Prof. Holger Hanselka takes office as the 11th President of the Fraunhofer Society
14.08.2023 13:35
Prof. Holger Hanselka will take office as President of the Fraunhofer Society, Europe's leading organization for applied research, on August 15th. Hanselka is moving from the position of President of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), which he held for more than ten years, to the top of the Fraunhofer Society. Before working in Karlsruhe, the 61-year-old headed the Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF in Darmstadt and was a member of the executive board of the Fraunhofer Society from 2006 to 2012.
The Senate of the Fraunhofer Society unanimously elected Holger Hanselka on May 25th. “Holger Hanselka, with his experience, scientific reputation and his approachable and hands-on nature, is the right person to lead the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft into the future,” says Hildegard Müller, Chairwoman of the Senate of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. »As an engineer, company founder and university lecturer, Holger Hanselka has held leadership positions in all facets of business, science and research in his professional career and has acquired exactly the skills that are now needed at the top of Fraunhofer: leadership, willingness to engage in dialogue, integrity and entrepreneurial thinking and action.«
Holger Hanselka is committed to further advancing the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft's mission to strengthen the economy and help shape a future worth living, to strengthen its role in the science system and to further expand its position as an essential supplier of innovation for small, medium-sized and large companies. »The Fraunhofer Society's trust in electing me to the office of President is an honor, a responsibility and an incentive at the same time. Together with the over 30,000 experts at Fraunhofer, I will work to develop sustainable solutions for the pressing issues of our time. In a world of constant change and new challenges every day, it is science and research that can give humanity hope in the fight against climate change, concerns about dealing with artificial intelligence and digitalization and questions about nutrition or mobility in the future « says Holger Hanselka, the new President of the Fraunhofer Society. He pointed out that Fraunhofer's most urgent task is to further accelerate the application of new technologies in close cooperation with partners from the federal and state governments, business, science and society and thus strengthen the competitiveness and future viability of Germany and Europe.
Change through dialogue
Prof. Holger Hanselka continues: »Change always first arises within an organization. That's why, right at the start of my term in office, I will enter into an intensive dialogue with employees, committees and stakeholders in politics, business and society. This is the only way we can jointly develop a modern corporate culture and transparent, results-oriented forms of collaboration, which will be crucial for the future viability of Fraunhofer and also in the competition for the best employees.«