, and agricultural machinery. Solar agriculture. We gave up the dairy farm in 1990 and the panels sparkle on the roofs – everyday life in any rural last animals left the farm in 1998. But the symbiosis of area. Farming for electricity But anyone who pulls into the farmyard is greeted by the energy transition. Dozens of heavyweight transformers are waiting to be installed in their respective secondary substations, and behind the open barn doors, large agriculture and photovoltaics was ideal, because we had the large buildings and areas that we needed for installing the systems. I had the connection and speak the language of agriculture. Even today, around 50 percent of our customers are farmers”. Josef Ecker now employs a good 60 people to take care of the planning, construction, and operation of solar parks, switching devices are waiting to be prepared for use. Josef “from small to large”. Ecker is primarily active in Bavaria Ecker and his team plan, develop, install, and operate (“where people speak and understand our language”). solar parks far beyond the borders of Bavaria. Elektro Ecker is also his own customer, as it also operates “A bit of farming, a bit of electrician work – that is its own solar parks. However, the main focus is on building enough for a lifetime”. Josef Eckert has to smile to himself solar parks for customers. These customers no longer when he talks about the beginnings of his business. “But just come from the agricultural sector. “Today, business now I no longer have time for farming”. The busy farmer’s operators are also a major target group, because they want son started his “sideline” electrical business back in to move away from high electricity prices”. Everything from solar panels to heavy transformers can be found on the former farm 16 The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine

As a Solution Partner, Elektro Ecker fully relies on Phoenix Contact 874 electricity grid operators are active throughout Germany 4 transmission system operators secure the transregional power supply Own assembly lines: If you want solar, you can get everything from a single source here, right up to the grid connection in your own concrete house Lightning bolts and control For a long time now, Josef Ecker and his team have been known far beyond the borders of Bavaria. And that has Things didn’t stop at the control cabinet. “We purchased an initial batch of prefabricated concrete sheds and then installed our switching devices and measuring panels in them. We then went to the Intersolar 2019 trade fair with these complete solutions – with a very rudimentary booth and, initially, little attention. But we sold our first systems. That was inspiration enough to develop the topic further”. something to do with their typical Bavarian stubbornness. Ecker founded the company ‘Trafomacher’. “This “And with our thriftiness”, adds Helmut Schratzenstaller allowed us to install our control and measuring systems with a grin. The electrician has delved deep into the world in third-party solar parks without the name Elektro Ecker of IT and control systems and is one of the experts when it evoking too much of a feeling of competition”, says Josef comes to programming Ecker’s systems. Ecker, describing the background to his two companies One day, a violent line of thunderstorms stretching under one roof. across almost the whole of Bavaria knocked out solar parks one after the other. “We were able to detect this via When it is tight at the front our remote maintenance systems”, explains Josef Ecker, The overall concept for the switching devices includes a “but then a specialist with the appropriate authorization to suitable controller at the feeding point. This is where the switch medium voltage gear had to check all the systems respective grid operator accesses the system to regulate it and reconnect them to the grid. If there was a fault in the system, the circuit breaker would trip again and the technician would have to go back into the system. Nobody really knew why this was happening. That cost us time and money. So we dealt with the issues of controllers and so that the power grid remains stable and the unavoidable fluctuations in renewable energy do not cause any damage to the grid. “But we wanted to understand what this power control unit can actually do. At first, it was just a black box that we paid for. As project developers, we had no insight control cabinet building in-house and quickly developed into what the power grid operators ultimately regulate or our own solution." do after our systems have been connected“. → The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine 17

Helmut Schratzenstaller adds, “The more you get into the control side of photovoltaics, the more complex things become. This also sets us apart from our competitors. Most concentrate on individual areas, such as regulators, controllers, or connections. We supply the entire bandwidth, from A to Z. Therefore, we can also influence a whole range of parameters. If something is tight at the front, we know where we can tweak something at the back to make it fit. This makes us fast and capable of acting, and therefore independent." David and Goliath Josef Ecker proudly adds, “To simplify the operation of the system, we are in the process of programming our own operating and configuration interface. We can now communicate with the experts from Phoenix Contact on an equal footing“. Marina Friedberger smiles. “Sometimes we are already a step ahead”. The graduate engineer has been part of the Elektro Ecker team for three years. Before that, she worked in automotive engineering. “We are practical people who are very close to the actual operators. This gives us a head start, even over large companies such as Phoenix Contact”, she explains. Elektro Ecker has been one of the Solution Partners in the Phoenix Contact network for a long time. The issues that the team tackles go far beyond simply connecting solar parks. The expert goes into detail. “Between 80 and 90 percent of solar parks are built on 800 volts on the low voltage side. These power grids may not have a ground connection from the transformer neutral point and must have insulation monitoring. This is why inverter manufacturers are now demanding Josef Ecker talking shop with Phoenix Contact expert Jörg Hildebrand For the self-confident entrepreneur, this was unthinkable. “So we set up our first in-house controller, directly on the PLCnext platform from Phoenix Contact. With the help of the PLCnext libraries and the expertise of my employees, we have continued to adapt this controller to meet the various standards and requirements. Today we are using the certified power control unit from Phoenix Contact. And we not only connect PV systems directly to the medium-voltage grid, but also sell the connections to other PV system manufacturers. Between 80 and 90 percent of the stations on our farm go to other system manufacturers”. “If something is tight at the front, we know where we can tweak something at the back to make it fit”. Helmut Schratzenstaller Simply the amount of copper alone makes it clear that large projects are also being done here 18 The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine

