Top news
Dr. Johannes Fottner succeeds Prof. Dr. Willibald A. Günthner at the fml chair
The former Managing Director of the Munich-based MIAS Group, Dr. Johannes Fottner (45), will become Professor of Technical Logistics and designated successor to Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dipl.-Wi.-Ing. Willibald A. Günthner as holder of the Chair of Materials Handling Material Flow Logistics (fml) at the Technical University of Munich from October 1, 2016. Günthner and Fottner will thus jointly head the chair for a period of one year until Professor Günthner retires.
After studying mechanical engineering at TUM, Fottner began his professional career at the fml chair under Professor Günthner, where he worked as a research assistant from 1997 to 2002 and obtained his doctorate.
From 2002 to 2008, he held various management positions at the Swiss Swisslog Group, including responsibility for the Automated Guided Vehicles division, until he moved to the MIAS Group in 2008, which was acquired by Jungheinrich AG in 2015.
The father of two has been an active volunteer in the Association of German Engineers (VDI) for several years and has been Chairman of the VDI Regional Association of Bavaria and Deputy Chairman of the Association for Production and Logistics (GPL) since the beginning of 2015.
Professor Willibald A. Günthner can look back on a long career in logistics: after studying mechanical engineering, gaining a doctorate and studying work and economics at the Technical University of Munich, Günthner was design and technical manager for conveyor and material flow technology at the Max Kettner company from 1985. From 1989, he took over the professorship for conveyor and material flow technology at the Regensburg University of Applied Sciences until he accepted the call to the Technical University of Munich in 1994. Since then, Willibald Günthner has headed the fml chair, which today has more than 60 employees.
You might also be interested in
Sustainability needs decisions
To mark Earth Day, Nagarro is calling for a rethink: sustainability should no longer be documented, but actively managed - with artificial intelligence as a central lever. Because AI brings light into the darkness of global supply chains.
read more...Kion significantly increases order intake
Kion holds its own in a difficult environment in 2025, increases order intake significantly and looks ahead to profitable growth in 2026 with a new segment name and efficiency gains.
read more...Agentic AI as a basis for success for start-ups
January 2026 started with a record for start-ups, with almost a third more start-ups being founded in Germany. With 3568 newly created companies, a new high was reached, as announced by the Start-up Association - also thanks to AI. Nico Gaviola, VP...
read more...Who will make it into the Logistics Hall of Fame 2026?
The Logistics Hall of Fame is entering a special election year: in 2026, several new members will be inducted by decision of the Council. Nominations are now open and the gala will return to Vienna in December.
read more...The finalists for the IFOY Award 2026 have been announced
The IFOY Award 2026 is entering the decisive phase: 17 devices and solutions from eight nations and four start-ups have made it to the final. The finalists will face the IFOY audit at the Test Camp Intralogistics in Dortmund in April.
read more...Start-ups from intralogistics and robotics...
Go-to-market program 2026: Test Camp as a partner
The 'Test Camp Intralogistics' is a partner of the market entry program of the Dortmund Economic Development Corporation 2026 and supports international scale-ups from the intralogistics and robotics sectors in entering the German market.
read more...Study on the working world of tomorrow
Merging technical skills and soft skills
AI is profoundly changing jobs, but at the same time it is making human skills indispensable. The new Skills Economy Report 2026 from SkyHive by Cornerstone shows that roles in the future will require technical skills and soft skills in equal...
read more...Trade fair starts with more exhibitors than expected
SPS 2025 exceeds the expected number of exhibitors and clearly focuses on Industrial AI. Visitors will gain in-depth insights into the latest developments in automation on several stages and tours.
read more...materialfluss products of the year 2026: The application phase ends soon
The application phase for the materialfluss products of the year is near the finish line. In 2026, we are once again looking for highlights from intralogistics and logistics in five categories. Applications are still open until November 7.
read more...