Finance Chair, ICMC HAMBURG 2026
Vice President of Education & Professor, Hamburg University of Technology; Project Director, ligeti center
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Thorsten A. Kern
Vice President of Education & Professor, Hamburg University of Technology; Project Director, ligeti center
Biography
Thorsten A. Kern is an expert in mechatronics and human-machine interfaces. He earned his Dipl.-Ing. and Dr.-Ing. at Darmstadt University of Technology, with a focus on high-dynamic sensor and actuator development for medical applications such as minimally invasive surgery. Between 2006 and 2008, he worked for a start-up that focused on medical technology interventions.
From 2008 to 2018, he worked in the automotive industry in a central role as R&D manager at Continental Automotive GmbH, where he led a team of 300 engineers and worked on projects such as the development of head-up displays and haptic feedback systems.
Since January 2019, Thorsten Kern has been a professor at the Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH) and head of the Institute for Mechatronics in Mechanics (iMEK). In this role, he is dedicated to the research and development of electromagnetic sensors, actuators and their integration into complex, highly dynamic systems. His research focuses on optimizing mechatronic systems for demanding applications ranging from high-precision motors to advanced sensor systems. His projects include applications in the automotive, robotics and medical technology industries, among others. He is Vice-President of the EuroHaptics Society, winner of the 2022 Hamburg Teaching Innovation Award, and coordinator of a number of STEM and engineering education-oriented initiatives and exchange formats in Hamburg.