Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM
Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM
Keyvisual Blick über den Tellerrand
© Fraunhofer ITWM
Keyvisual Blick über den Tellerrand

Blick über den Tellerrand (Thinking Outside the Box)

Our look beyond the horizon in May 2026, is entitled »The Future Lies in the Small – How Microtechnology Is Transforming Health, Climate, and Communication«. The speaker is Prof. Dr. Michael Maskos, Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Microengineering and Microsystems IMM and Professor of Chemical Process Engineering/Microfluidics at JGU Mainz.

© Fraunhofer ITWM

Series of Talks »Blick über den Tellerrand«

Our series of lectures is held in German.

Once every month, the Fraunhofer ITWM opens its doors and invites everyone who is interested to broaden their horizon. The interdisciplinary lecture series »Blick über den Tellerrand« of the Felix Klein Center for Mathematics presents different perspectives on a wide spectrum of topics in the area of science and technology.

Exciting experts from a wide range of fields will speak and discuss with the guests. Everyone is cordially invited and admission is free. The event will take place on site at the Fraunhofer Center and will also be broadcast virtually.

»Blick über den Tellerrand« (Thinking Outside the Box) in June 2026 »The Future Lies in the Small: How Microtechnology Is Transforming Health, Climate, and Communication« 

 

Thursday, June 16, 2026
5pm – 6:30pm

The lecture will be held in German.

Without microtechnology, there would be no smartphones, many modern medical applications, or numerous innovations for climate protection and industry. This presentation clearly illustrates how tiny components and highly precise systems help solve major societal challenges. Examples from both research and everyday life are presented – developments that often remain invisible, yet whose impact we experience every day.

About the Speaker

Prof. Dr. Michael Maskos (Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Microengineering and Microsystems IMM / Professor of Chemical Process Engineering/Microfluidics at JGU Mainz)

Michael Maskos is a physical chemist and Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Microengineering and Microsystems IMM in Mainz. He also holds the W3 Chair of Chemical Process Engineering and Microfluidics at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz.

For his scientific achievements, he has received several distinctions, including the Research Award of the Boehringer Ingelheim Foundation and a research fellowship from the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina. In 2015, he was awarded the Literature Prize of the Chemical Industry for his textbook Polymers: Synthesis, Properties and Applications.

In addition to his research activities, Michael Maskos serves on numerous scientific and economic committees. He is a Senator of the Federal Association for Economic Development and Foreign Trade (BWA), where he also chairs the Innovation Commission. Furthermore, he advises the government of Rhineland-Palatinate through its Technology Council.

From 2020 to 2025, he served as Editor-in-Chief of the journal Microsystem Technologies and has been a member of its Editorial Advisory Board since 2026.

Since 2020, he has been Chairman of the Mainz Science Alliance, and since 2023, Chairman of the University Council of Mainz University of Applied Sciences. Since 2024, he has also served on the International Advisory Board of the International Research School at Ruhr University Bochum. In 2026, he joined the Board of Trustees of the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research.

The event will be moderated by Prof. Dr. Karl-Heinz Küfer. He is the speaker for the Felix Klein Center for Mathematics and head of the »Optimization« division and »Optimization in the Life Sciences« department at the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM.

Participation Options:       

  1. On site in the lecture hall of the Fraunhofer ITWM,
    Fraunhofer-Platz 1, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany  
  2. By video conference via Microsoft Teams: https://s.fhg.de/tellerrand-2026-06

More Information: https://www.felix-klein-zentrum.de/BudT-2026-06-EN

 

Technical Hints

After you have clicked on the Microsoft Teams link, a browser window will open – if you are not yet using Microsoft Teams – and you will be asked How would you like to join your Microsoft Teams meeting? You can use Microsoft Teams via a browser (e.g. Chrome) or you can download the Windows app to your desktop or install the Microsoft Teams app on your smartphone or tablet.

»Blick über den Tellerrand« (Thinking Outside the Box) is an interdisciplinary lecture series of the Felix Klein Center for Mathematics with changing topics. 

If you have any questions, please contact Sylvia Gerwalin, e-mail: sylvia.gerwalin@itwm.fraunhofer.de, telephone: 0631-31600-4424.