About us
We are proud of our diversity and interdisciplinarity.
Passionate, tolerant and courageous.
Our Team

Christian Gülpen
Managing Directorchristian.guelpen@ifu.rwth-aachen.de

Prof. Dr. rer. pol. Kathleen Diener
Scientific Directorkathleen.diener@ifu.rwth-aachen.de

Prof. Dr. rer. pol. Frank Thomas Piller
Scientific Directorfrank.piller@ifu.rwth-aachen.de

Tabea Förster
HR & Financesannatabea.foerster@ifu.rwth-aachen.de

Christoph Henke, M.Sc.
Research Group Leaderchristoph.henke@ifu.rwth-aachen.de

Christina Ionescu, M.Sc.
Research assistantchristina.ionescu@ifu.rwth-aachen.de

Alexander Redlich, M.Sc.
Research Group Leaderalexander.redlich@ifu.rwth-aachen.de

David Schnermann, M.Sc.
Research assistantdavid.schnermann@ifu.rwth-aachen.de

Konstantin Zähl, M.Sc.
Research assistantkonstantin.zaehl@ifu.rwth-aachen.de

Pepper
Humanoid Robot
Oscar
Mobile Service Robot
TORsten
Mobile Intralogistics RobotMembers
As a registered not-for-profit association, IfU e.V. is supported by its members. Members benefit from direct access to a wide range of information on the current state of cybernetics, new methods for innovation and value co-creation, and new business models. They participate at the insights in the fields of economics and engineering gained by IfU through its wide range of applied projects.
At our annual meeting, but also in direct exchange, members gain direct access to current topics from research and industry. A profound program ensures active networking and exchange among members and further institute partners.
Above all, however, we repeatedly involve our members’ companies in our research projects (however, memnership is no nessessary conditions for participation — we are open to all interested research partners).
If you would also like to become part of the IfU network, please feel free to contact us.
We would be happy to welcome you at our next general assembly.
Executive board
The Executive Board of IfU steers the work of the Institute in close consultation with the Scientific Board of Trustees and the Management. It is responsible for the affairs of the association and is elected every three years at the general meeting.

Prof. Dr. rer. pol. Frank Piller
Scientific director and ChairLehrstuhlinhaber Institut für Technologie- und Innovationsmanagement an der RWTH Aachen University

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Robert Schmitt
Vice ChairLehrstuhlinhaber Fertigungsmesstechnik und Qualitätsmanagement des WZL & Informationsmanagement im Maschinenbau (IMA)

Dr.-Ing. Christian Jacobi
Board memberManagement of Agiplan GmbH, Mülheim an der Ruhr

Dipl.-Ing. Michael Bernas
Board memberHead of Research Production Systems, Festo AG & Co. KG, Esslingen
Scientific Board of Trustees
In addition to the board of directors and the scientific management, the scientific board of trustees – consisting of renowned representatives from research and industry – supports the institute in an advisory and pioneering capacity. The board of trustees advises, examines and accompanies our research projects and ideas, especially with regard to the scientific and economic benefit of the research results for practice. The aim is to give small and medium-sized enterprises access to the latest state of the art and thus increase their international competitiveness. The feedback of the trustees flows directly into the processing and acquisition of excellent research projects and ensures the high scientific quality standards of the institute.

Doris Aschenbrenner

Dieter Begass

Maren Bennewitz

Paul Flachskampf

Thomas Gries

Eckart Hauck

Christiane Michulitz

Herbert Nöckel

Gerald Pörschmann

Astrid Rosenthal-von der Pütten

Sigrid Brell-Cokcan

Karl Schultheis

Markus Schwaninger

Jean Severijns

Rene Vossen

You are interested in a cooperation?
Get in touch with our team of researchers.
We are always available to answer your questions.