Max Lemke

Background

About Max Lemke

As Head of Internet of Things (IoT) unit in the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology, I am responsible for several initiatives under the Horizon Europe Programme related to the Internet of Things and the digital transformation of key industrial sectors, including in particular the agri-food, smart energy and mobility sectors. In the Horizon Europe and in the DIGITAL programmes, I co-ordinate the activities on the next generation IoT, edge and swarm computing as well as on data spaces and digital industrial platforms for the above sectors. I am strongly involved in EU initiatives on the Vehicle of the Future and their coordination, in particular the European software-defined vehicle ecosystem, aiming at bringing the benefits of European legislation and investments like for example the Data Act and the Chips Act to the automotive sector. In my previous roles at the Commission, I had a leading role in the Digitising European Industry strategy initiated by Commissioner Guenther Oettinger. I have been responsible for research, innovation and deployment programmes in embedded and cyber-physical systems, advanced computing, and ICT for manufacturing (Industry 4.0), including the Joint Undertaking ECSEL (Electronic Components and Systems for European Leadership), the public-private partnership Factories of the Future, and the I4MS (ICT Innovation for Manufacturing SMEs) initiative on a European network of digital innovation hubs. I have a scientific background in numerical mathematics, high-performance computing, and software engineering. I hold a diploma in Mathematics, as well as a Doctorate in Natural Sciences. In 2020, I spent a sabbatical as European Union fellow at the University of Washington in Seattle focusing on innovation ecosystems and the increasing role of geopolitics in innovation. With the increase of geopolitical tensions after COVID, the on-going war in Ukraine, and the change of relationships of the US and Europe with China, this work has become a key element of my activities.