Michael Albiez, CEO of Physik Instrumente (PI) and member of the HOERBIGER Executive Board responsible for the new Positioning Division, shares his first personal assessment after 100 days.

A challenging environment, major strategic steps, and ambitious goals: with the integration of PI and its consistent focus on profitable growth, HOERBIGER is continuing its transformation. In this interview, CEO Thorsten Kahlert discusses the first half of 2026, the goals and priorities for the current year, and why growth makes HOERBIGER an attractive employer.

Ten years ago, a large portion of HOERBIGER’s business came from markets that are now under significant transformational pressure. The oil industry is undergoing fundamental changes, the automotive industry is in the midst of a transition to electromobility, and many industrial value chains are being redefined by digitalization, automation, and sustainability requirements. This raises a crucial question for HOERBIGER: where will tomorrow’s growth come from?

With its Emission Recovery System (ERS), HOERBIGER is making further progress in climate protection. Based on the company’s proprietary conical-screw technology, the ERS recovers natural gas that escapes from compressor seals, compresses it, and returns it to the process. We spoke with Christian Hold, Head of Business Venture Conical Screw, and asked him what role the conical screw plays in this system, where the ERS is used, and how it contributes to climate protection.

In southern Peru, around 18 million sterile flies are bred every week to combat the fruit fly Ceratitis capitata – one of the most damaging pests for fruits and vegetables. The goal of the program is to reduce the population in the long term while simultaneously improving crop yields and quality.

DXOMARK measures image quality under realistic conditions, making results truly comparable for the first time across devices and use cases. This is made possible by precise motion simulations from Physik Instrumente (PI), which accurately replicate real-world use in the lab.

Every year, around 90 million vehicles roll off assembly lines worldwide – that’s nearly three vehicles per second. About one in four of these is equipped with components from HOERBIGER. Behind this lies a highly complex system of precision manufacturing and logistics processes along global supply chains. The Automotive Division’s largest customer project demonstrates how this interplay works in practice.

Hanna Brands is in charge of implementing modern work methods and artificial intelligence at HOERBIGER. Her task is as simple as it is complex: to serve as a translator between IT and users and to explain technology in a way that ensures it is understood and put to use.

When satellites transmit data via laser or space telescopes capture razor-sharp images, the highest level of precision is essential. Even the smallest vibrations or movements can cause a satellite’s laser to miss its target or images to become blurred.