Change of leadership at the top of VdF HLK e.V.

Photo from left to right: Nino Manzi (Bühr Group), Steffen Hild (Managing Director of CAT Clean Air Technology GmbH/CAT Group and Deputy Chairman of the ITGA Baden-Württemberg eV)

How important the integration of research, teaching, and industry is has been recognized by the founders of the VdF HLK (Association of Supporters of Research in Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Technology Stuttgart e.V.) – among them members of the University of Stuttgart – almost 40 years ago. Since then, the non-profit association has been promoting research and intensive knowledge exchange in the field of building energy efficiency, particularly in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning technology.

At the top of VdF HLK, there is a change in November 2021: after ten years of voluntary service, Nino Manzi (Bühr Group) is stepping down as chairman. His successor will be Steffen Hild, Managing Director of CAT Clean Air Technology GmbH / CAT Group and Deputy Chairman of the Industrial Association for Technical Building Equipment Baden-Württemberg e.V. (ITGA).

The new chairman intends to pursue the goals of the support work consistently and to seamlessly continue the work of his predecessor. "Innovation is one of our major future topics," says Hild. "It will largely determine whether we successfully meet global challenges such as climate change or the energy transition and remain permanently competitive at the business location Germany. Intensive exchange between science, research, and companies is essential for this."

The focus of VdF HLK and its over 120 members is another highly topical issue: Through targeted information transfer between research institutes, universities, and companies, the professional field surrounding building energy efficiency should become more well-known. Against the backdrop of the rapidly increasing importance of energy and emission reduction topics, experts from this field are in higher demand than ever before.