SOLAR POWER IT systems everywhere, which they use to provide monitoring right down to module level via the inverters. This is not a problem in a new solar park. But retrofitting existing systems is a problem because the insulation marketers, who are active on the electricity exchange, all regulate within a time window of 15 minutes. When the exchange prices are really good, the participating park operators can, for example, feed in fully for 15 minutes. material, which has been buried in the ground for years, However, if this reverses and prices fall, the order is given ages and can become brittle. We therefore want to extend not to feed anything into the grid for 15 minutes, or to the substation’s monitoring relay so that we can keep track store the electricity in the battery storage system. Due to of this material’s condition and issue an early warning. the often unsatisfactory internet coverage in Germany, In addition, when the miniature circuit breaker trips, we though, it can happen that the internet is completely want to be able to differentiate whether this was caused by disconnected for control commands and these control a subordinate protection circuit tripping due to frequency commands come to nothing. This quickly leads to or voltage or by an actual insulation event”. considerable contractual penalties, which can quickly run Transparent grid The self-confident industrialist is also passionate about another issue: the lack of transparency regarding the energy grid operators’ curtailment measures. “For the park operators, this means a loss of earnings of many thousands of euros, often even hundreds of thousands. The law stipulates that there is financial compensation for this. We now track the condition of the systems via VPN, record this in a database on our own portal, and document this for the operators. This gives us a very good overview of what is actually going on in the grid”. Marina Friedberger adds, “The aim is to record every five minutes whether the grid operator is regulating the connection. We want to export this data and make it available to the solar park operator. At the end of the day, they know what they really should have earned and are able to take this up with the grid operator. We developed the interface that we use for this based on the power control unit’s PLCnext Technology”. “This transparency was initially very surprising for the power providers”, Josef Ecker continues. This gives the Josef Ecker, Marina Friedberger, and Helmut Schratzenstaller (from left) residents of Landshut and their customers unprecedented insights into the architecture of the power supply, as Helmut Schratzenstaller confirms: “We repeatedly see that on a beautiful sunny day in Germany, around 30 to 40 percent of the systems are being derated. And this varies greatly from grid operator to grid operator”. Electricity as a commodity While the man from Landshut and his team are causing into five-figure sums. For 15 minutes of incorrect feeding! Of course, no park operator can risk that". “We are therefore working on solutions to equip the substations with Starlink modules from the start so that they are reliably real-time capable”, says Josef Ecker, outlining the next challenges. “Compared to the potential contractual penalties, the costs for the satellite network quite a stir on the operator side, he is already devoting are peanuts”. himself to completely new tasks: ”Our next big topic is battery storage systems. Technically, they operate with a different control method based on the frequencies The solutions that Elektro Ecker is developing here on the basis of feed-in controllers from Phoenix Contact are of great interest for the entire German power grid. We can in the power grid. The operators of these utility-scale storage facilities have a very different view of power grids. therefore look forward to the next news from the farm near Landshut. (lo) This is where the direct marketers come in”. Helmut Schratzenstaller explains the new outlook: “The direct elektroecker.de (German only) The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine 19

SOLAR POWER E verything is actually quite simple. After all, almost everyone knows the trick with the magnifying glass. When a magnifying glass is held up to the sun and its focal point is focused on a sheet of paper, the paper starts to burn after a short time. The concentrated energy of the sun becomes so hot that the paper reaches its flash point. Solar tower power stations use this principle. They work with mirrors and a tower that is significantly higher than you can hold a magnifying glass. The mirrors, which can track the sun, direct the reflected sun rays onto the tower. In Jülich, North Rhine-Westphalia, such a solar tower has been standing a good 20 meters high since June 2024. At its feet stand an armada of mirrors, so-called The heliostats are aligned to a focal point and track the position of the sun heliostats. They can be aligned such a way that they focus the reflected sun rays onto a spot at the top of the tower. This is where the receiver is installed, which converts the solar energy into high-temperature process heat. The solar energy that is concentrated in this way generates temperatures of more than 1,550°C. “This is actually an absolute world record”, explains Carmen Murer. She should know, because she is the press spokesperson for the Swiss company Synhelion. Federal solar pioneers Synhelion is a spin-off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich. As early as 2010, the synthesis of hydrocarbon molecules with concentrated → The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine 21

