 The opinion leader talk from interview 2019 in Stuttgart with Eduardo Falcon from Topcon executive vice president and group general manager Topcon positioning. Thank you for joining us How has the year been for Topcon positioning group since the last interview 2018? Yes, I appreciate that every year we have this discussion. It's great. Actually, we continue growing on global basis The business that I manage is an international business Expands all over the world. So different markets at different rates But basically we are seeing growth in all the activities that we are we are taking so I'm very happy about About those developments and continue pushing for new technology new solutions for our customers Let's talk about Topcon's latest innovation the GT 1000 GTL 1000 is a great product We we talk a little bit not specifically about the product but about the concept of real-time Quality control on the field right last year in our last Interview and now we were hinting at that point The importance of having the ability to not only lay out points But also be able to verify them and the quality of the work on real time That means for example when we are combining this GTL 1000 with software like H-Wise Verity Rhythm right now we can do things on real-time that could never be dream. I mean that before like concrete paving for example or concrete Sites, you know that you need to lay that Today we can verify it on real-time we can lay it out But also verify it on real-time my I like to say when the cement cement is still wet Or the concrete is still wet, which means that we can make the changes right there And that's a tremendous advantage and a tremendous progress actually in all our developments the GTL 1000 we have been Developing for several years. We had in the market also for a long period of time We listen to our customer what they had to say about you know the way that they would like to see the product used And I think we are very proud actually of this how how we end up This development right and and it's just one more product into the battery of products that we have that are all Tending to the same thing which is create solutions for the customer that they can that can make the customer more productive and be able to To save those mishaps Why before they happen right? That's really a key for us the Management of the site is a critical issue for for the focus that we have in our business so Being able to do this quality control real-time layout and verification on real-time again combined with other products not just one simple Piece of hardware, but all the body of products that get together to be able to to give us that capability It's just a tremendous tremendous advantage, right and and the customer Have loved the product and receive it Fantastically and so we are excited about the potential for all that technology coming together. That's Where do you see opportunities for development within the infrastructure sector? So we have in the geo business that we we have what we call the pillars right for for our Different business and different interests. So so what we are doing the internal strategic discussions and laying out the plans for the future We identify actually six different areas. I'm not gonna bother you with those, but I'm gonna just give you the macro picture Definitely the traditional business continue moving on but moving into more and more actually with for years We have been trying to to do more workflows and it's going more into that direction More than even in the past have always been a trend in the traditional business But it's becoming more and more significant Development of software for those solutions, of course is is a critical portion for us another area of big interest is monitoring I I know that the whole infrastructure is aging the needs are there for for monitoring more and more So we see that market growing dramatically all the UAB and mass data we combine we actually very aggressively with the Solutions that we have for what we call the vertical market for us internally and we are constantly giving that message We differentiate from horizontal Construction which is what you do. Let's say with the machines or roads or or railroads, right? To we differentiate it from the vertical construction, which is what you do in buildings, right? That is a tremendous potential the big area for us in terms of expansion That's where the GTL 1000 the LN 150 that is introduced also at the show Many of our products, you know, we have Some heads up display actually a system So all of those things are coming to better aid the vertical market, which is a tremendous potential We we expect that that market will be more Than half of the total business that we were having by the year 21 22 in terms of robotic total stations and systems that are within that realm of of Possibilities, right? That means again real-time quality control trying to make the guys Not build it and break it and then build it again But just making sure that they build it right for the first time and then they can do those controls on real time Sometimes people ask So why why now, you know, why why now I mean the answer is very simple, right? We see it every day and it's natural to guess that but people are going into digital framework if you have a digital Solution of your site you need to have a reference system and products in the site That will allow you to use the same reference system that you are using for the digital world So ultimately we are transforming digital into reality, right in that transformation is where we See tremendous possibility for expansion into the this this part of the business business, yeah What do you feel are the key challenges facing the industry currently? So I would say that if you talk to any of the customers that we have and I had this experience over and over Let's say if you talk to contractors, right? The first thing that they will tell you is that they don't have enough talent. So so and the talent means from Understand that this digital to reality world up to the normal operator of the machine So everybody has a problem of of human resources. How do we make people do more? Right, how do we could they become more productive? but also where are we gonna get those people because They are not there and that's a key portion that we can contribute to we can create in simple solutions easy solutions to use Solutions that will go across the border that will not be completely um How would you say this? That that can be exchanged from each other So so in an open architecture, so you can integrate different fleets with different solutions from different manufacturers But you are not looking at the product looking at the whole Flow again key people. How do you get the right people in the field to be able to use that? How do you translate the the old technology or the old view of the world of? Building it later measuring and see what happened up to on real time have all this detail at the tip of your head More we simplified easier we get for the people that are building for the contractors for those guys I cannot find the resources today to to be able to to have productive teams And of course, you know There are many other challenges in this regard when you are talking about putting technology together You have again different architecture different workflows and not enough as standardization in the industry So if you are talking about real everyday thing, you're looking at again people and if you are talking about macro view of what is what is missing a standardization of Systematization the industry need to find a way to create a standards In a more efficient fashion, right? That's the view Let's talk about intergear 2019 at the end. What are your focuses here in Stuttgart's? As I'm explaining the focus for us as a company is again bring solutions to the market So in this particular show, it's a good opportunity for us to meet Dealers and customers and be hands-on with them and talk to them not only about The new solutions, but but the things again how how the whole vision comes together So it's a very efficient way for us to deal with the with our Distribution network, right and with our own people We have a lot of employees coming from all over the world And getting refresh on what's happening and the things that we are doing this particular intergear We are excited because we have not only the GTL 1000 that have been introduced early on this year But also in the LN 150 and we have a new version of the a shield which is our communication system And we also have these visors that You know are fantastic from my perspective when I see the world from what we were 40 50 years ago at the world we are today. So very excited about intergear and You know Meaning every day our customer base and our dealership, which is always great to see Eduardo Falcon. Thank you and have a great time here. Thank you very much. You too. Thank you