Ricardo Klering
I have been working in industrial production environments, cleanrooms, technical cleanliness, hygiene, and factory planning for over 20 years. My professional journey has taken me from SCHOTT, Berliner Glas (ASML Berlin), and TDK to IE Group Munich.
Many of these topics I have not only planned, but also experienced in ongoing operations – from stable installations and well-functioning cleanrooms to practical material and personnel flows. In doing so, I understand how significantly even small planning errors can impact later operations.
Today, at IE Group, I support companies in understanding production, cleanroom, hygiene, and logistics processes at an early stage and in developing sustainable factory concepts based on these insights. My central question is:
How must a building be designed so that the process within it runs smoothly?
Brief Profile: Expertise at a Glance
I combine practical production experience with factory planning, cleanroom planning, and business development. My focus is on production environments where technical cleanliness, GMP-related requirements, stable processes, and economically viable solutions must be integrated.
Industry Focus
My focus is on life sciences, pharmaceuticals, medical technology, as well as other high-tech industries with stringent requirements for cleanliness, hygiene, and process reliability. In this context, I primarily address the factors that determine the quality and efficiency of subsequent operations. These include the design of personnel and material flows, the planning of required zones and airlocks, and the consideration of GMP, hygiene, and cleanliness requirements.
The objective is to develop practical and economically viable solutions that perform reliably in daily operations.
Role at IE Group
At IE Group Munich, I work at the interface between factory planning, cleanroom/hygiene, and business development. I support clients in early project phases in structuring their requirements, making risks visible, and developing robust planning concepts from initial ideas.
My approach is not about creating an appealing layout as quickly as possible. What matters is asking the right questions first: What actually happens in the process? Which workflows are critical? Which requirements are fixed? And where is a solution needed that is technically sound, economically viable, and operable in the long term?
Technical Expertise
My strength lies in consistently approaching factory and operations planning from the perspective of later operations. With my hands-on experience in production environments, cleanrooms, technical installations, audits, maintenance, ramp-ups, and process optimization, I understand what truly matters in day-to-day operations. My core competencies include factory and operations planning, cleanroom and hygiene concepts, technical cleanliness, as well as GMP-related production and logistics environments. In addition, I focus on material, personnel, and waste flows, layout planning for new buildings and extensions, as well as process analysis and optimization. Another key focus is the alignment between production, building, building services (MEP), and operations, as well as early project development and client consulting. I consider it essential not only to capture requirements, but to prioritize them effectively in order to identify critical topics at an early stage and to develop economically viable, practical solutions.
From Process Optimization to a Future-ready Factory
My professional career began in industrial production – where systems must run, processes need to be stable, and every planning decision becomes tangible in day-to-day operations. At SCHOTT in Jena, I gained first-hand experience with technical processes, installations, maintenance, and production systems. This experience continues to shape my perspective on factory planning to this day.
At Berliner Glas (now ASML), I was involved over several years in shaping cleanroom environments in photonics and high-tech manufacturing. The planning and expansion of cleanroom areas, new production concepts, specifications, commissioning activities, as well as the optimization of workplaces and processes showed me how closely building, process, people, and quality are interconnected.
At TDK, my focus shifted more strongly toward industrial engineering, layout planning, and process optimization. The goal was to translate production requirements, client expectations, and technical cleanliness into efficient and economically viable structures.
Today, I bring this experience to IE Group Munich in early concept phases, operations planning, and client development. I am particularly interested in the moment when an initial idea evolves into a robust project: Which processes determine the building? What hygiene logic does the site require? Which requirements are critical?
For me, factory planning is successful when it reduces complexity, facilitates decision-making, and ultimately results in a production environment that functions technically, economically, and operationally.
My Vision for 2040
I believe that factories will need to be planned more holistically in the future. Buildings, production, technology, data, and people are becoming increasingly interconnected. By 2040, I envision factories that operate in a clear, flexible, and sustainable way – with technology that supports the process rather than adding unnecessary complexity. At the same time, industrial buildings should once again demonstrate a higher level of architectural quality. A factory should not only be efficient, but also create identification, appreciation, and orientation. The factory of the future is not the most complex one, but the one that works reliably over the long term, remains adaptable, and clearly reflects what a company stands for.
Thought Leadership & Publications
