Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Prof. e.h. Dr. h. c. Hans-Jörg Bullinger President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, Corporate Management and Research Dr. Hans-Jörg Bullinger was born in Stuttgart (Germany) on April 13th 1944. He began his career working as a manufacturer for the Daimler-Benz company in Stuttgart, after which he read a degree at the University of Stuttgart, graduating with a Master's degree and Ph.D. in Manufacturing.
Being in charge of the Stuttgarter Fraunhofer-Institute of Production Technology and Automation, Dr. Bullinger was responsible for many applied research projects in the field of design and manufacturing, with the goal being to increase the productivity of computer based systems. These projects were carried out together with well known German companies, such as Robert Bosch, Siemens, VW, Daimler Benz and others. Much of his experience was gained working on several projects which took place abroad, he was often invited to lectures in the United States, Japan, Korea, China, India, Australia and South America. Hence his rich knowledge regarding the international situation of applied informatics. After two years of lecturing at the University of Hagen, Dr. Bullinger was asked to become a full-time lecturer at the University of Stuttgart. Besides his role as chairman of the University, Dr. Bullinger is also the head of the Institute for Human Factors and Technology Management (IAT) and the Fraunhofer-Institute for Industrial Engineering (IAO). The institutes are renowned for the carrying out of projects with both German and foreign countries. Since October 2002 he is President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, Corporate Management and Research.
In 1978, Dr. Bullinger received the Kienzle-Medal as an award from the University Group of Manufacturing. In 1982 the gold Ring-of-Honour was awarded by the German Society of Engineers (VDI). In 1986 he received the Distinguished Foreign Colleague award from the Human Factor Society. In 1991 he became an honorary Doctor at the University of Novi Sad and in the same year an honorary Professor at the University of Science and Technology of China in Hefei. He has since 1993 been a member of the World Academy of Productivity Science and in 1994 became an elected honorary member of the Rumanian Society of Mechanical Engineers. In 1995 he received the Arthur Burckhardt Award, in 1998 the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany and in 2003 the Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. In 2004 he became an honorary Doctor at the University of Timisoara. During these years, Dr. Bullinger has written in excess of 1.000 articles and books regarding industrial engineering.
Corporate Profile
The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft undertakes applied research of direct utility to private and public enterprise and of wide benefit to society. Its services are solicited by customers and contractual partners in industry, the service sector and public administration. The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft maintains over 80 research units at more than 40 different locations throughout Germany. A staff of some 12,700, predominantly qualified scientists and engineers, works with an annual research budget of over one billion euros. Of this sum, more than € 900 million is generated through contract research. Two thirds of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft's contract research revenue is derived from contracts with industry and from publicly financed research projects. The remaining one third is contributed by the German federal and Länder governments, as a means of enabling the institutes to pursue more fundamental research in areas that are likely to become relevant to industry and society in five or ten years' time. The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is also active on an international level: Affiliated research centers and representative offices in Europe, the USA and Asia provide contact with the regions of greatest importance to present and future scientific progress and economic development.
International Projects:
Being Europe's largest organisation for applied research, Fraunhofer Gesellschaft has managed to continually expand its European activities. Activities encompass co-operation with European companies, co-operative projects within the European Framework Program and specific co-operations with European partners in form of strategic partnerships or project groups/ affiliated centres within partner countries.
In 2003 proceeds of Fraunhofer Institutes from European clients, including EU-Framework Program projects equalled 67.6 Mio €, constituting 84% of proceeds from foreign countries. Proceeds from European industry have increased by 12 % in that year.
In course of the enlargement of the European Union, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft has increased its commitment in Middle- and Eastern European countries since 1990 through various co-operations, including exchange of scientists, consulting on economic and organisational issues and joint research activities. These initiatives of Fraunhofer institutes are especially fostered by the Fraunhofer board through the organisation of central workshops, arranging contacts and financial support of specific activities.