Interview: Dual leadership at Fraunhofer IAF

In this interview, Dr. Patricie Merkert and Prof. Dr. Rüdiger Quay talk about their joint leadership and the future of Fraunhofer IAF.

Why was dual leadership introduced at Fraunhofer IAF?

Merkert —When the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft approached me with the idea of a dual leadership, it was not just about dividing up tasks, but also about bringing together different specializations. Rüdiger comes from the Fraunhofer world and research. I come from industry. The aim of our dual leadership is to bring these skills together in order to generate the best possible results for the institute. Our different perspectives, experiences, skills, preferences and ways of thinking complement each other very well.

Quay — The idea of a dual leadership is being increasingly recognized in the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. One of the main reasons for this is the increasing complexity that we are experiencing within field of applied research. At the same time, it is linked to the multitude of tasks that are ascribed to an institute director in the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. These include university duties and at the same time the management tasks at a commercial and industry-oriented research institute. A division of labor, as Patricie said, is logical. 

Ms. Merkert: Why did you choose Fraunhofer IAF and what are you particularly looking forward to? 

Merkert —What I am most looking forward to is closing my personal loop. I originally wrote my doctoral thesis to bring my experience from industry back into teaching and research. At Fraunhofer IAF, I can now finally do this and return from research to industry and back. I bring a lot to the table from over 20 years in industry: I have learned how to build organizations, how to drive change, how to create or improve new processes, but also how to bring about structure and transparency that helps to make decisions with confidence in a rapidly changing world. And above all, I enjoy working with people. That is what motivates me: working with people, understanding them and making things possible as a team—true to the motto: “Strengthening strengths means weakening weaknesses.”

Mr. Quay: What changes have you experienced as acting director of Fraunhofer IAF in the last two years? 

Quay —There has been a generational change in many areas of the workforce and we now have a completely new generation of employees who also have different wishes and outlooks on life. At the same time, we have also made a thematic change in areas that were somewhat older and replaced them with new topics. For example, we have parted with LED research, a topic in which we have achieved groundbreaking results, but which is so mature that it no longer suits a research institute like ours. Instead, we have established new topics, for example in the field of quantum technologies. Some topics will also be further strengthened, such as defense research at Fraunhofer IAF. In view of the Ukraine crisis, the ability to build independent components and subsystems is becoming increasingly relevant for Europe. And this also applies to aerospace and various new topics. 

New dual leadership, new topics, new employees—how do you manage to keep employees on board with so many change processes?

Quay —A very important component is employee participation, both in terms of content and structure. It is becoming increasingly important to emphasize the meaning of the work that we create through the applications of our research: health, energy, CO2 reduction—these are all topics that inspire people. Thanks to our broad positioning in semiconductor and solid-state research, we work on a variety of meaningful fields of application. Organizing our research in such a way that our employees are involved is just as important. For example, we have introduced a bottom-up strategy process. Here, colleagues can participate, contribute ideas and take on more responsibility so that even young researchers can advance topics.

Merkert —Change is constantly happening around us and we have to react to it. In doing so, communication is a major aspect. This underlines what Rüdiger said about participation. It is important to support those who want to make a difference. A good error culture is also very important. Only those who allow mistakes can learn from them and do better in the future. Through participation, communication and a healthy error culture, we can empower our colleagues and encourage them to take risks and try new things. This is the only way we can create innovations and tackle change together. 

Participation, communication and an error culture: are these also three points that make for good cooperation in your dual leadership?

Merkert —We talked a lot about communication, trust and making mistakes beforehand. These are topics that are also extremely important to us when working together. But for me, the most urgent question was: Can I imagine the dual leadership together with Rüdiger? Is this someone I can trust? Is it someone I understand?

Quay —That was also the most important point for me as well: Can we both imagine doing this together as a team? And we answered that positively! In addition, we both share a fundamentally positive view of the future and a certain willingness to take risks. Although the semiconductor industry is very conservative on the one hand, it is also strongly oriented towards progress. This means that risks must also be taken in technologies, approaches and processes. It is very important to try things out in new ways and to address issues, even in established processes, in a new way.

Merkert —Do you remember the question you asked me about three times at the beginning: “How can we keep you entertained so you don‘t get bored?” [laughs]

Quay —This is also a fundamental question in work in general and I think many people envy us in this regard: I have never been bored a single day in my career at Fraunhofer.

What specific goals have you set yourself for the institute in the coming years?

Quay —2024 and 2025 will be extremely exciting years in terms of research topics. On the one hand, we will continue our research in quantum technologies, for example in the state initiative QuantumBW. In addition, we are already working on pilot lines in semiconductor chip production where industrial partners rely on us to a large extent. The establishment of pan-European pilot lines is also an important requirement (and funding initiative) of the EU Chips Act. As a contribution to this, a European consortium under the leadership of the Research Fab Microelectronics Germany (FMD) plans to establish the most comprehensive and advanced pilot line for “Advanced Heterogeneous System Integration and Advanced Packaging” in the coming years. We are delighted to be part of this joint project. The most important goal, however, is to maintain our international competitiveness and continue to conduct cutting-edge research. This has a whole range of implications; for example, we will invest in new infrastructures in order to continue developing new technology in the future. In addition, we must maintain our ability to connect with the German economy, while at the same time remaining open to longer-term topics that cannot yet be industrialized. This is the balancing act that lies ahead of us.

Merkert —The variety of topics that Rüdiger addresses naturally offers a great many opportunities, but also a lot of possibilities to get lost. This balancing act, how we set up the institute so that it can continue to stand on many different legs, is a central objective. But I would even take a step back and emphasize that it is not about pursuing change for the sake of change, but so that the institute is future-proof. This also includes secure jobs for employees and jobs that are fun. Of course, this also requires the right financial resources so that we are also in a position to make strategic investments in the future. To do this, we need the right projects and the right people in the right places, as well as an environment in which employees can get involved and work with enthusiasm.