FZI in Deep Mourning over the Loss of Klaus Müller-Glaser
The long-time Scientific Director and former Executive Director of the FZI passed away on September 22
The FZI is mourning over the loss of the long-time Scientific Director and former Executive Director of the FZI Prof. Dr.-Ing. Klaus D. Müller-Glaser, who passed away on September 22, 2023. Since 1993, he has been involved at the FZI, particularly in the division Embedded Systems and Sensors Engineering, and was also a member of the Board of Executive Directors of our research institution from 1996 to 2002.
After his studies and subsequent doctorate at the University of Karlsruhe in 1977, Klaus Müller-Glaser initially went into the semiconductor industry before a call to Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU) brought him back to science. In 1993, he was then appointed to the University of Karlsruhe , where he also became Scientific Director in the same year.
With three team members at first and initially still in the rented rooms of the neighboring Technologiefabrik, Klaus Müller-Glaser built up the Electronic Systems and Microsystems group, or ESM for short, from 1993 onwards, sometimes working into the early hours of the morning. His industrial contacts and the success of the projects led to the steady growth of the team. For example, research projects with Infineon and the German automotive industry were groundbreaking for the direction, but he also introduced small companies in the surrounding area to innovations in IT application research. Gradually, more FZI colleagues from the Karlsruhe area joined, the group around Klaus Müller-Glaser continued to grow and the first participations in relevant, important conferences such as the DAC began.
In the mid-90s, the first research scientists completed their doctorates under his supervision and thus benefited from the close contact to the University of Karlsruhe, where he was Head of the Institute for Information Processing Technology (Institut für Technik der Informationsverarbeitung, ITIV) at the Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), formerly known as the University of Karlsruhe. On February 1, 1996 Klaus Müller-Glaser was also appointed to the Board of Executive Directors of the FZI and played a key role in shaping the direction of the research institute until 2002.
During his time at the FZI, the research interests of Professor Müller-Glaser focused on new methods and computer-aided tools for the design and testing of electronic systems, in particular model-based approaches, executable specifications and architecture evaluation. His research also included rapid prototyping, hardware and software-in-the-loop test procedures and the design of microsystems and systems-on-chips. The department Electronic Systems and Microsystems (ESM) emerged from his group founded in 1993, which later became part of the research division Embedded Systems and Sensors Engineering (ESS). He remained loyal to this division for many years as a Scientific Director of the FZI and, with his warm-hearted nature and his ability to always see the good in people, supported numerous FZI team members in their careers. With encouragement and appreciation, Klaus Müller-Glaser knew how to be an excellent doctoral supervisor, colleague and mentor, even beyond his time at the FZI. A number of well-known leaders in industry have emerged from the pioneering period in the 1990s in particular, whom he trained and accompanied as a mentor and trailblazer. Some of his mentees have also found their way back into academia and are continuing his legacy.
In recognition of his services and many years of commitment, Klaus Müller-Glaser was appointed Director Emeritus on January 1, 2017. His life’s work has had a strong influence on the global academic community, his large network in business and science and on the FZI. Professor Klaus Müller-Glaser’s life work has had a strong influence on the global academic community, his large network in business and science and on the FZI.
Professor Müller-Glaser passed away on September 22 at the age of 75 after severe illness. Our deepest sympathy goes out to his family and loved ones. The entire FZI remembers him with deep mourning and gratitude.
