i4Challenge

Marco Arnold

Dipl. Ing. (FH)
Many years of management experience at executive level
Managing Director CEO, ARNOLD IT Systems GmbH

Alain Dieterlen

Lecturer Researcher IUT de Mulhouse at the University of Haute Alsace
Many years of experience as a researcher

Prof. Dr. Manuel Hess

Head of the St.Gallen Startup Navigator Lab at the Institute for Technology Management, University of St.Gallen
Engaged in applied research on the transformation process from startups to young companies
Co-author of the St.Gallen Startup Navigator and lecturer for students, entrepreneurs and managers on the topic of entrepreneurship

Dr. Jürgen Jähnert

• External innovation expert for the European Commission and the Spanish Ministry of Science and Education
• Member of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Information Technology and Computer Science at the University of Stuttgart

Stéphan Kohler

Ingenieur Arts et Metiers ENSAM
Deputy General Manager Production
Project Manager

Oliver Laux

Master of Science
Many years of experience as project manager and product development manager
Head of Product Development

Peter B. Meier

Vice President Industry 4.0
Responsible for a strategically created department with focus on Industry 4.0.
Member of the Executive Board

Cyrille Monnin

• CEO of the company Productec SA
• 30 years of experience in the B2B environment in various roles

Markus Mühlemann

• Founder and CEO of Project Compe-tence AG; founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors of TimeWinner AG
• Investor and business angel at startup companies in the services & ICT sector; entrepreneur for 19 years
• Project Competence AG was awarded the certificate “Best Business Transformation” by ASCO 2018 for the second time

Marc Nass

• Business Unit Manager at Actemium Romandie
• Many years of experience as an automation engineer
• Active for more than 30 years in the chemical – pharmaceutical – biotechnology industry in the region

Prof. Dr. Marc K. Peter

• Heads the Digital Transformation Competence Centre at the FHNW School of Business in Olten. The center offers research, consulting, and educational services around the digital transformation to help organizations and employees develop and successfully implement digital growth strategies.Important studies and publications: www.kmu-transformation.ch, www.digitale-transformation-artikel.ch, www.arbeitswelt-zukunft.ch, www.digitales-marketing-kmu.ch, www.it-sicherheit-kmu.ch

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Franz Quint

• Professor for Communications Engineering at Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences since 2002
• VP for Research at Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences since 2017
• Previously employed at Daimler-Benz Aeropsace / EADS in the field of communications and radar as a developer/department head.
• His research interests are digital signal and image evaluation, 3D vision, and communications engineering. He is a reviewer for international journals and conferences, for the DAAD, and for the accreditation of study programs.
• Since the beginning of 2021, he has been the spokesperson for the tri-national university alliance TriRhenaTech of the universities of applied sciences on the Upper Rhine.

Patrick Rein

• KMØ is an Ecosystem dedicated to the DIGITAL transition of Industry located in Mulhouse
• KMØ  links together schools (nearly 1000 students), startups,  industries, digital companies and accelerators

Martin Scheidiger

• Head of Department | DRP Process & Test Engineering Endress+Hauser Flow
• 20 years of experience in electronics and electrical engineering (development QA, production)
• 13 years of management experience at executive, departmental and project management level
• 3 years i4Challenge Jury Member

Isabel Steinhoff

• Managing Partner of Parato, the digitalization network for SMEs, as well as founder of “Shake Up The Workplace”, the English-speaking ecosystem for “New Work”.
• Member of the board of directors at “Sichtbar Online Marketing AG”
• Part-time journalist for the “Handelszeitung”, and others

Valérie Theolle

• Many years of experience in project management for the design / production and maintenance of industrial IT systems.

• Industrial Director Eiffage Energie Système – Clemessy since 2019, in charge of supporting operational entities in their innovation and R&D process and transformation towards the industry of the future.

• Member of the Innovation and Digital Offers Committees of the Eiffage Energie Système branch and of the Scientific Committee of the Eiffage group.

Matthias Wagner

• Head of Projects / Innovations SSC IT at Bell Food Group AG
• Many years of experience as project manager and member of the executive board in the areas of IT and operations for companies in the health care, FMCG and finance industries
• Focused on international business areas and digitization projects

Lionel Socchi

• Delegate for Economic Promotion, Republic and Canton of Jura
• Training in the field of banking supplemented by a diploma in business economics from the University of Applied Sciences HES.
• 10 years in the banking sector (financial analyst for SMEs), 8 years in vocational training (administrator of a training fund).
• Since 2010 at the Jura Economic Development Agency: support for companies, networking, collaborative projects, export assistance and support through financial aid for company creation and development projects.
•  Since 2019, head of the Jura Economic Promotion structure.

Dr. Thomas Hediger

• Dipl. Chem.-Ing. ETH, EMBA ZHAW
• Board member of the IBISCUS group, co-owner and co-CEO of Savoy Hediger Management GmbH
• International experienced CEO with focus on the pharmaceutical and hospitality industry
• More than 25 years C-level experience in international and mid-sized companies
• Experienced board member in various companies
• Eager to share his experience and to further enhance the development of the industry 4.0

Kathrin Günther

• Graduated in 2009 with a degree in industrial engineering in electrical engineering and information technology.
• 2009 Project management at Endress+Hauser in the area of process automation projects.
• 2014 Master of Business Administration (MBA) and then took on various management positions at Endress+Hauser, most recently with global responsibility for the Group-wide “Energy Solutions” business area.
• Changed to Uhlmann Pac-Systeme in 2016. Head of Technical Sales for software and automation solutions. Since January 2017, as Head of Digitalisation, she has been responsible for the company’s global digitalization strategy and since summer 2019, she has been responsible for the Digital Solutions business area/business unit of Uhlmann Pac-Systeme GmbH.

Dr.-Ing. Frank Schönung

• Since 2012 in the SEW research department responsible for:
  Logistics solutions with mobile logistics assistants
  Production concepts based on mobile assistance systems
  Urban logistics and transport logistics
  Knowledge network and university cooperation
• Previously: Head of Department for Materials Handling at the Institute for Materials Handling and Logistics Systems at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

Dr. Urs Ch. Hofmeier

• Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry, University of Basel; MBA, IMD Lausanne
• Enthusiastic and experienced to use the social changes towards sustainability and digital transformation as a basis for innovative services and products.
• Dedicated to guiding young entrepreneurs on their path to becoming successful leaders.