Born 1945 and raised in the Vatican City, Rome, school attendance in Germany and the UK (4 years).

1969: Law degree from the Free University of Berlin.

1972: PhD in Space Law from University of Freiburg, Germany.

1974: MSc in Technology Management from Sloan School of Management, M.I.T, USA.

1974-1978: Consultant with Dorsch Consult Engineering in Munich, Germany. Consulting for international organizations, governments and industrial clients in the areas of technology assessment, national, regional and urban development, administrative and technical infrastructure, traffic and environmental planning.

 

1978-1981: Corporate Planning Group, Siemens AG in Munich, Germany. Development of business strategies for various Siemens business groups and divisions.

1981-1986: Manager, Industry Analysis Dept. Siemens Kabushiki Kaisha in Tokyo, Japan.

1986-1989: Manager, Technology Strategy Dept., Corp. Research + Technology,
Siemens AG.

1989-1990: Company-sponsored sabbatical/leave of absence. Independent research in the US, Europe and Japan on industrial and government technology and innovation policies, including their corporate, economic, organizational and social settings.

Since March 1991: Independent consulting and research business in the areas of research, technology and organizational strategy, family businesses, and Japanese business issues. Consulting assignments from major industrial and service corporations, government bodies, business associations and non-profit organizations. Various professional publications and speaking assignments. Book publications: „The Innovation War“ (Prentice Hall, 1997, also published in German, Spanish and Chinese); "Innovationsforschung und Technologiemanagement", Springer Verlag 1998 (ed. with N. Franke); "The Benefits of Disaster" (forthcoming).

2003-2009: President of the Association of German Engineers (VDI), Munich/Austria/Italy Region (ca. 11.000 members).

Since 2001 General Manager of the Andrea von Braun Foundation (www.avbstiftung.de) that focusses on the promotion of interdisciplinary thinking and methods.
Other:

–    Teaching assignments at the universities of Kiel, Chemnitz, Augsburg, M.I.T., the
      Technical University of Berlin and Japanese industrial organizations.
–    Board member of several innovative start-up ventures, technology incubators and
      non-profit teaching/research organizations in the U.S., Canada and Germany.
–    Co-founder and Partner in creative photography Gallery f5.6, Munich.

Married, seven children, Hobbies: photography, talking to the next generation, and the one after...