JOANNEUM RESEARCH develops solutions and technologies for business and industry in a broad range of sectors and conducts cutting-edge research at an international level. Well embedded in the national and international innovation network, the researchers develop innovations in the three thematic areas of Information and Production Technologies, Human Technology and Medicine, and Society and Sustainability. Now telematics expert Heinz Mayer will take the helm and steer the company with its seven research units through the great challenges of our time.
Heinz Mayer (52) knows the company inside out, having previously headed the largest research unit at JOANNEUM RESEARCH, the DIGITAL Institute. He studied telematics at TU Graz, where he gained several years of experience as a university assistant. He then worked at Magna Steyr, including as head of the information management department. In 2007 Mayer moved to JOANNEUM RESEARCH and successfully acted as deputy institute director of DIGITAL, the Institute for Information and Communication Technologies, and as research group leader of the group "Image Analysis and Measurement Systems". In 2013, he took over the management of DIGITAL with 130 employees.
"Most recently, the digitalisation process in business and industry really picked up speed due to the Corona crisis. With our expertise, we are at the forefront and can offer our customers and partners from business and industry technology solutions for tomorrow. For example, we have focused on the topics of highly automated driving, Industry 4.0 and artificial intelligence and have built up the corresponding know-how to be able to play a leading role in the international research network," Mayer explains the success story of "his" DIGITAL Institute.
Digitisation & Green Deal
Digitisation and the Green Deal are the big issues of the future, and not only at the European level. The DIGITAL, MATERIALS, ROBOTICS, COREMED, HEALTH, LIFE and POLICIES research units located in Graz, Vienna, Klagenfurt, Weiz, Niklasdorf and Pinkafeld are ideally equipped for the upcoming challenges of our time.
"I am in the fortunate position of being able to take over an innovative and well-positioned company from my predecessor Wolfgang Pribyl. With foresight, for example, he launched the Research Axis South and brought the states of Carinthia and Burgenland on board. This strengthens our national and international visibility and the location," says the new managing director.
Next steps
In the coming months, JOANNEUM RESEARCH will start preparing a new strategy document that will describe the path of the research company from 2023 onwards.
"I am looking forward to the task of developing technologies for tomorrow together with the approximately 500 colleagues from different areas in order to provide solutions for the challenges of our time."
- More information: Dr Heinz Mayer