Implementation of the Thuringian Innovation Strategy: RIS strategy advisory boards are reorganizing their personnel and driving strategy implementation forward

In November 2025, the five strategy advisory boards were reconstituted as part of the implementation of the Thuringian Innovation Strategy (RIS Thuringia)

Since 2022, around 80 dedicated Thuringian experts from business, science, and networks have supported and significantly shaped the implementation of the RIS. Their work has made a crucial contribution to strengthening the innovative capacity of the Free State of Thuringia.

For the new term of office from 2025 to 2028, the election of the new spokespersons and their deputies was now the main focus.

The election among the advisory board members yielded the following results:

1. Advisory Board: Industrial Production and Systems

• Speaker: Dr. Gabriel Kittler, X-FAB Semiconductor Foundries GmbH
• Deputy Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Andreas Tünnermann, Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering IOF

2nd Advisory Board: Healthy Living and Healthcare Industry

• Speaker: Dr. Jan Heise, fzmb GmbH, Research Center for Medical Technology and Biotechnology
• Deputy Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Jürgen Popp, Leibniz Institute for Photonic Technologies eV. 

3rd Advisory Board: Sustainable and intelligent mobility and logistics

• Speaker: Prof. Dr. Uwe Plank-Wiedenbeck, Bauhaus University Weimar
• Deputy Spokesperson: Rico Chmelik, at – automotive thüringen.eV.
• Deputy Spokesperson: Dr. Harald Hempel, Dako GmbH

4. Advisory Board: ICT / innovative and production-related services

• Speaker: Hans Elstner, rooom AG
• Deputy Spokesperson: Sebastian Gawron, IAB – Institute for Applied Building Research Weimar non-profit GmbH
• Deputy Spokesperson: Prof. Andrej Werner, Ernst Abbe University of Applied Sciences Jena 

5th Advisory Board: Sustainable Energy and Resource Use

• Speaker: Prof. Dr. Silvio Beier, Bauhaus University Weimar
• Deputy Spokesperson: Benjamin Redlingshöfer, TITK – Thuringian Institute for Textile and Plastics Research Rudolstadt eV. 

The team from Innovativ Thüringen and the TMWLLR congratulate the elected officials and look forward to further cooperation.

The new term of office will be characterized by key tasks, including the implementation of the developed roadmaps and the integration with the foresight process in order to anticipate future developments at an early stage.

Background of the RIS Thuringia 

The Thuringian Innovation and Innovation Centre (RIS Thüringen) aims to boost the innovative capacity of Thuringia's economy. By networking industry, production-related services, and science, it seeks to develop solutions for technological and societal challenges. The advisory boards serve as a key link in this process: they advise the Thuringian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Rural Development (TMWLLR) and the Thuringian State Development LEG Thüringen ) on innovation policy issues and contribute their expertise to the further development of the five RIS specialization areas mentioned above

Conclusion: The reconstitution of the RIS advisory boards marks the beginning of an exciting phase. We thank all previous members for their commitment and look forward to working with the new advisory board members.