The tower in which the receiver sits is a good 20 meters high In the modular Fischer-Tropsch plant, real solar fuel is produced from the syngas solar power was successfully achieved in a laboratory innovative strength of the Swiss team. “The heliostats, application. Kerosene was produced exclusively from the components CO2 and H2O in the laboratory for the first time in 2014. The two scientists, Dr. Gianluca Ambrosetti and Dr. Philipp Furler, then founded Synhelion SA in 2016, with the addition of “Solar Fuels”. Following successful open-field experiments, the construction of DAWN, the first solar tower power station for the industrial production of fuels, began in 2022. The Jülich site was chosen because Synhelion works closely with its colleagues at the German Aerospace Center (DLR). There is also a second solar tower at the site, unique in all of Northern Europe, which is used the solar receiver, the thermochemical reactor, and the thermal heat accumulator are all developments of ours”. The Swiss company has registered a total of 20 patent families to protect its inventions. "In the foreseeable future, we will continue to have situations where we have to burn fuel. In air traffic, for example, battery electric drives make no sense. With solar kerosene, we only release as much CO2 as we have previously extracted. There is no burden due to fossil fuels”. by DLR scientists for research purposes. Millions of tons of kerosene The collected heat is fed into a thermochemical reactor. There, a syngas consisting of H2 and CO2 is produced from CO2, water, and methane. This hot syngas is liquefied in a “gas-to-liquid” process. The liquid solar crude oil is then further processed in a normal refinery. In addition to kerosene as the largest portion, gasoline and diesel can also be produced in this way. The energy that is not needed immediately is transferred to an energy storage unit with a ceramic interior and is then available when the sun has set. In this Both DAWN and the RISE solar tower power station, whose construction in Spain began in 2025, are still relatively small systems. But Carmen Murer is certain: “We are breaking new ground with these systems and showing that the technology can be scaled up to almost any industrial level. However, we will do this step by step, as the systems would otherwise not be financially viable”. Synhelion expects to be able to produce around one million tons of kerosene in ten years. “Initially, we will also build and operate the systems ourselves”. Then the way, the Swiss start-up company can achieve continuous plan is for Synhelion to act just as a technology provider 24/7 production without interruption. According to and for mineral oil companies to take over production. Synhelion, it is also around ten times cheaper than a “The investment in the construction of these systems is comparable battery-electric energy source. “Synhelion has created or further developed four fields of technology”, says Carmen Murer, describing the very high. But the subsequent production costs are very low”, says Carmen Murer, describing the hurdles and opportunities for a rapid expansion of the technology. 22 The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine

The products made of light and air are already in high demand. Swiss Air is just one of the Swiss innovator’s cooperation partners. There are concrete purchase agreements already in place with the Swiss aircraft conducted successful trials with solar cement. But first and foremost, the Swiss are interested in the dream of flying – with light and air. (lo) manufacturer, Pilatus. In addition, the solar diesel is synhelion.com to help a Swiss operator of historic steamboats move forward. Pure thermal process energy is also inspiring new ideas – cement manufacturer Cemex has already “DAWN mirrors the entire technology chain, from sunlight through to fuel, on an industrial scale”. Carmen Murer, Head of Communications, Synhelion Receiver ② Steam (~500°C) to the receiver Steam (~1,000°C) to the reactor Reactor ⑤ Heat storage unit Supply of CO2, H2O, CH4 ③ ④ Syngas H2 + CO2 n d i a ti o o l a r r a S ① Mirror field ① The solar radiation is reflected by a mirror field (heliostats) and focused onto the receiver. ② The receiver converts the solar power into high-temperature process heat. ③ The generated heat is fed into the thermochemical reactor, which converts CO2, water and methane into syngas, a mixture of H2 and CO2. ④ The syngas is then ⑤ To enable continuous processed into fuels such as gasoline, kerosene, and diesel via the “gas- to-liquid” process. operation of the system, part of the heat generated is stored in a thermal energy storage unit. The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine 23

