Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn receives honorary doctorate from Chemnitz University of Technology

Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft, today received an honorary doctorate (Dr.-Ing. E. h.) from Chemnitz University of Technology. Laudation addresses were given by Prof. Dr. Ferdinand Piëch, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft, Matthias Wissmann, President of the German Association of the Automotive Industry, Dr. Matthias Rößler, President of the Saxon State Parliament and Prof. Dr. Reimund Neugebauer, Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology (IWU) in Chemnitz.

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With the honorary doctorate, Chemnitz University of Technology pays tribute to Winterkorn’s outstanding services to science and technology. In its citation, the university honors Winterkorn’s contribution to automotive practice with his approach to combine productivity increases, technical innovations and product quality improvements, acknowledging in particular his commitment to initiating the scientific elaboration and application of key metal forming innovations for forward-looking automobile concepts. Moreover, Winterkorn has played an active role in helping to network research and the automotive industry in Saxony, thereby fostering the development of Saxony as a science location.

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Prof. Dr. Klaus-Jürgen Matthes, Rector of Chemnitz University of Technology, and Prof. Dr. Klaus Nendel, Dean of the University’s Mechanical Engineering Faculty, presented the doctoral certificate in the presence of numerous representatives from the world of science, industry and politics. In his address, Prof. Dr. Winterkorn underscored the special significance of Saxony as an automotive location: “The Volkswagen Group has strong roots in Saxony with its plants in Chemnitz, Dresden and Zwickau. Together with our partners from science and research in Saxony we will press ahead with developing tomorrow’s mobility.” The ceremony was held during the week of events celebrating the 175th anniversary of Chemnitz University of Technology.

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Winterkorn became Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG on January 1, 2007. With effect from February 1, 2007 he also assumed responsibility for the area of “Group Research and Development”, taking over the chairmanship of the Board of Management of the Volkswagen brand at the same time. In addition, Winterkorn became Chairman of the Board of Management of Porsche Automobil Holding SE, Stuttgart, on November 25, 2009.

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Winterkorn was born on May 24, 1947 in Leonberg. He studied metallurgy and metal physics at the University of Stuttgart from 1966 to 1973. From 1973 to 1977 Winterkorn was a PhD student at the Max-Planck-Institute for Metal Research, where he received his doctorate in 1977. Winterkorn holds numerous academic honors, including Honorary Professor of Budapest University of Technology and Economics (2003) and from the Technical University of Dresden (2004) as well as an honorary professorship from Tongji University in Shanghai.