Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Matthias Busse worked for 21 years as Institute Director at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM, based in Bremen. At the same time, he held the Chair of "Near net shape manufacturing technology" at the Faculty of Production Engineering at the University of Bremen. He retired on April 1, 2024. Prof. Dr. Bernd Mayer was appointed as his successor as Managing Director of the institute.
Decisive experience in the automotive industry
Busse joined the institute management of Fraunhofer IFAM on April 1, 2003. This was followed by a thematic reorientation of the institute division; the new name "Shaping and Functional Materials" marked the transition. His extensive industrial experience in the automotive sector played a decisive role in the further development of the institute. He initiated "research across borders" and established new models of cooperation within the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft with the Fraunhofer Project Centers "Lightweight Construction and Circular Economy" in Wolfsburg and "Energy Storage and Systems" in Braunschweig.
Overcoming the economic crisis with relevant research
Matthias Busse also led the institute through difficult times. In 2009, one of the biggest economic crises in decades had to be tackled. Among other things, Fraunhofer IFAM took off with the topic of electromobility. Matthias Busse was in charge of the "Electromobility Model Region in Bremen/Oldenburg" and the Fraunhofer lighthouse project "Electromobility System Research".
Important milestones achieved
Important milestones were reached with the expansion of major research topics, such as electrical energy storage, modern foundry processes and additive manufacturing processes. The recent spin-off of Cast Coil GmbH is another example of this. This focus continues to contribute significantly to the institute's success today.