Since May 1st René Hofmann has joined the team of the Center for Energy in his new position as Principal Scientist and is dedicating his research effort to the scientific investigation of energy sector coupling in the industrial context by means of digital technologies and novel methodologies.
The energy industry is in the middle of a far-reaching transformation. This includes changed framework conditions due to the achievement of climate targets, as well as increasing requirements to decarbonize industrial processes. AIT accompanies this transformation process with the development of innovative and climate-friendly industrial energy systems.
From 2015 to 2020, René Hofmann was involved in the successful establishment of research activities related to industrial energy systems as part of an endowed professorship in cooperation between AIT and the Vienna University of Technology. In this field, he successfully completed his habilitation at TU Vienna in 2019 and acquired the venia docendi. In 2015, René Hofmann started as a Senior Scientist at AIT and in 2018, he assumed the role of Thematic Coordinator for the research field "Efficiency in Industrial Processes and Systems", which focuses on technology development and systems integration.
René Hofmann has many years of experience in basic and applied research and publishes about energy technology in high-ranking scientific journals and conference proceedings. He teaches methods for modeling, simulation and optimization of applications of thermal processes and components and has registered several patents. René Hofmann worked as a process engineer and in the field of research and development for the industrial steam generating manufacturer Josef Bertsch GmbH & Co. KG in Vienna and Bludenz on assignments all over the world.
René Hofmann is the scientific coordinator of the cooperative doctoral school SIC! [Smart Industrial Concept], he is involved in several large research projects on efficiency, flexibility and digitization of industrial processes at TU and AIT and is a member of numerous international networks. His current research focuses on the design and operational optimization of systems for complex power supplies for the industrial sector.