Karlsruhe Institute Of Technology Elects New President Of The Fraunhofer Society

Professor Holger Hanselka, President of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) since 2013, was unanimously elected the new President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft by the Senate of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft in Dresden today. As its 11th President, Hanselka is to succeed Professor Reimund Neugebauer.

Holger Hanselka heads the KIT in his second term. With a clear strategic orientation, he has succeeded in leading the KIT as the research university in the Helmholtz Association back into the ranks of the universities of excellence. In addition, he consistently promoted the unity of KIT. “The success of the last few years is a great joint effort. For this I would like to thank a competent and highly committed Executive Committee and management team and all employees of the KIT,” emphasizes President Holger Hanselka. “My motivation was and is to make full use of the synergies of the KIT as a nationwide unique institution in national and international competition. This applies in particular to research-oriented studies in Karlsruhe,

Now that the talks and contract negotiations have been concluded, Hanselka is to become the 11th President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. “I am honored and pleased to have been given the trust of the Senate of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. The office of Fraunhofer President with 30,000 employees worldwide is one of the most exciting and at the same time one of the most challenging in German science,” says Hanselka. “The international positioning and the development of a modern mission statement for Fraunhofer will be a central task, whereby I can contribute the valuable experience from my time at KIT, which I value very much: We live in a time of massive global changes and challenges. Research with a clear profile must also become more global in line with demand.”

“Professor Holger Hanselka is a strong leader and an outstanding science manager with drive, strategic vision and a high level of team spirit. He has strategically realigned KIT since 2013 and set the course for a successful future in national and international competition. Successes, such as in the Excellence Initiative or in the program-oriented funding of the Helmholtz Association, are visible signs,” says the Chairman of the KIT Supervisory Board, Professor Michael Kaschke. “Due to his many years of experience in the transformation and development of scientific institutions, he is the right person to lead and successfully position the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft in a difficult time.