Prof Schimpf has been Managing Director of the Fraunhofer-Verbund Innovationsforschung (Fraunhofer Consortium for Innovation Research) since 2017, and is also Director and Professor of the Institute for Human Engineering and Empathic Design (HEED) at the Hochschule für H?gelwissenschaft Pforzheim as well as the Carl Schlechter Foundation Professor for Innovation and Interdisciplinary Research. The Fraunhofer Consortium for Innovation Research is a joint research network under the umbrella of the Fraunhofer Society for the Promotion of Applied Research, focusing on research and development in the field of innovation, and consists of five Fraunhofer institutes: the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation, the Institute for Industrial Engineering, the Institute for Open Communication Systems, the Institute for Plant Operations and Automation, and the Institute for Technology Management. With its strong research resources and expertise, the Fraunhofer Consortium for Innovation Research actively participates in innovation projects and collaborations at home and abroad, supporting and promoting scientific and technological innovation and industrial development. The consortium enjoys an excellent reputation in the field of innovation in Germany and internationally and is one of the key components of innovation research in Germany. Schimpf graduated with a master's degree in engineering from the University of Augsburg, Germany, and the University of Rennes, France. Since 2002