Dream team on the tower – the joint solution from Wölfel and Phoenix Contact has no equal anywhere in the world Nils Lesmann and Philipp Dauer from Phoenix Contact had to take an involuntary break Phoenix Contact contributes the appropriate hardware and expertise for the sensor technology and automation. Vibrations make you smart T he clouds pile up on the horizon. The first gusts of wind whip across the land. A thunderstorm is approaching. Nils Lesmann and Philipp Dauer are unaware. This is because they are active in the base of a blade on a wind turbine generator. Together with experts from Wölfel Engineering, they are testing a sensor update and setting up a wireless connection for transmitting data Today, the thunderstorm has won, and the team heads back to the office. Sebastian Obermeier is an expert in developing algorithms for wind turbine generators at into the nacelle. To reach the Bluetooth module in the Wölfel and explains the effects of vibrations on wind 56-meter-long blade, Lesmann climbs a good ten meters towers. “You can think of it like a musical instrument, the into the narrow space. It is already the second of the three rotor blade vibrates at its very own frequencies but not blades that are on schedule today. Suddenly the command audibly to the human ear. However, these vibrations reveal comes: “Get out of the blade, get off of the turbine”. a lot about the structure, potential ice coating, and any The thunderstorm has come dangerously close. On their way down, the engineers can already see the first sparks of the electrostatic charge on the weather station. It crackles audibly. But the safety engineer, who maintains contact damage that may have occurred. We differentiate between the natural frequencies of the rotor blades themselves and vibrations induced by external influences or operating loads”. with them from below, ordered their retreat in good time. For more than 50 years, the engineering company If you want to catch the wind, you have to withstand it. based in Höchberg, in the Lower Franconia region, has And moving air can be very moody. Sometimes a gentle breeze blows around the rotor blades, sometimes violent gusts batter the tower. Sometimes mechanical wear puts a strain on the system. Plus, it is not uncommon for freezing been addressing the issues of vibrations and acoustics. Founded by Professor Dr. Horst Peter Wölfel in 1971, the company now has around 170 employees at five locations developing for earthquake engineering, solutions water to cause unwanted imbalances. vibration protection, noise emission control, vibration All these influences reduce the service life and yield of wind turbine generators, sometimes drastically. It reduction, and the structural health monitoring of wind turbine generators. The facility in Hamburg is the center therefore makes sense to keep an eye on the condition for all topics relating to wind power. of the asparagus-shaped power generators – the more Sebastian Obermeier explains the contribution that precisely, the better. This is exactly where a dream team continuous vibration monitoring can make to wind has joined forces. Wölfel specializes in detecting structural turbine generators: “Undetected cracks, material fatigue, changes and using sophisticated data analysis to track down potential weak points and negative influences. and build-ups of ice – all of these can become noticeable through changes in vibration patterns. If you listen at 26 The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine

WIND POWER an early stage, you can avoid damage and significantly increase the availability of the system. Continuous vibration monitoring, especially of the rotor blades, therefore makes operations more efficient and safer”. Nothing works without practice Nils Lesmann, one of the experts in the Phoenix Contact wind team, describes the collaboration between the two companies: “We have been developing state-of-the-art condition monitoring systems together for several years. It is not just about being able to measure precisely. It is important that we can integrate the data into the control Precise planning, in-depth specialist knowledge, and a great deal of experience are required to ensure that the tight development budgets are not exceeded. The years of collaboration are paying off for both companies, as Nils Lesmann explains: “The result is a powerful plug-and-play solution: the sensor data flows directly into the open control platform – for maximum transparency, flexibility, and connectivity in the park network or towards the cloud. Wölfel’s monitoring and analysis expertise is thus ideally complemented by Phoenix Contact’s connection technology and control expertise. This collaboration enables us to provide a systems of wind turbine generators. This is why the structural health monitoring (SHM.Blade) and ice detection modular structure for monitoring wind turbine generators that is unique in the entire wind energy sector”. (lo) (IDD.Blade) systems developed by Wölfel have also found their place on the open platform of PLCnext Technology from Phoenix Contact and are integrated into the complete Blade Intelligence rotor blade monitoring system”. But what previously worked smoothly in the laboratory and on the computer is pushed to the limits of functionality in the field, or even beyond them. The devil is often in the detail. Do metal components in the nacelle shield the wireless transmission? How are sensors attached to reliably report data to the control system for years? How is the necessary data transferred from the sensor to the controller? “Ultimately, a malfunction only becomes apparent when a system is back in operation after installation. This means that in the event of error messages, the wind turbine generator must be stopped again. This can be expensive, because downtimes have to be paid for, of course”, says https://www.woelfel.de/en/ “Wind turbine generators are like musical instruments that vibrate at their own unique frequencies”. Sebastian Obermeier. “That is why developments for the Sebastian Obermeier, Wölfel offshore sector, for example, are so complex and costly. You can’t just drive up in a van and climb the tower”. The hollow tower of a windmill is a large resonating body 27

