Professor Dr.-Ing. Matthias Kleiner

DFG-President from 2007 to 2012

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Matthias Kleiner

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Matthias Kleiner

© DFG

Born 1955 in Recklinghausen
married to Christine Burkhardt-Kleiner, Pastor
Children: Mara Marthe, Jan Jonathan, and
Jürn Jakob
Research area: Production Engineering

Curriculum Vitae

Year Description
1974 Abitur, Geschwister-Scholl-Gymnasium, Dortmund
1975 - 1976 Alternative civilian service
1976 - 1982 Mechanical engineering studies, University of Dortmund
Student internship in machine and plant manufacturing and volunteer for the Protestant Organization for Youth Education
1982 Diplom-Ingenieur degree, Mechanical Engineering
1982 - 1987 Research Assistant to Prof. E. v. Finckenstein, Chair of Forming Technology, University of Dortmund
1987 Doktor-Ingenieur degree,
thesis: "Mehrprozessor-Steuerungen in der Umformtechnik"
(„Application of Multiprocessor-Controls in Forming Technology“)
1987 - 1994 Senior Researcher, University of Dortmund
1990 Research Prize of the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia
1991 Habilitation in the field "Forming Technology",
Thesis: "Prozesssimulation in der Umformtechnik"
(“Simulation of Forming Processes”)
1994 - 1998 Full Professor (C4), Chair of Design and Manufacturing at the newly founded Brandenburg Technical University of Cottbus (BTU Cottbus)
1995 - 1996 Vice Rector for Planning and Finance at BTU Cottbus’ founding president’s office
1997 Receipt of the DFG’s Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize
1997 - 2000 Chairman of the Scientific Working Group on Forming Technology (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Umformtechnik (AGU))
1998 Election as Ordinary Member of the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities (formerly Prussian Academy of Sciences and Humanities)
Since 1998 Full Professor, Chair of Forming Technology, Technical University of Dortmund
1999 - 2005 Member of various DFG committees: Scientific Instrumentation, Peer Review Committee in the field of production engineering, Nomination Committee for the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize, Senate, Joint Committee and Grants Committee, Senate Committee on Strategic Planning
1999 - 2006

Participation in DFG coordinated programmes:

DFG Research Unit 366: Simulation-Aided Offline Process Design and Optimization in Manufacturing Sculptured Surfaces (participating fields: statistics, computer science, mathematics, production engineering)

DFG Collaborative Research Centre 475: Reduction of Complexity for Multivariate Data Structures (participating fields: statistics, computer science, mathematics, biometrics, medicine, economics, production engineering)

Coordinator of DFG Priority Programme 1098: "Workmedia Based Sheet Metal Forming"

DFG Research Unit 443: "Investigation of the Working Mechanisms of Electromagnetic Sheet Metal Forming" (participating fields: mathematics, mechanics, materials science, electrical engineering, production engineering)

DFG Collaborative Research Centre 531: Design and Management of Complex Technical Processes and Systems by Means of Computational Intelligence Methods (participating fields: computer science, mathematics, statistics, chemical engineering and production engineering)

DFG Transregional Collaborative Research Centre SFB/TR10: "Flexible Production of Lightweight Structures", (participating fields: lightweight construction, materials science, production engineering)

DFG Research Unit 552: Principles of Sheet Metal Hot Forming of Quenchable Steels (participating fields: materials science, production engineering)

DFG Transregional Collaborative Research Centre SFB/TR 30: "Process-Integrated Manufacturing of Functionally Graded Structures on the Basis of Thermo-Mechanically Coupled Phenomena" (participating fields: mathematics, mechanics, materials science, production engineering)

Initiative of the SFB 708 „3D Surface Engineering…“ (participating fields: statistics, computer sciences, mathematics, materials science, production engineering)

2000 - 2002 Dean of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Technical University of Dortmund - (followed by a term as vice dean until 2005)
2000 - 2003 Co-spokesperson of the „Culture Technology“ research initiative at the University of Dortmund (participating fields: literary studies, art, music, philosophy, sociology, architecture, natural sciences, engineering)
2000 Appointment to a "Canadian Research Chair " (Full Professor in Metal Forming), McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada (declined by Prof. Kleiner)
2001 Appointment to the board of directors of an industrial group
(declined by Prof. Kleiner)
2004 - 2006 Member of the Scientific Commission of Lower Saxony
(Wissenschaftliche Kommission Niedersachsen)
2004 - 2006 Managing Director of the newly founded Institute of Forming Technology and Lightweight Construction (IUL), University of Dortmund
2005 - 2006 Member of the „acatech“ Executive Board
2005 - 2006 Vice President of the DFG
2007 - 2010 Vice President of the ESF (European Science Foundation)
2010 Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
2007 - 2012 President of the DFG

Memberships and Distinctions (not exhaustive)

  • Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities

  • acatech – Council of Technical Sciences of the Union of German Academies of Sciences and Humanities

  • German Academy of Natural Scientists Leopoldina

  • Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences

  • Academia Europaea

  • European Academy of Sciences and Arts

  • Dr. h.c. of Technical University of Cluj-Napoca

  • CIRP - The International Academy for Production Engineering

  • WGP – German Academic Society for Production Engineering (Wissenschaftliche Gesellschaft für Produktionstechnik)

  • AGU – Scientific Working Group on Forming Technology (Wissenschaftliche Arbeitsgemeinschaft Umformtechnik)

  • Board of Trustees, FOSTA Research Association for Steel Application

  • Member of the Board, Stifterverband

  • Board of Trustees, Deutsche Telekom Foundation

  • Advisory Board of the Winkelmann Group

  • Advisory Board, Siepmann Werke