Professor Hans-Jürgen Warnecke celebrates his 80th birthday

Professor Hans-Jürgen Warnecke among the hosts and speakers. (Source: Fraunhofer IPA)

Approximately 400 guests attended the invitation to the 80th birthday at the Liederhalle in Stuttgart. (Source: Fraunhofer IPA)

"Desire for Performance" once described as his life principle. Many saw him as a strategist, reformer, and visionary alike, who significantly shaped and actively contributed to the applied scientific zeitgeist. On April 4th, approximately 400 invited guests honored the work of the former President of the Fraunhofer Society and Institute Director of Fraunhofer IPA during a ceremonial celebration. Among the laudators was, in addition to Michael Stoschek, Chairman of the Shareholders' Assembly of the Brose Group, also the former Minister President of Baden-Württemberg, Dr. Erwin Teufel.

With the words "Not only as a passionate sailor did he have the rudder firmly in hand. As a charismatic leader, he successfully brought his team on course." former Institute Director of Fraunhofer IPA, Professor Rolf Dieter Schraft, welcomed the symposium visitors at the Stuttgart Liederhalle on the occasion of Professor Hans-Jürgen Warnecke's 80th birthday. Friends, acquaintances, companions, and IPA employees had gathered there to honor the more than 30 years of Fraunhofer commitment of the native of Braunschweig.

During his tenure as President of the Fraunhofer Society from 1993 to 2002, the total budget of the Fraunhofer Society doubled to one billion euros. Warnecke focused during this time on stronger collaboration with industry – the share of industry revenues increased from a relatively 28 to 40 percent. With the introduction of a uniform corporate design, he not only strengthened the brand and appearance but also increased the overall recognition of the now more than 60 Fraunhofer Institutes far beyond the borders of the national research landscape.

Professor Reimund Neugebauer, President of the Fraunhofer Society, summarized Warnecke’s achievements in his keynote: "Hans-Jürgen Warnecke, as President of the Fraunhofer Society, developed it into a highly capable research organization as an innovation driver for the economy and opened up entirely new possibilities for creating synergies and strategic actions through profiling in specialized associations and demand-oriented alliances. The internationalization and the enforcement of performance fairness also go back to him."

Professor Hans-Jörg Bullinger, successor to Professor Warnecke and predecessor to Professor Neugebauer, adds: "Teacher, researcher, and manager in one person. Few possess such a combination of qualifications. Hardly anyone has mastered the connection between science and industry as he has. Not only the development of Stuttgart's production research into global significance but also the development of the Fraunhofer Society into its current importance testify to his extraordinary work. His influence is documented not only in publications, books, and patents but also lives on through his students and employees, many of whom today hold responsible positions in industry and science, continuing his work."

As early as 1971, Warnecke, a qualified mechanical engineer, responded to the call of applied research in the spirit and model of Joseph von Fraunhofer. In addition to leading the Chair of Industrial Manufacturing and Factory Operations at the University of Stuttgart, he also simultaneously took over the leadership of the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology and Automation IPA. Under his leadership, the Fraunhofer IPA developed into one of the largest and most successful Fraunhofer Institutes. During this period, his core topics included the development of automation of material and information flow through the use of industrial robots. In 1992, Warnecke summarized his experiences and thoughts on corporate management and organization in the book "The Fractal Factory", which made him known in the production world and brought him international recognition.

“Hans-Jürgen Warnecke has brought the Fraunhofer IPA to the forefront of production-oriented research institutes in Germany. Even today, our institute enjoys an excellent reputation worldwide. The ideas that emerged in connection with the Fractal Enterprise will probably accompany us for a long time,” describes Professor Alexander Verl, Board Member of the Fraunhofer Society and former IPA Institute Director, about Warnecke’s work.

IPA Institute Director Professor Thomas Bauernhansl adds: "The concept of the Fractal Factory, which Hans-Jürgen Warnecke introduced in the early 1990s, is more relevant than ever and meaningful for many manufacturing companies. The visionary power of this organizational model is evident in many transformation processes towards agile and flexible production structures."

“Already as a young engineer, Warnecke was awarded the VDI Honor Ring. From 1994 to 1997, he served as President of the VDI. Throughout his entire professional life, he was active in the joint work of the Association of German Engineers. Many titles (Honorary Senator Prof. Dr.-Ing., Prof. h.c. mult., Dr. h.c. mult., Dr.-Ing. e.h.) and honors (Great Federal Cross of Merit, Grashof Memorials of the VDI, Honorary Ring of the Eduard Rhein Foundation) as well as positions in industry and science still attest to the recognition of his work.