Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IISManagement duo bring strong expertise to role
On January 1, 2021, Dr. Denise Müller-Friedrich and Dr. Jens-Uwe Garbas became joint directors of the Smart Sensing and Electronics research division. They took over from Josef Sauerer, who had successfully headed the division since 2016.
Josef Sauerer goes into retirement
“Josef Sauerer has been at Fraunhofer IIS since the very beginning. For over 35 years, he has been instrumental in shaping our core competence of microelectronics and has played a major part in establishing Germany as a leader in this field,” says Institute Director Prof. Albert Heuberger, praising the outgoing director’s outstanding commitment. The Smart Sensing and Electronics research division employs approx. 140 people and has an annual budget of around 28 million euros. Josef Sauerer went into retirement at the end of March 2021.
Shared leadership
The new management duo bring their respective expertise to the shared leadership model. Prof. Albert Heuberger is happy about the appointment: “As joint directors, they will complement one another in personality and qualifications and will pilot the division to a successful future.”
Electronics engineer Dr. Jens-Uwe Garbas is chiefly responsible for the overall strategy and personnel management: “We supply science and industry with first-class solutions encompassing everything from sensors for medical applications to developing AI software for image processing and IC design geared toward mass production. My goal is to leverage even more synergies between business units while building on the strengths of our existing research areas.”
Dr. Denise Müller-Friedrich is responsible for the topics of organizational development, strategic and business processes, and finance. “Our research is driven by our vision for developing smart sensors, microelectronics and software that improve everyday life. We want to build on the technological and strategic successes of recent years, launch new initiatives, and create a perfect marriage between subject matter and the needs of people,” explains Müller-Friedrich.
