Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Thomas Speck (Co-speaker)

Education

1978 – 1986 Dipl.-Biol., Biology, University of Freiburg, Supervisors: Prof. Dr. Dieter Vogellehner & Prof. Dr. H.-C. Spatz

Scientific degrees

1990 Dr. rer. nat., Biology, University of Freiburg, Advisor: Prof. Dr. Dieter Vogellehner

1996 Dr.-rer. nat. habil. and venia legendi for Botany & Biophysics, University of Freiburg, Mentors: Prof. Dr. Dieter Vogellehner & Prof. Dr. Hanns-Christof Spatz

Work experience

2006 – current Full Professor (W3) Botany: Functional Morphology and Biomimetics, Director of the Botanic Garden Freiburg

2002 – 2006 Associate Professor (C3) for Functional Morphology and Biomimechanics, Director of the Botanic Garden Freiburg

2000 – 2002 University Lecturer for Botany and Biophysics, University of Freiburg

1993 – 1999 Assistant Professor, University of Freiburg

1990 – 1993 Research Associate (Wiss. Angestellter) at the Botanic Garden and Faculty of Biology University of Freiburg

Miscellaneous

Member of spokesperson team of the Excellence Cluster livMatS Living, Adaptive and Energy-autonomous Materials Systems (EXC 2193) [since 2019]

Spokesperson of the research project „Bio-inspirierte elastische Materialsysteme und Verbundkomponenten für nachhaltiges Bauen im 21ten Jahrhundert (BioElast)“ funded by MWK-Badenwürttemberg [since 2019]

Co-spokesperson (Freiburg) of the Collaborative Research Center 141 (SFB-Transregio 141) „Biological Design and Integrative Structures – Analysis, Simulation and Implementation in Architecture”, Universities of Stuttgart, Freiburg and Tübingen [2014-2019]

Member of the Board of Directors and Associate Managing Director of the ›Freiburg Center for Interactive Materials and Bio-Inspired Technologies (FIT)‹  [since 2012]

Member of the Advisory Board of the Landesagentur für Leichtbau Baden-Württemberg (Leichtbau BW) [since 2007]

Program-Committee Member, Priority Program 1420 ›Biomimetic Materials Research: Functionality by Hierarchical Structuring of Materials‹ (DFG) [2008-2016]

Speaker, Competence Network Biomimetics – Plants and Animals as Concept Generators for Biomimetic Materials and Technologies (funded by the Ministry of Science, Research, and the Arts Baden-Württemberg) [since 2006; Board Member since 2002]

Board member of the ›Bionic Competence Network BIOKON e.V.‹ and of the »Biomechanics Group« of the Society for Experimental Biology U.K.  [2008-2016]

Vice-President of BIOKON international – Biomimetics Association and Society for Technical Biology and Bionics – GTBB [since 1999]

Jury Member of the „Steven Vogel Young Investigator Award” awarded by the IOP Journal Bioinspiration & Biomimetics [since 2017]

Jury member of the ‚International Bionic-Award‘ of the Schauenburgstiftung awarded bi-annually by the ‘Germany Economy Foundation’ (Stiftung der Deutschen Wirtschaft e.V.) and ‘The Association of German Engineers’ (Verein Deutscher Ingenieure e.V. – VDI) [since 2008]

Advisory Board Member for ›Bionics‹, ›Association of German Engineers‹ (VDI e.V.) [since 2007]

Scientific Member of the Freiburg Materials Research Center (FMF) [since 2007]

Member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the B CUBE – Center for Molecular Bioengineering TU Dresden and the INM Leibniz Institute for New Materials GmbH Saarbrücken [since 2013]

Fellow of the Linnean Society London [since 2000]

Several Science and Industrial Awards for studies in biomechanics/functional morphology and for development of biomimetic products (e.g. Hans Spemann Award 1990 / ExpoNaTe 2007 Award / ‘Ideenwettbewerb Bionik – Innovationen aus der Natur’ / TechTextile Innovationprize – New Materials 2007 / Zander – Medal of the Society of Botanic Gardens Germany 2009 / Techtextil Innovationprize – Architecture 2011 / Best of Certificate ‘Materialica Design+Technology Award 2011 – Cate­gory C02-Efficiency’ / European Cluster Excellence Initiative – Bronze Label Certificate 2012  & 2015 / Gips-Schüle-Forschungspreis 2013 / AVK-Innovationprice 2017 – 3rd in the Category Research/ Science / Materialica Design+Technology Gold Award 2016 & 2019 – Cate­gory Surface & Technology’)

Associate Editor of: Applied Physics A; Biomimetics; Bioinspiration & Biomimetics; Journal of Bionic Engineering; Trees – Structure & Function; Paläontographica, B – Palaeophytologie.

2001 offer of a C3-professorship (paleobotany), HU Berlin/2006 offer of a W3-professorship (plant systematics & plant geography), FU Berlin combined with the position as director general of the Botanic Garden & Botanic Museum Berlin-Dahlem

99/00 Visiting Professor at the „Formal- und Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät“, University of Vienna