Holger Hanselka takes office as 11th president of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft

On August 15, Prof. Holger Hanselka will take office as the president of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, Europe’s leading applied research organization. Holger Hanselka is leaving his position as president of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), a role that he has held for over ten years, to take the helm of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. Before taking office in Karlsruhe, the 61-year-old was director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF in Darmstadt and a member of the presidential council of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft from 2006 to 2012.

The senate of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft unanimously elected Holger Hanselka on May 25. “With his experience, scientific reputation and approachable and hands-on nature, Holger Hanselka is the right person to lead the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft into the future,” said Hildegard Müller, chair of the senate of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. “As an engineer, entrepreneur and university professor, Holger Hanselka has experienced all aspects of business, science and research in his management career and has developed exactly the skills that are now needed to lead Fraunhofer: leadership, willingness to engage in dialogue, integrity and entrepreneurial thinking and actions.”

In this position, Holger Hanselka will promote the mission of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, which is to work towards strengthening the economy and contributing to a worthwhile future. He will also endeavor to strengthen the role of Fraunhofer in the scientific system and expand its position as an essential supplier of innovation to small, medium and large companies. “I am honored by the trust that the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is placing in me by electing me as its new president. It is a huge responsibility and challenge. Together with the over 30,000 experts at Fraunhofer, I will do my best to develop sustainable solutions for the pressing issues of our time. In a world of constant change, where we face new challenges on a daily basis, science and research can be beacons of hope for humanity, shining a light on the fight against climate change, concerns about the digital transformation and the use of artificial intelligence, issues surrounding food or even the mobility of the future,” said Holger Hanselka, the new president of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. He pointed out that Fraunhofer’s top priority is to continue to accelerate the application of new technologies, thereby strengthening both Germany and Europe’s competitiveness and future viability, by working in close collaboration with partners from the German federal and state governments, industry, science and society.

Creating change through dialogue

Prof. Holger Hanselka added: “Change always begins from within an organization. This is why I will enter into an in-depth dialogue with the employees, committees and stakeholders from politics, industry and society right from the start of my tenure. This is the only way that we can jointly develop a modern corporate culture and transparent, results-focused forms of collaboration, which will be of vital importance to the future viability of Fraunhofer and in the competition for the best talent.”

This article was first published on 11 August by Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft.