Professur (W3) Engineering Biointelligenter Systeme

The University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart is a profile university. On its beautiful campus, it brings together three faculties: Agricultural Sciences, Natural Sciences, and Business and Social Sciences, with approximately 8,000 students enrolled. As a family-friendly certified university, it is one of the attractive employers in the region, with around 2,500 employees.

The University of Hohenheim’s (UHOH The University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart is a profile university. On its beautiful campus, it brings together three faculties: Agricultural Sciences, Natural Sciences, and Business and Social Sciences, with approximately 8,000 students enrolled. As a family-friendly certified university, it is one of the) Faculty of Natural Sciences is cooperating with the Fraun­hofer-Gesellschaft to invite applications for the position of a

Professor (W3) of Biointelligent Systems Engineering

and the person will also hold the position of

Director of the Research Group “Engineering of Biointelligent Production and Systems” at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation (IPA).

The joint appointment by UHOH and the IPA will be made according to the Berlin Model. This includes a planned teaching load at UHOH of two contact hours per week (SWS). The appointment requirements for the professorship are based on Sec. 47 State Higher Education Act (LHG) of the state of Baden-Württemberg. It is a permanent position.

The Faculty of Natural Sciences at UHOH brings together innovative basic research in nutritional science, food science, and biotechnology. The IPA is an international leader in production engineering and automation for sustainable and personalized production systems and cooperates closely with UHOH in research, transfer, and academic teaching. Together, the two institutions provide an active and strong environment for research into the interfaces among biological, technical, and digital systems. The professorship, which is to be filled for the first time, conducts research in this area with the aim of developing and optimizing biointelligent technologies and processes, for example by increasing the effectiveness of biologically based production systems with the aid of digitalization and automation technologies.

We are looking for a highly motivated researcher with excellent teamwork skills and proven research achievements, who has positioned themselves competitively within the international scientific community in the fields relevant to biointelligent systems. Examples include the research areas of synthetic biology, data analysis methods for bioprocesses, molecular communication in cellular and sub-cellular structures, or prototype development relevant to these areas. It is expected that the professor will be willing to engage in interdisciplinary cooperation within the university and the Fraunhofer Institute, especially at the interfaces of biointelligent system architecture, as well as to initiate the transfer of knowledge and technology to the relevant industries and markets and to shape the constructive discourse with the stakeholders of society. The successful candidate should be able to teach on topics in applied molecular biology, information processing, and/or process engineering in German and English.

The tasks of the new research group to be established at the IPA’s Center for Biointelligent Production will include the further development of an internationally leading laboratory as a central biointelligence research facility. Established infrastructure (including BSL-1 and BSL-2 laboratories) can already be used for this purpose. In addition, it is expected that the professor will bring in new ideas for interdisciplinary networking and profile raising of research activities at the IPA and closely cooperate with related disciplines at UHOH. A central task will be to establish a model region for the research and use of biointelligent systems. Last but not least, the professor is to make a significant contribution to ethical debates and involve the general public. This includes in particular the organization of an annual congress as well as regular scientific and industry-relevant publications.

Requirements for the application are a habilitation or equivalent scientific achievements including proven experience in university teaching, in acquiring and managing third-party funded projects as well as corresponding publication achievements.

A central goal of the University of Hohenheim and the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is to promote diversity and equal opportunities. We have set ourselves the strategic goal of significantly increasing the proportion of women in research and teaching and therefore welcome applications from female researchers. With equal qualifications, preference will be given to candidates with disabilities. We support the compatibility of family and career and promote gender equality in science. The University of Hohenheim and the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft value and promote the diversity of skills among their staff and therefore welcome all applications – regardless of age, gender, nationality, ethnic and social origin, religion, ideology, disability, or sexual orientation and identity.

Please attach the following documents to your application: A cover letter, a statement of your future research interests, a curriculum vitae, transcripts of records and degree certificates, a list of publications, a list of third-party funded projects, a teaching record as well as three key publications. Please submit your electronic application (in German or English) by April 14, 2024 to the chair­person of the appointment committee Prof. Dr. Jan Frank using the appointment portal (https://berufungsportal.uni-hohenheim.de/ ). Questions can be addressed to [email protected] .