Process development: from pilot to running plant
One service, two contexts. The approach is the same: make the gaps visible, develop a concept, support implementation.
Schematic · not real measurement data
Context 1: Production companies across DACH
- Your situation
- The plant is running. But unstable processes, new product requirements, or the question of what automation is worth do not resolve themselves.
- Who fits
- Companies with 50 to 500 employees in chemicals, plastics, plant engineering, film, with a focus on Austria and DACH.
Typical situations
- Processes run, but with unexplained variation in quality or throughput
- Plant is operating below design capacity: part-load costs more than the fixed-cost calculation suggests
- New product requirements: can the existing production handle them?
- The investment question is open but there is no independent process data to decide on
- Manual steps that could be automated but nobody has had the time to address
How I help
Step 1: Process check
I analyse the current state. At the end you know what your processes deliver today, where the levers are, and which improvements are possible without major capital investment.
Step 2: Solution concept and specification
A concrete concept with measures, priorities, and where needed a specification for external providers or engineering firms.
Step 3: Implementation support
I support implementation using your internal resources or coordinate external partners (tendering, briefing, quality assurance).
Context 2: Technology-based start-ups in the scale-up phase
- Your situation
- The pilot plant exists. The lab worked. In the plant, issues appear that the lab never showed, or the plant is still being planned and you want to catch the gaps before they are built in.
- What it costs when it does not work
- Time, investor confidence, the next financing round.
- Who fits
- Start-ups from Series A onward with an approved investment project, active interest in fibre production, biopolymers, sustainable materials, speciality chemicals.
- Who does not fit
- Pure lab phase, pre-seed without an investment project.
Typical situations
- Lab process works, pilot or demo plant does not deliver expected results
- Team comes from research: industrial process reference is missing
- Plant is still in the planning phase, you want a design review before construction
- R&D, engineering and production are not speaking the same language
How I help
Step 1: Scale-up assessment
I review the plant, the data and the team. At the end of the assessment you know where the gaps are, what is causing the problems, and what data is missing.
Step 2: Solution concept and roadmap
Based on the assessment I develop a concept and a concrete plan. Each phase delivers a standalone result.
Step 3: Implementation with your team
I support implementation until the plant runs stably and reproducibly. Remote and on-site as needed.
Each step is a complete deliverable. You decide after the assessment whether to continue.
Process automation
Automation steps do not resolve themselves. The question is rarely whether to automate, but what to automate first and what that requires.
I help define and specify automation steps in existing and new plants: step sequence logic, control variables, interface specifications for PLC and SCADA systems. I have done this work at process plants: at Lenzing AG (Lyocell production plant, PLC/SCADA interfaces) and at the demo plant of a novel cellulosic fibre process in Sweden (control system adaptation, step sequence logic, sensor integration for better process transparency).
I design the concepts, propose additional measurements where needed, and develop the step-chain logic. Implementation is done by instrumentation engineers and PLC/SCADA programmers.
Typical situations
- Manual steps that could be automated, but the concept is missing or nobody has had time to define it
- Existing automation is unreliable: step sequence logic is underspecified or does not match the process window
- New plants or plant extensions: automation concept and specification for external system integrators
What I am not
I am not an engineering firm. I do not deliver EPC, general planning, or plant construction. If your question requires an engineering firm, I will say so in the first call. I can also help with the selection.
I have no financial interest in suppliers, plants or systems. My recommendations are independent.
Frequently asked questions
How does the first contact work?
A free initial call by video (Teams or Zoom), typically 45 minutes. I ask questions about your situation, you describe the problem. After that we decide together whether and how working together makes sense.
What do I have in my hands after the first step?
A written result: gap analysis, identified causes, missing data, recommended next steps. No follow-on engagement required to use this output.
We are not a large company. Is this still the right fit?
Both contexts work without a corporate framework. Production companies from 50 employees and scale-up teams from Series A typically have the scope for an engagement.
How are you different from a classic engineering consultancy?
An engineering firm delivers planning and realisation. I work on the conceptual level before that: what is the problem, what are the options, which investment is worth it. Only then do I support implementation alongside an engineering firm of your choice, if you want.
Do you also work with existing plants that are not ready for a rebuild?
Yes. Many of the most effective levers are in the existing plant: operating mode, process window, campaign planning. No new plant required.
What if the site’s strategic future is uncertain?
External process analysis is often the lowest-cost way to keep options open. No-regret measures usually pay back within a short time, whether the site continues or not.
What falls outside your scope?
Pure IT and digitalisation topics without process context, pharma, companies above 500 employees.
A low-risk start
A free initial call, typically 45 minutes by video. You describe the situation, I ask the questions your team has not asked yet. Then we decide together whether and how working together makes sense.
Request a first call