WIND POWER A visit to Brandenburg to a wind farm on the outskirts of Berlin. Open spaces, large towers, no people. A gentle breeze rustles the leaves a bit. Only one system is standing still. With a campervan in front of it. Drug deals? A Mafia meeting? It looks like a film set for a thriller. But instead of money and weapons, information is collected here. And this is completely legal, with permission, and most welcome. Katja Weißbach is already waiting for us. She is responsible for sales at TOPseven, and immediately corrects our expectations: “We do not design drones and we are not full-time wind turbine service technicians. TOPseven sees itself as a software development company. For automated flights by inspection drones, among other things. Hence our motto ‘Making Drones Smarter’. Not only for wind turbines, by the way, but also for solar systems. We want to simplify inspections wherever structural inaccessibility makes it difficult”. Flying eagle eyes In order to make the multi-winged devices really smart, in-depth knowledge of both wind turbines and drone technology is of course required. Katja Weißbach has therefore organized expert reinforcement. Christian Minnieur and his son Pascal are responsible for training service technicians at TOPseven, among other tasks. Each technician undergoes several days of training to prepare them for the use of the flying eyes. Even for experienced drone pilots, the professional devices are a new challenge. TOPseven works with several training teams throughout Germany. Christian Minnieur has already prepared the black DJI Matrice 300 RTK. Before the six-armed aerial vehicle takes off, the technicians set up a tripod that enables data to be transported from the drone to the base station even without an external wireless network and allows the drone to be flown with centimeter precision. The optical system consists of a specially developed 61 MP TOPseven camera. This high resolution makes it possible to detect even the smallest damage to rotor blades. It is not just stormy weather that puts wind turbine generators under stress. Heavy thunderstorms, including lightning strikes, also leave undesirable traces. As a rule, the lightning is captured by special receptors on the blade Katja Weißbach, as Head of Sales, is an expert at TOPseven when it comes to communication “We do not design drones and we are not full-time wind turbine service technicians” Katja Weißbach, TOPseven Six rotors secure a payload of 2,700 g and the lightning energy is dissipated via the lightning discharge path. Phoenix Contact has developed its own → 30 The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine

WIND POWER Pilots are only needed for taking off and landing the drone sensor technology to measure lightning currents in the leakage path and thus detect damaging strikes. However, these systems must be inspected every two years. Fixed flightpaths TOPseven has equipped its flying detectors with special sensors for this purpose. The signal generators are with centimeter precision. The flight routes are precisely defined and the drone flies them autonomously. “With this data, the operators can precisely localize the damage and repair it much faster than if the entire system had to be checked“, explains Katja Weißbach. Photographer Andre Köller enthusiastically takes his own drone out of its case to follow the black DJI Matrice connected to the lightning protection cable in the base of into the air to take pictures. The team looks at the tiny the rotor blade. This setup must be tailored individually device next to the professional machine with amusement. from system type to system type. The drone itself has a field sensor. The generators then send signals to the lightning discharge path. Starting from the tip of the blade, the drone flies along the blade and receives these signals. This means that any damage can be detected It still takes one pilot to launch each of the two aerial vehicles. Then they part ways, as the service drone sets off on its predetermined route. The Vestas 136 has a hub height of 149 meters, so the DJI also has to reach this height. Christian and Pascal Minnieur follow the flight on 32 The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine

their computer, which is now receiving the flight data. The drone flies its mission autonomously. For Henri Fröhlich, this scene is one of everyday life. “We have been working with TOPseven for a few years now and have made our system available for the necessary tests”. Fröhlich is Technical Operations Manager at Notus Energy Service: “We install and maintain wind power and PV systems. We even operate the Vestas here ourselves. This means it is less complicated when we have to stop the wind turbine for the further development of the inspection software”. A fixed flightpath for each system The development of the drone controller is no small matter in organizational terms, either. When the rotor blades are at a standstill for test purposes, electricity can neither be harvested nor sold. But thanks to the tests, the operator can be sure that his wind turbine is in top condition. “We have also installed a bat detection system on this turbine. When the winged creatures in the neighboring forest take off for a visit, the turbine switches off automatically”, says Fröhlich, explaining the special innovation on “his” Vestas. While the drones begin their landing approach and their pilots catch hold of them again, Fröhlich heads towards the windmill. Flight completed – downtime over. It is time for the perfectly controlled system to start rotating again. Back in the van, the laptops are closed, the data has been collected. The blades of the Vestas slowly start to rotate. Calm reigns again over the vast field outside the gates of Berlin. (lo) topseven.com Pascal and Christian Minnieur train service technicians in the use of the flying inspection tool With its own data network, the drone does not have to rely on GPS data. This is particularly important in remote regions. TOPseven Almost 90 employees, headquartered in Munich, specializing in drone technology for service companies for wind power and PV systems, four field teams of two people each in Germany, requests from all over the world, drone flight plans and maintenance plans for all conventional types of wind turbine generators. The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine 33

