Special honor for Professor Albert Heuberger

To mark the occasion of the 60th birthday of the Institute’s executive director Professor Albert Heuberger, we hosted a symposium featuring high-profile guests and specialist lectures. In recognition of his services to the Fraunhofer- Gesellschaft, Heuberger was presented with the Fraunhofer Medal by Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft president Professor Reimund Neugebauer. The distinction is awarded to individuals who have made an especially valuable contribution to the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft.

In his laudatory speech, the President highlighted Heuberger’s outstanding connections both within the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft and at the regional, national, and international levels.

Heuberger, who joined Fraunhofer IIS in 1987, was promoted to deputy director in 1999 and director of the Institute in 2011. In this time, the Institute has enjoyed dynamic growth, with employee numbers rising from around 700 to more than 1,100 today, and a budget that has grown from less than 100 million euros to its current level in excess of 160 million euros. Under Heuberger’s stewardship, the Institute underwent a restructuring process in which seven thematic divisions were established, new strategic topics were identified, and clear priorities were set with the two guiding topics »Audio and Media Technologies« and »Cognitive Sensor Technologies«.