Board of Trustees Profiles

Munib Amin heads the Research & Technology department and is Managing Director of E.ON Group Innovation GmbH. His aim is to bridge the gap between science and industry with cooperative research and development projects. Before joining E.ON, he held various positions at RWE and innogy, most recently as head of the central market analysis team at innogy. Munib Amin graduated in physics from the University of Kiel in 2004 and received his doctorate from the University of Düsseldorf in 2009. During his subsequent work in the energy industry, he led the exercises for a lecture on energy economics and technologies at RWTH Aachen University for 10 years. In 2023 he was a guest lecturer at Stanford University. Munib Amin has several mandates in the academic environment and is a member of the board of the IERE research association.

I am a trustee at Fraunhofer ISE because:

• I advise on holistic, energy-efficient, regenerative, recyclable and digital technical solutions for buildings and real estate. 
• Through my work, I bring the perspective of consulting, planning and implementation of the commercial real estate industry to the Board of Trustees.

My background is:

• since 2005 Drees & Sommer SE, Partner
• since 2003 Drees & Sommer, Managing Director
• since 1999 Drees & Sommer
• 1993-1999 University of Stuttgart, research assistant at the Chair of Heating and Ventilation Technology and doctorate
• 1992-1993 Engineering office, Ulm, planning engineer for technical building equipment
• 1985-1991 University of Stuttgart, study of mechanical engineering

I am a trustee at Fraunhofer ISE because:

• Fraunhofer ISE is one of the world's most important institutes for the solar industry and the exchange with industry is very important.

My background is:

• Physicist, solar expert.

I am a trustee at Fraunhofer ISE because:

• The implementation of the energy transition in Germany is not only necessary for climate protection reasons, but also offers economic potential. Research funding from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection supports necessary innovations in the field of energy transition technologies and thus mitigates development risks.

My background is:

• Consultant at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (Division IIB5, Energy Research - Project Funding and Market Preparation; Key Technologies of the Energy Transition)
• Graduate engineer in energy technology and process engineering (Technical University of Berlin)

I am a trustee at Fraunhofer ISE because:

• Fraunhofer ISE can make an important contribution to climate protection and the success of the energy transition with its research focus and innovative projects.

My background is:

• Head of the Climate, Sustainability, Resource Efficiency, Circular Economy Department at the Baden-Württemberg Ministry for the Environment, Climate Protection and the Energy Sector.

I am a trustee at Fraunhofer ISE because:

• I have accompanied ISE for many years as a former employee and later as a partner and am happy to support the topics.

My background is:

• It is important to me to build and maintain bridges between excellence research and commercialization.

I am a trustee at Fraunhofer ISE because:

• the energy transition is one of the greatest tasks of our time with regard to climate targets and the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft and Fraunhofer ISE in particular are making significant contributions to this.

My background is:

• Engineer for physical technology/biomedical technology and electrical engineering with a focus on microelectronics and sensor technology.

I am a trustee at Fraunhofer ISE because:

• Fraunhofer ISE is dedicated to developing solutions to master the energy and heating transition, in my view one of the central challenges facing humanity.

My background is:

• CEO Vaillant Group, manufacturer of heat pumps and gas heating systems

I am a trustee at Fraunhofer ISE because:

• Contribution of strategy expertise as former strategy consultant
• important cooperation ISE-RENA in solar cell development
• solidarity as a Fraunhofer ISE alumnus

My background is:

• CEO - RENA Technologies Wet-chemical systems for solar cell and semiconductor production (Technologies Nasschemische Anlagen für Solarzellen- und Halbleiter-Produktion)
• Former board member of Bosch Solar/ersol AG  

I am a trustee at Fraunhofer ISE because:

• In my work in the innovation department at E.ON, I work on new topics, ideas and trends and develop innovative solutions.
• A connection between science and business is particularly important here: how do you transfer scientific findings to business, how do you take customer/market needs into account in scientific work and how can you work together?
• I strengthen this connection through my work as a curator.  

My background is:

• Energy industry, electromobility
• Gas distribution networks/gas storage
• Energy customer solutions
• green gases
• RWE/ innogy/ E.ON

I am a trustee at Fraunhofer ISE because:

• Together, we can make a substantial contribution to the success of the energy transition.

My background is:

• Managing Director of the Baden-Württemberg Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research (ZSW) and Head of the Energy Policy and Energy Sources division at ZSW
• Professor of »Innovation Management in Energy Systems« at the University of Stuttgart

I am a trustee at Fraunhofer ISE because:

• Fraunhofer ISE creates paraxis-appropriate knowledge for the energy transition, often in cooperation with housing companies.

My background is:

• I work in the GdW for the housing industry and deal with the theory and practice of energy-efficient refurbishment, the use of climate-neutral energy, building operation and building control as well as user influence for rented apartment buildings.

I am a trustee at Fraunhofer ISE because:

• the research and development of technologies and materials for renewable energies is one of the most important challenges of our time for research and industry and we can work together to develop sustainable, future-proof solutions.

My background is:

• Chemist and materials scientist with a focus on the development of circular materials and sustainable production technology.

I am a trustee at Fraunhofer ISE because:

• it strengthens the link to INATECH and the work of the ISE is very exciting.

My background is:

• Industrial engineer, interface between technology and business, especially electricity grids and electricity markets.

After studying law and completing his legal clerkship, Dr. Markus Zirkel initially worked as a research assistant at the Institute for Public Law at the University of the Federal Armed Forces in Munich and as a research assistant to Prof. Dr. Hermann Reichold at the Faculty of Economics at the Catholic University of Eichstätt in Ingolstadt. He completed his doctorate under Prof. Dr. Hanns Ullrich in the field of intellectual property and copyright law. In 2002/2003 he was a lecturer at the University of the Federal Armed Forces in Munich.

He is an external scientific member of the Research Center for Research Promotion and Technology Transfer at TU Dresden and a member of the Export Control Working Group of DICO e.V.. He has held various positions at Fraunhofer and has been Head of the Legal & Compliance Directorate of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft since 2022. Publications of various specialist articles on the legal framework conditions of research and development projects round off his profile.