Aachen-based tetys GmbH & Co. KG chose the SmartLog 3 and moved into the city’s smartest building this spring. We spoke with Janina Keuters, managing partner of the family-owned business.
Ms. Keuters, tetys is a “hidden champion.” What exactly does your company do?
Janina Keuters: We develop efficient and sustainable software solutions for the manufacturing industry. In this way, we create digitized processes, automated workflows, and connected decision-making pathways—covering every step from resource planning through production and on-site quality inspection to the loading of trucks.
Who are your customers?
Janina Keuters: Most of our clients are small and medium-sized businesses, but our client portfolio also includes several large corporations, including international ones. We’ve been in business for nearly 50 years now and have grown alongside some of our long-standing clients.
“I think it’s important to step outside your comfort zone in order to create something new.”
Janina Keuters, Managing Partner at tetys GmbH & Co. KG
You are very innovation-driven. Are there any departments at RWTH Aachen University that you collaborate with?
Janina Keuters: Our company was founded as an offshoot of the Institute of Plastics Processing. We continue to maintain close ties with the institute to this day. For the past two years, we have also been collaborating with the Institute of Textile Technology. The field of smart logistics is also of interest to us because large production facilities present logistical challenges. Intralogistics processes also play an important role. We provide suitable solutions for these needs.
It’s fitting that you’ve just moved into SmartLog 3, our new building for the Smart Logistics Cluster. What added value do you see in your new headquarters on the campus?
Janina Keuters: Networks area major asset for us. For one thing, here at SmartLog 3 we have three flexible spaces with a pleasant atmosphere where we can host our own events, such as user meetings with customers. For another, we collaborate extensively with research institutes in the innovation sector. Here on campus, we work together to build expertise that helps us drive the right initiatives and create value for the German economy.
They deliberately chose a property with a significantly higher rent than their previous one.
Janina Keuters: Yes , because I see the opportunities. I think it’s important to step outside your comfort zone to create something new. You don’t gain energy if you only focus on keeping costs to a minimum. Ever since I’ve been in business, I’ve placed a very high priority on the work environment. I want people to enjoy coming to the office and to feel comfortable. But I also want everyone to be able to do their work in a way that plays to their strengths.
“Ever since I started my own business, I’ve placed a high priority on the work environment. I want people to enjoy coming into the office.”
Janina Keuters, Managing Partner at tetys GmbH & Co. KG
And can the rooms help with that?
Janina Keuters: When I come into the office, I want to interact with people—not by just standing in the doorway, but by engaging in meaningful conversations and fostering a whole new kind of camaraderie. That’s possible here. We deliberately chose not to go with an open-plan office, since our developers need to be able to concentrate on their work. But we did opt for flexible workstations that foster a different kind of collaboration. To that end, we have a room for agile work and, intentionally, many social spaces to promote a positive sense of community.
So, would you make the same decision to choose the SmartLog 3 again?
Janina Keuters: I generally make a lot of my business decisions based largely on my gut feeling. And in this case, I have a very, very good one.
SEMICONDUCTOR SPECIALIST IS ALSO ON BOARD
The city’s smartest work environments are attracting more smart users: Astera Labs Germany GmbH is also moving into SmartLog 3. The specialist in semiconductor and connectivity solutions took over 2,230 square meters of leased space on the ground floor and first floor at the end of February and is currently expanding its facilities.
Astera Labs, a global company headquartered in San Jose, USA, develops high-speed solutions that optimize data transfer in data centers. At the end of 2025, the company acquired aiXscale Photonics GmbH, founded in Aachen, a spin-off from the Institute for Integrated Photonics at RWTH Aachen University.