kilometer if they break away from a C hunks of ice can fly almost half a large wind turbine generator with a hub height of 148 meters and a rotor diameter of 150 meters, such as a Vestas V150. The chunks that are hurled through the air can weigh several kilograms. No wonder that systems that are at risk of icing are shut down as a precaution if they are not protected against such an occurrence. However, accidents involving personal injury are extremely rare. But the trouble with ice starts much earlier. Just a few millimeters of ice on the rotor blades cause the aerodynamic flow to stall. The ice changes the shape and surface of the carefully optimized surfaces. This reduces lift and increases drag. As a result, the blades rotate more slowly, the system works much less efficiently and generates significantly less electricity. Needless to say, rotor blades that run out of balance put stress on the entire structure of a wind turbine generator. The resulting imbalances accelerate material fatigue in all areas, from the tower to the bearings in the hub to the blades themselves. The only measure if ice is detected or suspected is to shut the system down. But such forced downtimes come at a cost. On average, a good 15 percent of annual electricity generation is lost when wind turbines have to come to a standstill due to icing. As this affects not just one wind turbine, but usually an entire park, even small parks can quickly add up to six-figure sums. Therefore, a well-functioning ice detection system is well worthwhile for operators and investors. This means that the system is only switched off if freezing water actually adheres to the blades. The only alternative is an estimate based on weather data, which is of course less accurate than the detection of actual ice formation. Northbound The further north the wind farm locations move or the higher the turbines themselves touch the clouds, the more pressing the issue of icing becomes. If you can turn on the heating after detecting ice, you are in a good position. On the following pages, we present two very different solutions that were developed in collaboration with Phoenix Contact. (lo) → phoenixcontact.com Regions at risk of icing throughout the world 7 to 14 days average time per year that a wind turbine generator in northern Germany ices up; at higher altitudes this can reach more than 30 days Ice throw and ice falls 0° to -20°C temperature range in which clear ice, rough ice, or frost forms Seifert formula Hub height = 120 m Rotor diameter = 140 m (Hub height + rotor diameter) x 1.5 = maximum ice-throw distance (120 m + 140 m) x 1.5 = 390 m Maximum ice-throw distan c e fo r a r u n n i n g s y s t e m I c e f a l l Ice fall = Pieces of ice falling from a stationary wind turbine generator (partly influenced by winds) 390 m The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine 35

WIND POWER Canadian hot air Heat right to the tip I t can’t be that difficult. When Daniela Roeper first heard about icing on wind turbine generators, she practically immediately decided to solve the problem. A few years, several patents, and a company foundation later, we asked: Has the Canadian got ice formation on blades under control? → Daniela, how does a young woman come to be involved in ice formation on wind turbine generators? I studied machine building and worked for companies in the Canadian wind power sector during the semester breaks. That is how I became aware of the issue. With a bit of courage and the support of a government-funded program for startups, I got started after finishing my studies in 2016. → And then success came almost by itself? (laughs) That would have been nice. Surprisingly, the technical implementation was the minor problem. We had an initial solution ready by 2017. Our aim was to develop a system that could be retrofitted in existing windmills as easily as possible without having to remove the blade. And this retrofit should not take more than a week. →How do you get hold of systems on which you can carry out the necessary tests? Heater Blade hub operation, was not operational. You only notice this when the system is in operation. → What distinguishes the Borealis solution from other blade heaters? The trick is the air flow. Normally, the centrifugal forces in the blade would simply push the cold air, which is heavier That is indeed a major challenge. Everything soon ran smoothly in the lab at the university. Distributing the heat output across a rotor blade is no trivial matter and requires a great deal of expertise. We developed simulation processes that can map the thermal and flow conditions in the rotor blade. But the real challenge was to install than the warm air, into the tip of the blade. The tip of the blade can reach speeds of up to 400 kilometers per hour, where enormous centrifugal forces are at work. We have developed very complex flow models to guide the air in the direction we want it to go. Our system actually works mechanically because we blow warm air into the blades such systems on site and make them durable enough to and let it work for us there. To achieve this, we laminate function for a long time. Details such as attaching the solution to the blades were difficult. The conditions inside a rotor blade under the harsh environmental conditions of the far north tubular fabric channels in the rotor blades. We then use fans attached to the base of the blade to blow warm air through these channels into the tips of the rotor blades. The heater itself is located centrally in the base of the are extremely challenging. For example, the centrifugal blade. Due to the rotation, the warm air is then distributed forces in the damp and cold environment are so great throughout the blade, especially at the leading edges, that the connectors in our systems sometimes simply where ice formation from the outside is most problematic. came unplugged during operation. This meant that the The fans are very powerful and generate a relatively high heating system, although correctly installed and ready for pressure to circulate the air. This is also the difference 36 The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine

