Obituary
Steinbeis mourns the loss of Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Prof. h. c. Eberhard Kallenbach, who passed away in October after a long illness. He founded the Steinbeis Transfer Center for Mechatronics at the Technical University in Ilmenau, where he served as director for many years. The center was one of the first to be established in former East Germany after reunification. Eberhard Kallenbach didn’t just bridge the gap between science and business there. Through his transfer projects and dedication to research and teaching, he also made a significant contribution to integration between East and West and to regional economic development.
Eberhard Kallenbach studied theoretical electrical engineering at the Technical University in Ilmenau and remained there for the whole of his academic career. Until 2000, he was a regular university professor and head of the institute for microsystem engineering, mechatronics, and mechanics. The Steinbeis Transfer Center he founded in 1992 focused primarily on electrical drive components, especially engineered electromechanical drives and electronics technology as well as magnetic technology. In 2010, projects at the center led to the founding of Steinbeis Mechatronik GmbH.
The first Steinbeis House in Ilmenau was established in 2005 following an initiative of Eberhard Kallenbach, and it is now home to several Steinbeis Enterprises. It is not only a testament to the many successful transfer projects that have been carried out there, it also symbolizes Eberhard Kallenbach’s dedication. With it, he opened the door to a different future for well-trained young people in his region, and, as an entrepreneur, he assumed responsibility for people’s social welfare. One example of this is when he supported the founding of Steinbeis innomas GmbH, a spin-off of his Steinbeis Transfer Center.
With Eberhard Kallenbach’s passing, Steinbeis has lost a committed colleague who embodied the traditional values of an entrepreneur with his modesty, patience, and his sense of responsibility for his employees. His exceptional work with technology transfer and his dedication to Steinbeis was honored by the foundation in 2004 and 2008 with the Steinbeis Foundation’s Transfer Award, the Lohn Award. We will deeply miss the trustworthy and reliable collaboration with Eberhard Kallenbach. Our thoughts go out to his family and loved ones.
Prof. Dr. Michael Auer | Manfred Mattulat
Steinbeis Foundation Board of Directors