Special recognition for Prof. Rainer Fechte-Heinen, Chairman of the Board of Directors at the Leibniz Institute for Materials Engineering - IWT: The Head of Materials Engineering in Bremen was appointed to two prestigious new positions at the end of the year. Back in November, he was admitted to the WAW (Wissenschaftlicher Arbeitskreis der Universitäts-Professoren der Werkstofftechnik e.V.), and now he has also become a member of the Executive Committee of the IFHTSE (International Federation for Heat Treatment and Surface Engineering).

Since November 2023, Prof. Fechte-Heinen has been part of the recognized WAW, an association of now 36 university professors from the field of materials engineering. The association has set itself the goal of strengthening and further developing materials engineering scientifically and professionally through the exchange of experience, Germany-wide coordination and contact mediation. Prof. Fechte-Heinen would also like to get involved here: "It is a pleasure and also an honor for me to be able to discuss overarching materials engineering topics in this committee from now on and to develop ideas on how we can take up research topics of the future now and also establish them in teaching." Admission is reserved for selected individuals from the scientific community and is for an unlimited period of time. 

There was similar joy about another office that was decided at the 28th IFTHSE Congress in Yokohama, Japan: Prof. Fechte-Heinen was elected to the Executive Committee of the multinational organization for heat treatment, materials and surface technology. As a non-profit organization, which was founded in 1971 on the initiative of the Bremen Institute, the IFTHSE is committed to coordinating, informing, cooperating and promoting in the aforementioned subject areas. The transfer of knowledge and networking has been jointly promoted for many years in numerous internationally organized specialist conferences. "As part of the Executive Committee, I am looking forward to being able to promote the global networking and international exchange that we have established over decades," said Prof. Fechte-Heinen after his election. The committee is regularly reappointed and comprises a total of 14 members. 

Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Rainer Fechte-Heinen has been Chairman of the Board of Directors at Leibniz-IWT since 2020 and is also Director of the Department of Materials Engerineering and Director of the Institute for Materials Testing. At the same time, he teaches and conducts research at the University of Bremen in the field of materials technology / metals within Faculty 4 Production Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Process Engineering.