Post by Samuel Linares

From Düsseldorf to Tokyo: A Journey Through Innovation, Industry, and People! Over the past two weeks, I had the privilege of traveling across two industrial powerhouses: Germany and Japan, both deeply rooted in engineering excellence and now rapidly evolving in the cybersecurity and OT security space. Germany, with a population of around 84 million and a GDP of $4.5 trillion, generates around 27% of its GDP from industrial activity. It’s home to over 1 million engineers, and iconic OEMs like Siemens or Bosch, who are shaping the future of automation and industrial control. Japan, with 125 million people and a GDP of around $4.2 trillion, sees 30% of its economy driven by manufacturing and industrial sectors. With over 800,000 engineers, and global leaders like Mitsubishi Electric or Yokogawa, Japan continues to be a beacon of innovation in automation or robotics. Both countries share a strong commitment to industrial and operational resilience, technological leadership, and increasingly, cybersecurity, recognizing the need to protect critical infrastructure in a hyper-connected and highly geopolitical-tensioned world. But what truly made this journey unforgettable was the people and the culture. From the warm hospitality in Düsseldorf to the deep respect and harmony I experienced in Tokyo, I was reminded that diversity is not just a value, it’s one of our most valuable strengths. I had the chance to visit Mount Fuji, a symbol of Japan’s natural beauty and spiritual depth, and it gave me a moment to reflect on how culture shapes innovation, collaboration, and leadership. Whether it was in client meetings and workshops, exchanging ideas, sharing meals, or simply walking through the vibrant streets of Tokyo, I felt deeply inspired by the kindness, curiosity, and dedication of everyone I met. A huge thank you to all the colleagues, partners, and friends who made this trip so special: Luis Luque, Daisuke Fujii, Masahiro Kato, Florian Forster, Lars Zywietz thanks for being such a great partners and hosts, good memories will stay with me. All, your generosity, demonstrated commitment and insights are what truly drive progress. Because at the end of the day, technology connects us, but people move us forward. 心から感謝申し上げます。皆様の温かい歓迎とご支援に深く感動しました。これからも共に素晴らしい未来を築いていきましょう。   Paolo Dal Cin Harpreet Sidhu Giovanni Cozzolino James Nunn-Price Damon M. Jacky Fox Rex Thexton Ritesh Agrawal Saba Ahmed Ganesh Devarajan Rich Mahler Rick Driggers Piyush Jain Kamilla Giedrojc Janet Bosshammer Mariana Perez Jason Merante Sadhana Joliet Barbara Cagnazzo Sandeep Rai Sharma Paul Brownlee Jason Holcomb Trevor Houck Abhijit Nandi Ignacio Paredes Alfonso Martín Palma Kjeld Stipsen Luis Parrondo Vincent Castagnet Florian Forster Michał Paulski Ettore Galluccio Rohit Duggal Markus Braendle Rajat Dev Sehdev