Fabric duct Blade tip “The problem is always the tips. That is where ice is most likely to form”. Daniela Roeper, CEO Borealis Wind to other similar systems that work with significantly less power. Our approach enables us to exchange air and deliver the warm air to where ice is most likely to form. The problem is always the tips. This is because these are precisely the spots that pass through the upper layers of air and capture the crystals. When the wind turbine rotates, there is about twenty times the pressure on our fabric channels. The material has to withstand the vibrations. It must be fire-retardant. We had to find out whether the fabric absorbs moisture and how much, because this changes its weight and thus the forces acting on it. Initially, we supported the fabric channels with fiberglass poles, similar to a tent. The disadvantage was that they were relatively heavy. At the beginning of 2024, we developed a new system in which we install a bracket in the tip of the blade and tension the heating system like a rope. This is lighter and much easier to install. The rotation forces press the glued-in holding point, where the rope is tensioned, into the tip and fixes the system in place. The current system consists only of fabric, which weighs around ten kilograms. (lo) borealiswind.com Powerful fans blow warm air into the blades through ducts → The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine 37

WIND POWER Finnish mats Sauna for the blades A sunny disposition with cold feet – anyone who has cannot leave the conversation without smiling. the pleasure of talking to the experts from Wicetec However, the Finns’ mission is ice-cold and dangerous. How can ice formation on wind turbines be prevented? To put a stop to this material-killing and life-threatening phenomenon, wind turbines without rotor blade heaters are slowed down as they rotate and generate energy. This, in turn, does not amuse the operators, as it also reduces their potential profits from electricity production. It also makes the installation of rotor blade heaters financially viable, whether retrofitted or fitted during the production of new systems. “We also initially developed heating systems for retrofitting”, says Tomas Wallenius, describing the beginnings of Wicetec. The 44-year-old engineer is an expert in thermodynamics and co-developed the patented heating system. Today, as CTO, he is one of the two General Managers of the Helsinki-based company. “We founded our company in 2014 as a spin-off from a state research institute, entirely without external investors and independent of the wind industry”. The Finns secured their first orders in 2016 in Canada, where a wind farm with 44 turbines was retrofitted with rotor blade heaters. More than 350 turbines, mainly in Canada and Sweden, now rotate with the retrofitted carbon fiber-reinforced heating mats from Wicetec. Today, however, the Finns are focusing primarily on integrating their systems as early as the rotor blade production stage. “Naturally, retrofitting is still an important part of our range. But it has become clear that a retrofit is disproportionately expensive and time- consuming. After all, the blades have to be dismantled and transported to a hall where we can install the carbon mats. Today, many investors are already demanding ice prevention systems from the start because the returns from more stable operations are naturally higher. In Quebec, for example, the authorities are even making Outside Inside Normal blade coating Protective layer made of fiberglass-reinforced polymer Heater made of carbon-fiber reinforced polymer Blade envelope 38 The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine

the heaters mandatory so that the windmills run more steadily and grid stability is not jeopardized”. Carbon heating mats are super-thin, with a thickness of just half a millimeter, including the coating. At the same time, they are extremely resilient and can withstand the constant vibrations of the blades for decades. The energy consumed by the heating mats themselves amounts to around 50 kilowatts in a 5-megawatt system. One technological highlight is the sensor that detects whether there is any ice on the blades – because it is virtual. “A physical sensor is very expensive and also difficult to install”, explains Wallenius. “Our virtual sensor is based on an algorithm that runs on a PLCnext Control from Phoenix Contact. The weather data measured by the sensor is fed into the control system and interpreted based on our decades of experience to produce a reliable ice forecast”. There are only a few competitors in the field of rotor blade heaters because “the business field is difficult, as you have to adapt each system precisely to the manufacturers and models. That requires a lot of expertise and specialized knowledge”. So, rosy conditions for the Finnish innovators? Tomas Wallenius has to smile. “The most astonishing thing for us is how slowly the issue of ice on wind turbine generators is gaining acceptance among operators, manufacturers, and investors. But we are on the right track.“ (lo) wicetec.com “We have developed a virtual sensor based on PLCnext Technology”. Tomas Wallenius, CTO Wicetec The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine 39

