Steering Group

In 1989 Uwe Clausen successfully graduated in computer science at the University of Karlsruhe (TH). In July 1995 he finished his doctoral thesis on transportation network optimization at Dortmund University and thereby achieved the title of Dr.-Ing. (»sehr gut«).

In the meantime (December 1989 till July 1995) he worked at the Fraunhofer-Institute for Material Flow and Logistics in Dortmund, at first as a scientific employee and in 1992 he became head of the Traffic Logistics department, working in applied research in the area of distribution and network planning.

From August 1995 until July 1999 he worked at the »Deutsche Post AG«. He started out as project manager for logistics in a project team responsible for setting up the expansion of parcel business throughout Europe. In the beginning of 1997, he became the managing director of the subsidiary IPP Parcel Delivery GmbH in Austria. This brand-new business-to-business parcel system belongs to the euro express division of the »Deutsche Post world net«.

In July 1999 he joined Amazon.de. As operations director he was responsible for setting up the new Amazon Logistics Center in Bad Hersfeld. In the end of 1999 he became managing director of the subsidiary of Amazon Logistik GmbH including the distribution center and supply chain management. In September 2000 he was additionally promoted to European Operations Director at Amazon.com. In this position, he was responsible for the logistics of Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de and Amazon.fr.

In 2001 Dr.-Ing. Uwe Clausen became Managing Director of the Institute of Transport Logistics (until 2011/03: chair »Transport Systems and Logistics«) at Dortmund University as well as director of the Fraunhofer-Institute for Material Flow and Logistics in Dortmund. Furthermore, he manages the Fraunhofer Transport Alliance since its foundation in 2003.

Among other things, Professor Clausen is a representative of Fraunhofer within ECTRI European Conference of Transport Research Institutes (Member of the board from 2013 to 2016), and is a member of the scientific advisory board of the Bundesvereinigung Logistik (BVL) e.V. and Advisory Council Member of the Association of German Transportation companies (VDV).

His native language is German. He speaks English fluently. His knowledge of French has been acquired at school.

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Uwe Clausen is married and has a daughter.

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Tobias Melz is Managing Director of Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF and Head of the Department of »System Reliability, Adaptive Structures and Machine Acoustics« at the Technical University of Darmstadt.

Since 1989 he studied mechanical engineering at TU Braunschweig with focus on lightweight construction and aerospace technology, he worked as a research assistant and project manager at the German Aerospace Center DLR in Braunschweig. Development of smart structures for vibration and shape control in lightweight aerospace systems was his scientific focus. In 2002 he received his doctorate at the TU Darmstadt under Prof. Dr.-Ing. Holger Hanselka and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Rainer Nordmann. His work addressed active vibration reduction of cooling systems in a satellite system. His research interests include the functionalization, mechatronization and reliability of mechanical engineering systems as well as sustainable lightweight plastic construction.

From 2001 to 2012 he led the Department for »Reliability of Active Systems« and later the competence centers »Mechatronics | Adaptronics« and »AdRIA«. In 2011 he was appointed to a professorship for »Adaptive Structures« at the Department of »System Reliability and Machine Acoustics« at the Technical University of Darmstadt, in 2012 he was appointed duty for the new Division for »Smart Structures« and overtook a role as deputy Director of Fraunhofer LBF. After Holger Hanselka left Darmstadt, Tobias Melz accepted responsibility as provisional manager of Fraunhofer LBF and the associated Department at TU Darmstadt until he got appointed for both positions in 2016.

Tobias Melz is actively involved in various committees, is an IGF expert, since 2011 Chairman of the Board of the »Kompetenznetz Adaptronik e.V.« and as chairman of »Materials Valley e.V.«, he is committed to materials research in Hesse and beyond together with »Technologieland Hessen« and well-known companies and research institutions in the Rhein-Main-region. He holds various positions within Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft and has been member of the steering committee of Fraunhofer Transport Alliance since 2014.

Fraunhofer LBF has broad expertise along the value chain: from materials and processing to the design and implementation of structural systems, to qualification with regard to safety and reliability. The three research Divisions »Reliability«, »Smart Structures« and »Plastics« deal with the service areas »Reliability Design«, »Digital Engineering«, »Smart Solutions«, »Circular Economy«, »Lightweight Design« and »Future Mobility« and organize, among other things, the conferences »InCeight Casting C8«, »4SMARTS« and the »Forum Plastic Recyclates«. Together with Fraunhofer IWKS, Fraunhofer LBF is responsible for the Hessian performance center »GreenMat4H2 – GreenMaterials for Hydrogen«, which aims to develop material solutions for the hydrogen economy and ensure the reliability of hydrogen-charged systems.

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Bernd Valeske is executive director of Fraunhofer IZFP (Saarbrücken – Germany) and holds the chair for cognitive sensor systems at the Saarland University in the department of systems engineering. His scientific focus is in research for smart sensor and data systems and in developments for tailored sensing and monitoring of materials, products and production processes with almost 20 years of experience in NDE (Nondestructive Evaluation). He is chairman of the NDE4.0 expert group of the German Society for Nondestructive Testing (DGZfP). His recent research has been concerned with applications for circular materials and circular economy.

In 2005, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Matthias Klingner became Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Transportation and Infrastructure Systems IVI, following his position as head of the department »Transport System Engineering«, which he held for four years (2001 – 2005).

Prior to this function, Prof. Klingner led the research unit »Hybrid Systems« at the Fraunhofer Institute for Information and Data Processing IITB (now called Fraunhofer Institute of Optronics, System Technologies and Image Exploitation IOSB) from 1991 to 2000.

Prof. Klingner studied Information Engineering in Germany (Technische Universität Dresden) and Russia (Nuclear Research Center Dubna) from 1974 until 1978 and received his PhD in 1983 at the Technische Universität Dresden on the topic »Theory of Reliability and Modelling of Complex Systems«. During and after his studies (1978 – 1990), he worked as Research Fellow at the Institute of Cybernetics and Information Processes of the Academy of Science.

In October 2013, Matthias Klingner also became honorary Professor of Systems Theory at the TU Bergakademie Freiberg / Faculty of Mechanical, Process and Energy Engineering.