Raoul Klingner Is the New Director of Fraunhofer WKI in Braunschweig
Raoul Klingner took over the role as institute director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Wood Research, Wilhelm-Klauditz-Institut, WKI on May 15, 2026. The wood science expert is now in charge of the strategic alignment of the institute on a permanent basis, after having been the acting institute director since October 1, 2024. At the same time, Raoul Klingner is also taking over the Professorship for Organic and Wood-Based Materials at the Faculty of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Environmental Sciences of TU Braunschweig.
In this role, Raoul Klingner is the successor of Bohumil Kasal, who retired on October 1, 2024, after 14 years as institute director of Fraunhofer WKI.
“Bio-based alternatives to fossil-derived raw materials are a key component when it comes to building a viable circular economy. With its research and development work that ranges from processing of raw materials via material and product development through to raw materials recycling, Fraunhofer WKI has distinguished itself as one of Europe’s leading facilities for applied wood research. Industrial use of these research results, for example in lightweight construction, helps to strengthen the region as well as Germany’s role as an efficient bioeconomy hub,” explains Holger Hanselka, President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. “Raoul Klingner is not only a recognized expert in his discipline, he also has many years of experience in strategic research management. I am convinced that he will further promote interdisciplinary research and innovation in the wood-based materials industry and that our customers and partners will benefit from this,” he adds.
The president of TU Braunschweig, Angela Ittel, says: “With Raoul Klingner we are not only gaining an esteemed expert for material sciences of renewable resources but also an experienced expert and comrade-in-arms concerning our ecoversity vision for the TU Braunschweig as a university ecosystem that closely collaborates with our partners. The successful strategic interaction of TU Braunschweig and the local Fraunhofer institutes allows for interwoven basic research and an even faster and more successful joint innovation process.”
Raoul Klingner highlights: “By taking over as the director of Fraunhofer WKI in combination with the Professorship for Organic and Wood-Based Materials at TU Braunschweig, I am returning to my professional roots, following some interesting years of working in research management. I am really excited about this. I am still fascinated by wood as a renewable raw material and the key role it has to play in a circular bioeconomy. Over the past several months of working as acting institute director, I got to know and appreciate the highly committed team of Fraunhofer WKI. I would like to further build upon our institute’s strategic focus with this motivated team, to strengthen our interdisciplinary research and to deepen dialogue with partners from science, industry and government to be able to develop practically relevant solutions for a future-ready society.”
Sustainability has been the central concern of Fraunhofer WKI, ever since the institute was established back in 1946. Its founder and eponym Wilhelm Klauditz is considered a pioneer of the modern wood-based materials industry. Nowadays, the whole spectrum of renewable raw materials is considered at Fraunhofer WKI for developing sustainable materials, components and chemical products. A particular focus is on achieving a holistic use of the outstanding characteristics of wood as a renewable raw material.
Raoul Klingner’s career
Following his studies in wood science, Raoul Klingner became a researcher in the areas of wood research and bionics in 1999, working at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (EMPA) and at ETH Zurich in Switzerland. He obtained his doctorate at the Chair of Building Physics in the Department of Architecture at ETH Zurich.
At the end of 2005, Raoul Klingner started to work for the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft in Munich, initially as a research scientist in the area of strategy and internal research programs. In 2010 he was made the leader of the International Business Development department, before being appointed Director of Research of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft in 2016. Raoul Klingner’s responsibilities included the coordination of national and international research collaboration as well as acting as a point of contact for the universities and national grant authorities the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft cooperates with. Furthermore, Raoul Klingner has been a member of various committees for promoting Germany’s role as a research hub, such as the Board of Governors of the RWTH Aachen University. In the 2017/18 winter semester, Raoul Klingner started to teach an interdisciplinary course in research and innovation management at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of TU Braunschweig.
Weitere Informationen:
https://www.wki.fraunhofer.de/en.html
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