ALLOY – The Shape of Things to Come

The shape memory alloy “memory®-steel” is exactly what it sounds like – a “smart material” that “remembers” its shape. Put it in one shape, bend it or deform it, then when you heat the metal, it bends back to its original shape. It is a quality that gives it a huge range of applications in construction settings, particularly around strengthening concrete structures. “This steel alloy needs two steps,” explains Daniel Schmidig, CEO of re-fer, who created and sells the shape memory alloy. “First, you elongate it, changing the crystal structure of the composition of the steel. You shift the atoms on the atomic layer and by doing so, you create a new, stable steel structure.”

When you bring heat into that system, it activates, bringing energy into the steel and causing the atoms to shift back into their original position.

“On a macroscopic level, you then have a back transformation. So, a one metre piece of steel can move back one centimetre,” Schmidig explains. “By anchoring the material onto concrete, for example, this creates tension forces we can use to make structures stronger, more efficient and more sustainable.”

It is fascinating technology, but while a great deal of innovation went into developing that technology, it also took a lot of work to turn that concept into a viable business. That business is re-fer.

Schmidig introduces that business, telling us, “We are a Swiss engineering company specialising in advanced strengthening solutions for concrete and masonry structures such as bridges, buildings, silos, and so on. We pioneered the use of memory®-steel, primarily for retrofits but also selected new build applications.”

Among those new build applications are the digitally fabricated concrete staircase “Cadenza“, built last year for the NEST research and innovation building in Dübendorf. Since re-fer was established in 2012, the company has conducted extensive research with its research partner, Empa Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology.

“We adapted the development of this material to specific construction applications, establishing production processes and building up supply chains,” Schmidig tells us.

It is a project that demonstrates just what re-fer’s full offering really looks like.

“We don’t just sell products. We try to sell all-in-one solutions that can extend the service life of a structure or a building,” Schmidig says. “We can reduce their environmental impact with patented technologies powered by global research and development partnerships. It means we can create reinforcement methods that are faster to apply and more economical, and overall re-activate existing structures instead of having to tear it down and rebuild it.”

But those solutions are powered by a pipeline of new technologies, and that is what sets re-fer apart. A portfolio of intellectual property that generates future growth and helps to protect price stability. However, bringing that technology to the market has its own obstacles.

As Schmidig points out, “Most challenging of all, we had to secure standards, product approvals and market acceptance.”

From the Drawing Board to the Boardroom

As anyone who has looked into innovations in the construction industry knows, this was no mean feat. The construction industry is one that prizes the longevity of its output and the safety of its operations. Those are priorities that lead to a very conservative industry in the face of innovation.

“Launching a totally new product or technology that was totally unknown to the construction industry was our biggest barrier,” Schmidig recalls. “We had to focus on identifying customer-pain points and assessing our market potential, which is very hard to do. Our team worked to determine how to win market share. We built compelling sales concepts and even developed entirely new fields of application.”

It was a process that required extensive groundwork across re-fer’s logistics, supply chain and engineering expertise.

“We had to closely cooperate with the authorities and our research partners,” Schmidig says. “It was a very time-consuming process that also required effort and money. Thanks to sound planning, it did not sink us, and after four years on the market, it began to pay off.”

Today, re-fer has delivered solutions for over 500 projects in the company’s pilot market of Switzerland, and is already spreading to other projects around the globe. The combination of practical on-site expertise and cutting-edge technology makes re-fer not just an appealing commercial proposition but a powerful showcase for Switzerland’s talent.

“re-fer is a strong example of how Switzerland fosters innovation. The business is based on ideas that originated at Empa, which were then supported by government funding to transfer that into an industrial practice,” Schmidig says. “With this backing and a risk-tolerant private investor, as well as years of applied research, we transformed a laboratory concept into an industry-ready product.”

The ripples of those achievements continue to spread, with the creation of jobs, tax revenue for the government, and licence fees distributed back to re-fer’s research partner to fund new breakthroughs.

“This path is quite typical for Switzerland. Our country does not have significant national resources, but we have a long tradition of ingenuity and innovation that can build globally competitive industries,” Schmidig observes.

But while the construction industry might appear resistant to innovation, Schmidig is a strong advocate for the role it has to play.

“It has an enormous impact on sustainability and our society,” Schmidig says. “Every bridge we can strengthen instead of replacing preserves resources and value. You are preserving cultural heritage when you can strengthen old buildings, and that is a contribution we are proud to make as a Swiss company.”

Reshaping Talent

All those achievements are possible because of the trained, experienced staff re-fer has in-house. Schmidig calls these people the “core of our success”.

“I want streetwise, practical problem solvers in every position,” he tells us. “Even in Sales, we need engineers and specialists who are not just skilled but curious and open-minded to new inventions.”

re-fer often finds its employees through close personal networks, offering competitive salaries and a wide field of work to attract the best talent.

“Our hierarchy is very flat, and everyone is expected to be open to suggestions and new ideas from anyone,” Schmidig says. “That gives people a sense of purpose and creates loyalty. It helps to motivate the staff, which in turn helps us retain people.”

re-fer is going to need those people, as Schmidig has big plans for the future.

“The near future is about scaling internationally and expanding our product range,” Schmidig says. “We want franchises and distribution partners around the globe. We are cooperating with some big players, such as VSL International. At the same time, we want to do this while preserving our family-like character, rather than building a hierarchical organisation.”

Instead, the model that Schmidig is working towards is a collection of smaller, independent, managed entities to create flexibility in processes and grant the company maximum agility.

“We want to become a global leader in smart reinforcement systems,” Schmidig tells us. “We want to reshape the construction industry.”

Source: Business Focus