BEHIND THE SCENES Audible technology The Phoenix Contact podcast In a world in which everything is becoming increasingly shrill, loud, and colorful, the success of podcasts is actually anachronistic. Yet the medium for the ears is becoming increasingly popular. You can also experience Phoenix Contact acoustically, with the podcast “Electrified”. But Phoenix Contact for the ears? How should we describe the “electrification, networking, and automation” of a globally active company? Even so, the team around the two former radio presenters Christina Jahnich (WDR – Radio West Germany) and Pia Schlegel (Radio Lippe) got off to a successful start. If you listen to the 20-minute podcasts, you will discover that topics relating to technology can also be explained in a professional and charming way. It is worth listening to! phoenixcontact.com/de-de/unternehmen/ all-electric-society/podcast-elektrisiert Christina Jahnich and interview partner Rainer Durth Phoenix Testlab without Phoenix International group of companies takes over test laboratories Since its foundation in 1994 as the EMC laboratory of the Phoenix Contact Group, Phoenix Testlab GmbH has developed into a renowned test laboratory in the fields of environmental, EMC, electrical safety, and wireless testing. For many years, Phoenix Testlab has been operating independently of Phoenix Contact as an autonomous GmbH with customers from many industries. Now the Dutch NMi Group (Netherlands Measurement Institute) has taken over the institute based in Blomberg. NMi is a leading provider of electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), wireless technology, battery safety, and product safety. The testing company intends to strengthen this position in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland through Testlab. Phoenix Testlab has state-of-the-art test laboratories and long-standing partnerships in the automotive and electronics industries. Phoenix Testlab’s special expertise in battery testing, wireless technology, and EMC, as well as cybersecurity gives NMi direct access to growth areas such as e-mobility and networked systems. phoenix-testlab.de/en/ Award-winning all-rounder Product offensive in the industrial direct current sector The ELR HDC miniature circuit breaker is one of the stars in Phoenix Contact’s DC portfolio. The compact device not only switches direct current of up to 55 A at up to 810 V without the dreaded electric arc. During operation, the miniature circuit breaker also controls the most important parameters and makes them available for data acquisition. If the operating current exceeds the set maximum value, the ELR HDC switches off after a time delay or, in the event of a short circuit, in a flash. The same applies in the event of an undervoltage or overvoltage at the input. The miniature circuit breaker charges capacitors in the output up to the input voltage so that current peaks are avoided during switch-on. Word of this kind of innovation gets around. The switch recently won the German Innovation Award 2025 in the “Excellence in Business to Business – Electronic Technologies” category. german-innovation-award.de/en/ 40 The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine

BEHIND THE SCENES Tales of young rascals Porsches speed across North Rhine-Westphalia At the beginning of October, the e-Cannonball race whizzed through North Rhine-Westphalia. The mobile trophy for anything with wheels aims to show in an entertaining and sporty way what can happen when you push the limits of the right electric motor a little. Among them were two representatives from Phoenix Contact, namely Tim Flöter and Stephan Volgmann from Sales Germany. The two managers took their seats in a special kind of company car. In cooperation with Revive Automotive, the experts from Schleswig-Holstein provided a classic Porsche. It packed a real punch behind the rear fenders. Instead of a roaring boxer engine, a 300 hp electric motor was waiting to transmit its enormous torque to the drive shafts. It did this so well that not only did it take the breath of the two Phoenix Contact competitors away at times, it also left most of the electrified competitors in the field behind. After two challenging days, the Blomberg team actually finished third in the e-Cannonball 2025. revive-automotive.com e-cannonball.de A 911 without a boxer engine, but with a kick: Tim Flöter and the two Revive colleagues upon delivery Edison’s legacy in Bad Pyrmont ODCA conference at Phoenix Contact Electronics A total of 117 experts from the Open Direct Current Alliance, the world’s leading direct current organization, met for their biannual conference in Bad Pyrmont on September 15 and 16, 2025. The event was hosted by Phoenix Contact, a founding member of the alliance, which is part of the German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers’ Association (ZVEI). “Direct current is a megatrend in the industry”, emphasizes Dr. Martin Wetter, Executive Vice President Phoenix Contact. “The importance of the topic is increasing exponentially”. Today, the ODCA has 86 members. And not only from German-speaking countries – there is a close exchange with organizations from China and Korea, among other countries, who have recognized the potential of direct current. Dr. Martin Wetter, Phoenix Contact odca.zvei.org Caption Race drivers in green: Stephan Volgmann and Tim Flöter (above, from left) Legal notice Phoenix Contact GmbH & Co. KG Corporate Communications Lutz Odewald (Editor-in-Chief) Telephone: +49 5235 3-42153 Email: lodewald@phoenixcontact.com Design and implementation: Corporate Communications, Graphic Design Image credits: Cover image: © Shutterstock, fireFX © Shutterstock: 5, 12, 24/25, 34, 39 Thomas Franz: 3 Andre Köller: 6 ff., 14ff., 28 ff., 40, 41 Lutz Odewald: 11, 37 Synhelion: 20 ff. Wölfel: 24 ff. Borealis Wind: 37 Wicetec: 39 Copyright © 2026 Phoenix Contact All rights reserved. The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine 41