Dr. rer. nat. Michael Hilt MBA

Deputy Director of Fraunhofer IPA

Scientific Director for Surfaces and Materials 

In October 2016, Dr. rer. nat. Michael Hilt MBA took over as Deputy Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA. The chemist with a doctoral degree is the Scientific Director for “Surfaces and Materials“ and is also responsible for the Research Area  “Surface Treatment and Technology and Materials".

Hilt obtained his doctoral degree in 1988 at the Institute of Polymer Chemistry at the University of Stuttgart and at the Research Institute for Pigments and Coatings (FPL e.V.) in Stuttgart. In the same year, he started his professional career at Daimler-Benz AG as a coating and corrosion specialist. After passing through various manufacturing engineering and materials science departments at Daimler with a focus on coating technology, Hilt returned to FPL in 2009, realigning the Research Society for Pigments and Coatings e.V in his new post as CEO. As part of the re-structuring process, he integrated the institute section of FPL into Fraunhofer IPA to create the “Coatings and Pigments” department. In 2012, a merger led to the birth of the “Coating Systems and Painting Technology” department, which Hilt has been running ever since. He is also General Manager of the Research Society for Pigments and Coatings e.V.

Hilt is an active member of numerous research societies and associations. He is currently chairman of the GDCh expert committee “Coatings Chemistry” and on the management board of GDCh e.V. (German Chemists Society). Since 2015, he is President of FATIPEC (Federation of Associations of Technicians for Industry of Paints in European Countries). He is also an expert in the polymer chemistry group at AiF (German Federation of Industrial Research Associations “Otto von Guericke” e.V.)

© Fraunhofer IPA, Photo: Rainer Bez

since July 2024

Scientific Director of Surfaces and Materials
 

since October 2016

Deputy Director of Fraunhofer IPA and Division Director of Surface Engineering and Materials Technology
 

January 2015 – June 2018

Head of the Busines Unit “Process Industry“ at Fraunhofer IPA
 

since 2012

Head of Department ”Coating Systems and Painting Technology” at Fraunhofer IPA
 

2010

Head of Department ”Coatings and Pigments” am Fraunhofer IPA
 

2010

General Manager of the Research institute for Pigments and Coatings FPL
 

May 2009 – December 2009

General Manager of the Research institute for Pigments and Coatings FPL  in Stuttgart

– Supervision of integration of the research institute into the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA

– Management of the change process
 

1996 – April 2009

Team Leader ”Coatings Development” in process development, or manufacturing and materials engineering

1990 –  1996

Routine and project work in the field of surface engineering and corrosion protection for passenger and commercial vehicles, as well as project work within the scope of the general and specification phase of materials coordination and activities as a TQM disseminator
 

October 1990

Appointment as specialist in materials engineering in ”coating and coating pre-treatment processes”
 

January 1988 – September 1989

Central junior research group with a focus on materials engineering
 

Januar 1988 – April 2009

Daimler-Benz AG/Mercedes Benz AG/DaimlerChrysler AG/Daimler AG

Development and management of the “besser lackieren. award“ in collaboration with the VINCENTZ publishing company as a benchmark competition for coating technology in the German/Austrian/Swiss region

Lecturer at the University of Stuttgart for lectures on “Coatings and Pigments I and II“

Active speaker at technical teaching events