Translation: MO 2026

Abstract follows.

After completing his studies and doctorate in aerospace engineering at the University of the Federal Armed Forces in Munich, Prof. Dr. Peter Middendorf held various positions at EADS and Eurocopter Germany before moving to the University of Stuttgart in 2012 as Managing Director of the Institute of Aircraft Design. He was Vice Rector for Knowledge and Technology Transfer there from 2018 to 2024. He has been Rector of the University of Stuttgart since October 2024. He is also Chairman of the Board of the ARENA2036 research campus and was active as coordinator for Baden-Württemberg's aerospace strategy from 2023-2024.

Geopolitical conflicts in Ukraine and the Persian Gulf highlight the importance of critical infrastructure. Technology and geopolitics are intertwined. Semiconductors, critical minerals and metals, fossil fuels, transportation routes, strategic chokepoints, and asymmetric capabilities that challenge conventional systems are at the center of the discussion. Interdependencies and the setting of priorities become clear.

Dr. Andrej Heinke is Vice President of Research and Advanced Engineering at Robert Bosch GmbH in Stuttgart, where he is responsible for corporate foresight. After studying in Berlin, Leipzig, Stanford, and Harvard, he worked at Daimler-Benz AG in Berlin, SONY in Tokyo, and in the planning department of the German Foreign Office in Berlin. He is the founder of the Steinbeis Consulting Center for Corporate Foresight and an honorary professor at Steinbeis University.

How can companies remain competitive despite a shortage of skilled workers, rising costs, and increasing complexity? What is needed are adaptive, resilient, and efficient production systems that can adapt more quickly to change. To achieve this, automation is evolving from rigidly programmed processes toward intelligent, goal-driven workflows that can respond flexibly and autonomously to unforeseeable events—with the aim of automating automation itself. Technologies such as “connected automation,” software-defined automation, digital twins, and industrial AI, as well as collaboration within ecosystems, are paving the way for AI-based, autonomous production.

Rainer Brehm is Chief Operations Officer (COO) for the Automation business unit and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Siemens Digital Industries. In these roles, he drives the strategic advancement of Siemens’ automation portfolio and leads the development of visionary technologies such as industrial AI and software-defined automation. His focus is on making production more adaptable, sustainable, and resilient by integrating IT technologies and AI into manufacturing. Rainer is a firm believer in collaboration, co-creation, and helping customers across all industries realize the full potential of automation. His priorities include shaping a more sustainable, future-proof industrial landscape and ensuring that automation technologies help secure global supply chains in a rapidly changing world.

As Australia prepares to join “Horizon Europe,” new opportunities are emerging for closer collaboration between Australian and European researchers, universities, and industry partners. In this keynote address, Professor Bronwyn Fox AO looks back on more than a decade of collaboration with the University of Stuttgart and ARENA2036 and examines why trusting international partnerships are becoming increasingly important in an era of technological change, industrial transformation, and geopolitical uncertainty. Building on Australia’s research strengths and its upcoming association with “Horizon Europe,” she will discuss how Australia and Europe can jointly shape the next chapter of their collaboration.

Bronwyn took office as Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Industry at UNSW in mid-July 2024. Prior to that, she served as Chief Scientist at CSIRO and previously held the position of Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Industry) at Swinburne University. She is an internationally recognized expert in carbon fiber and composite materials and served as the founding director of Swinburne University’s Manufacturing Futures Research Institute and Deakin University’s Carbon Nexus facility. In October 2023, Bronwyn was appointed by the Minister for Science and Industry as Australia’s expert advisor to the International Science Report on the Safety of Advanced AI, led by Yoshua Bengio. Professor Fox represents Australia on the expert advisory board alongside representatives from 30 countries, including the U.S., Japan, Singapore, the EU, and the UN. Bronwyn is a former Chair of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering (Victorian Division), a Fellow of the Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, a Fellow of Engineers Australia, a Fellow of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute, and a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Bronwyn was appointed by the federal government to the National Advisory Committee on Quantum Research and also serves as chair of the National Advisory Committee on Robotics Strategy. Bronwyn is honorary president of the German-Australian Chamber of Commerce and a member of the board of directors of Museums Victoria.