From Würzburg to the World

What do graduates of Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (JMU) do for a living? In order to introduce students to different perspectives, Michaela Thiel, Managing Director of the central alumni network "Uni Wü Community", regularly interviews selected alumni.

This time, Johannes Zeck answered the questions. The alumnus studied Political and Social Studies at JMU and is now Managing Director of the Research and Application Centre for Digital Future Technologies (FADZ) in Lichtenfels.

The FADZ is a joint project. It is supported by the local authorities (FADZ Zweckverband aus Stadt und Landkreis Lichtenfels), businesses (FADZ Wirtschaftsverband with more than 50 regional member companies), society (MACHBAR e.V. as a non-profit organisation for private individuals) and Coburg University of Applied Sciences.

Mr Zeck, what does your work at the FADZ involve?

The aim of the FADZ is to make digital future technologies such as additive manufacturing (3D printing), robotics and artificial intelligence accessible to different target groups - companies, schools and private individuals - through specific formats. As Managing Director of the special-purpose association, I am responsible for the strategic and operational development of the project together with a colleague and the partners involved. This includes infrastructure and construction planning, acquisition, commissioning and maintenance of technical equipment and ensuring operational safety. There is a wide range of topics that make this job exciting and varied.

What do you love most about your work?

That I get to work with a wide range of interesting people and organisations every day. As the managing director of a municipal company, I am part of the public administration. At the same time, I work closely with Coburg University of Applied Sciences in many technical areas. I also work with the FADZ business association and many companies as well as Machbar e.V., many volunteers, visitors to the MACBAR Makerspace and schools. This diverse exchange gives you different insights into aspects of digitalisation, technology and sustainability from the perspective of public administration, companies, private individuals and the university.

What qualities should people have for your job?

With the FADZ, different organisations have come together to form a joint project. It is therefore important to put yourself in the position of the partners and the target groups in order to change perspectives. I have always been interested in understanding how different forms of organisation work. I have been very fortunate to have worked in different organisations in my professional life to date and to have got to know their functional structures. For example, studying at JMU Würzburg and FH Würzburg-Schweinfurt, now THWS, was interesting for the very reason that I was able to familiarise myself with the different structures at universities and universities of applied sciences.

What challenges and opportunities do you see in your project?

Each of the organisations involved has different structures, processes and decision-making procedures. So the challenge for me, but also for everyone else in the project, is to synchronise my own plans with those of the others. However, this also provides the opportunity to share existing resources in order to reach the goal more quickly. In any case, knowledge of the partners' processes and decision-making structures is important.

What particularly fond memories from your student days do you associate with Würzburg?

During my bachelor's degree at JMU from 2012 to 2015, I lived with three good friends in a shared flat with a terrace and small garden in Zellerau. I have fond memories of that time, as everyone regularly had friends over and there was always something going on. We spent most of the summer on the terrace with a view of the River Main and the vineyards behind the railway station. During my Master's degree at FHWS (now THWS), I regularly went cycling in the towns around Würzburg. I have many fond memories: of the Franconian wine culture landscape, ice cream and coffee breaks in the wine-growing villages around Würzburg.

Thank you very much for the interview!

You are not yet a member of the alumni network "Uni Wü Community" or Alumni & Friends e.V.? Then you are cordially invited to register via the alumni website! There you will also find the previously published interviews with JMU alumni and alumnae.