Siegfried Russwurm takes over as acatech President alongside President Claudia Eckert
Munich, 01 April 2026
acatech – German Academy of Science and Engineering has a new President representing the industry side: Siegfried Russwurm. He succeeds Thomas Weber. Siegfried Russwurm will lead the Academy together with Claudia Eckert, President representing the science side. As a dual leadership team, they embody the close collaboration and alliance between science and business.
“The strength of Germany’s innovation system in all its diversity determines our position in global competition and thus the well-being of our society,” said Siegfried Russwurm on the occasion of his inauguration as acatech President. “Our universities, research institutions, and innovative companies need more freedom, and their courage must be rewarded: freedom to experiment, for unconventional approaches. The courage to take risks for a big idea, to leave beaten paths and let something new emerge. Together with Claudia Eckert and in close collaboration with our more than 700 Academy members and over 100 research Senate companies and institutions, I would like to work toward this goal.”
Claudia Eckert and Siegfried Russwurm, as a dual leadership team, stand for the defining collaboration between science and industry that characterizes acatech.
“Successful innovations emerge when excellent science, entrepreneurial research, development, and implementation work together. They flourish under good political frameworks and societal openness,” said acatech President Claudia Eckert. “That is what we at acatech strive for, together with many excellent people who volunteer their time. Together, we want to strengthen our country’s innovative capacity through science-based advice and cross-disciplinary, cross-sector collaboration.”
Last November, the acatech Executive Board elected Siegfried Russwurm as the future President for the industry side. Thomas Weber is now handing over the presidency upon the conclusion of his term.
“We found the ideal candidate in Siegfried Russwurm. As an engineer with deep expertise, a bridge-builder, and a personality who can tackle tough challenges, he will make a big difference for our innovation landscape,” said Thomas Weber. “I can conclude my acatech presidency with the good feeling of passing the helm to him. A seamless transition at the top was important to me given these challenging times.”
“I thank Thomas Weber already today,” said Siegfried Russwurm. “He has consistently advanced acatech — both in terms of content and strategy — during his presidency. I also thank him for the opportunity to accompany him over these past months — and for his commitment to continue standing by acatech’s side as an advisor on the Executive Board.”
Siegfried Russwurm has been acatech Vice President since May 2025 and a member of the Academy’s Executive Board since October 2017. From 2021 to 2024, he served as President of the Federation of German Industries (BDI), of which he is today Vice President. He is Chairman of the Supervisory Board of thyssenkrupp AG and the Voith Group. From 2008 to 2017, he was a member of the Siemens AG Executive Board, responsible for Human Resources, Industrial Business, Technology and Digitalization, and Healthcare. Siegfried Russwurm studied and earned his doctorate in manufacturing engineering at Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg before joining Siemens AG in 1992.