“We contribute to solutions that have a positive impact”

Why didn’t Bürkert simply start with the traditional concept of sustainability, but instead took a step further—toward a regenerative economy?

Andrea Häußermann: Because it’s necessary. When you look at planetary boundaries, you quickly realize that it’s not enough to just be “less bad.” I like to compare this to the transformation in the automotive industry: consuming less and less is not a concept for the future—we need a usage concept instead of a consumption concept. We must learn to design living systems. Of course, we don’t have all the answers yet, but this shift in perspective allows us to arrive more quickly at solutions that have a positive impact, rather than settling for half-measures.

Bürkert has been addressing this issue for a long time, but is only now actively communicating about it. Why did you decide to go public at this particular moment?

Andrea Häußermann: It has to do with Bürkert’s culture. We are a company shaped by engineers. We like to think things through thoroughly before going public with them. But we realize that we need to be more open. We don’t have a ready-made answer for everything, but we’re on our way—and we want to show that. It’s not about presenting a finished concept right now, but about making our direction clear.

Many companies cite traditional measures like solar panels or paper reduction. Does Bürkert pursue such approaches as well?

Andrea Häußermann: Of course, such optimizations are part of it. But we are aware that, ultimately, what matters is the impact our products have on the market. As mentioned earlier, we don’t just want to become “less bad”; we want our solutions to make a real contribution to a sustainable economy. That is our focus.

How do you plan to measure progress in the area of sustainable business practices? Are there any key performance indicators for this?

Andrea Häußermann: We’re working on it. Bürkert has grown with management systems, but even these need an upgrade now. It’s important to me that we don’t spend 80 percent of our time measuring and only 20 percent implementing. I want to reverse that ratio: 20 percent measuring, 80 percent implementing. Our energy, resources, and financial means should flow into the transformation as efficiently as possible.

You are also, to some extent, dependent on your customers joining you on this journey. What if customers focus only on prices and not on sustainability?

Andrea Häußermann: That’s true, but there are many companies that want to actively shape this change. After all, we all live on the same planet. We’re in dialogue with a wide variety of partners—from large corporations to small businesses. It’s about creating success stories, sharing experiences, and learning from one another. We’ve already launched our first pilot projects and are noticing that interest is growing—even from companies that weren’t familiar with Bürkert before.

Will sustainable business practices become Bürkert’s central theme at trade shows in the future?

Andrea Häußermann: There will certainly be other topics, but sustainable business practices are firmly anchored in our vision. So it remains a core component of our strategy.

How do you respond to those who dismiss sustainable concepts as “greenwashing”?

Andrea Häußermann: In some cases, this criticism may be justified. But that is precisely our task—to remain credible and not engage in it. Perhaps that is also a reason why we are only talking about it now. We want to communicate with humility and clarity: What can we already do, and what can’t we do yet? Where are we a step ahead, and where do we still have potential? Authenticity is a central component of Bürkert’s identity.

Is there a project related to sustainable management that has personally inspired you?

Andrea Häußermann: Yes, I was very impressed by aquaponics—the combination of fish farming and vegetable cultivation in which water is recirculated. Such systems demonstrate how resource cycles can work. They exist on a small scale, for example in backyards in Africa, but also on a large scale, such as in the desert of Dubai. Such concepts, which offer added value in their own right, are fascinating and inspiring. When we understand how to design living systems, exciting, sustainable solutions emerge.

How do you view the development of new business models, such as service offerings or usage-based payment models?

Andrea Häußermann: These are very exciting approaches. We will proceed step by step—there’s no other way. But it is precisely these kinds of models that demonstrate the potential of regenerative concepts.

Many external factors—from geopolitics to regulations—influence implementation. How do you deal with this uncertainty?

Andrea Häußermann: It is indeed a major challenge because the framework conditions change rapidly. Political decisions are often short-term in nature—from one election cycle to the next. But true transformation requires continuity. We can only be successful in the long term if the focus is on sustainable, reliable strategies.