“We Need to Rethink Innovation”

He heads one of the world's largest systems suppliers to the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries. Stefan Klebert is responsible for the overall strategic direction and management of GEA, a Düsseldorf-based technology company that generates annual revenue of more than five billion euros and operates in over 150 countries. As CEO of the DAX-listed group, he deals with sustainability issues on a global scale.

This perspective made Stefan Klebert an ideal guest speaker for the latest edition of the Future Lectures. Launched in 2022, the lecture series at Hamburg University of Technology addresses pressing scientific challenges. Experts from a wide range of disciplines use their talks to highlight the societal relevance and transformative potential of innovative research.

Producing Proteins from CO₂

After Prof. Irina Smirnova, Vice President Research, had welcomed the audience to the Audimax II lecture hall, GEA CEO Stefan Klebert delivered his talk entitled “Sustainable Engineering – From Innovation to Impact”. “Our world faces the challenge of reliably supplying a growing population while consuming fewer resources,” Klebert said. “To achieve this, we need to rethink innovation. After all, how efficiently a machine, a process or an entire factory uses energy, water and raw materials is determined as early as the development stage. Engineers can therefore make an enormous difference – through their technical expertise, new ideas and the courage to question existing solutions.”

GEA supplies process technology, machinery and components to industries including the food industry. Drawing on current examples – from AI-optimised production processes to the production of proteins from CO₂ – Klebert, who studied mechanical engineering, demonstrated how innovations can make an impact on an industrial scale.

Introducing the Sustainability Council

Sustainability was also a recurring theme throughout the rest of the evening's programme. Following Klebert's talk, Prof. Lukas Henze, Head of the Institute for Concrete Structures, and Prof. Jelena Bäumler, Vice President of Leuphana University Lüneburg, presented “Impact Engineering for a Sustainable World” (ImpEnSus). As part of this large-scale collaborative project between Hamburg University of Technology and Leuphana University, a new degree programme will train “Impact Engineers” who combine the development of technological solutions with the skills needed to shape society. Mohsen Falah, a research associate at the Institute for Metal and Composite Structures, then demonstrated that ImpEnSus can also be approached with humour, performing a short solo science slam on stage.

The official programme concluded with a presentation by Prof. Christian Thies from the Institute of Business Logistics and General Management. He introduced the work of Hamburg University of Technology's Sustainability Council. The newly established body advises the University Board on promoting sustainability in everyday campus life. Its focus areas include energy and heating, water and green spaces, as well as waste management and the circular economy.

This edition of the Future Lecture then came to a close in the traditional way: with cold drinks, pretzels and inspiring conversations.