From July 1, 2025, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Johann-Dietrich “Jan” Wörner will be the new Scientific Director of FIAS. He succeeds Prof. Dr. Eckhard Elsen, whose three-year term of office ended in April.

On June 4, the FIAS Foundation Board appointed the former President of TU Darmstadt as Scientific Director of the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies (FIAS). The 70-year-old civil engineer will take over the management of the research institute, which has made a name for itself in particular with modeling in the theoretical natural sciences, computer and life sciences.

Born in Kassel, he completed his doctorate in 1985 in Darmstadt on component-structure interactions during earthquakes. He worked in an engineering office in Frankfurt until 1990. When he was appointed to the Technical University of Darmstadt, he initially became Professor of Solid Construction and Head of the Testing and Research Institute, later also Dean of the Department of Civil Engineering and Professor of Statics and Dynamics of Load-bearing Structures. In 1994, he founded his own engineering office.

Wörner's research focuses on building materials and structures, their interaction, stability, and safety. He initiated numerous innovations in the construction industry, for example with new materials in the areas of glass, textiles, glass fiber reinforced plastics, high-toughness and recycled concrete as well as constructions for handling water-polluting substances. His particular focus is on the combination of basic research, mathematical simulation, and development through to products.

In 1995, the Convention of then TH Darmstadt elected Wörner as President. In the years up to 2007, he achieved unprecedented independence from the state of Hesse for TU Darmstadt. From 2007 to 2015, he was Chairman of the Executive Board of the German Aerospace Center (DLR). He has acted as mediator for Frankfurt Airport since 2020. From 2015 to 2021, Wörner was Director General of the European Space Agency (ESA). From 2021 to the end of June 2025, he was Scientific President of the German Academy of Science and Engineering (acatech). Wörner is a member of numerous scientific societies and committees, some in prominent positions, and the recipient of many awards and honorary memberships.

In his future role as FIAS Director, Wörner sees “the opportunity to combine outstanding basic research with partners from science and industry in an innovation chain”.

“We are delighted to have gained an outstanding, internationally recognized, and visible personality for the management of FIAS in Jan Wörner,” explains the Board of Trustees. Its Chairman, Prof. Dr. Volker Mosbrugger, emphasizes: “With his experience in the management of large scientific institutions, Wörner is an ideal appointment and a stroke of luck for FIAS, especially with his ambition to combine basic research with innovation.”

The President of Goethe University, Prof. Dr. Enrico Schleiff, is convinced: “In the more than 20 years since it was founded, FIAS has established itself as a think tank of the Rhine-Main universities and has developed great international appeal”. This is thanks to the excellent scientists who are involved in several clusters of excellence, for example, but also to the skill of the board members and directors. “Jan Wörner is an international heavyweight in the scientific landscape, and we look forward to working with him to further develop the structure and scientific program of our FIAS.”

Wörner succeeds Eckhard Elsen, who headed the research institute for three years until the end of April. Mosbrugger thanked him warmly on behalf of the entire FIAS for his impetus and commitment. During his time in office, Elsen set an important course and encouraged further professional and structural developments at FIAS. For example, the topic of “digital twins” was established as an interdisciplinary focus. FIAS is thus opening up promising opportunities in the natural sciences - from molecular simulations and tissue modeling to AI-supported medical digital twins. At the annual Giersch Conferences, it became clear that such approaches help to control scientific experiments better, carry them out faster and predict their results more accurately.  Elsen's term of office also saw the 20th anniversary of FIAS, which presented the scientific diversity of FIAS to the public with exhibitions, an open day, and a ceremony. All FIAS committees and employees would like to thank Elsen for his commitment, his ideas, suggestions, and the incentive to support FIAS on its path in the theoretical research of complex systems. A heartfelt thank you also goes to Prof. Dr. Volker Lindenstruth, who has taken over the management of FIAS on an interim basis over the past few months. An official farewell and handover of office will take place in the coming weeks.