#Industry 4.0 / Digitalization

2022-04-28

Dr. Lutz Steiner is new Senior Vice President Innovation at Lenze

With the newly created position, the company is intensifying its growth and innovation course.

Dr. Lutz Steiner has been Senior Vice President Innovation at global automation specialist Lenze since April 1st, 2022. With Dr. Steiner, an experienced industry expert and innovation manager with international leadership experience joins the Group. In the newly created position, he will manage the entire innovation of the Lenze Group and will strategically drive the technological roadmap. With the creation of the new role of Senior Vice President Innovation, Lenze is underlining its position as a pacesetter in global factory automation.

"We want to continue to grow sustainably and must therefore think today about products and solutions that our customers will need tomorrow and the day after. We can only achieve a sustainable Industry 4.0 through digitization and innovation. To achieve this, we still need many new technologies that make it possible to use energy, materials, and working time more efficiently - or the other way around: we need innovations to curb the waste of resources further. In Dr. Lutz Steiner, we have been able to gain an experienced innovation manager who will drive these issues forward with his scientific and technical expertise and international industry experience," says Lenze CTO Frank Maier.

"Lenze is ideally positioned with 75 years of domain expertise, a large international partner network, and a corporate culture characterized by the courage to embrace change. With these building blocks, my ideas, and my experience, I want to continue to shape our technology roadmap and consistently focus on the sustainable digitalization of factory automation," says Dr. Steiner, describing his strategy. "As automation experts, our customers expect us to think far ahead so that they can produce more sustainably in the future and remain competitive. To achieve this, we at Lenze must create technological visions and concepts. I see that as my core task."

Dr. Lutz Steiner was most recently responsible for R&D Building Automation Solutions Asia Pacific at ABB China. In addition to extensive experience in the international automation industry and innovation management, he brings the necessary scientific and technical expertise to manage research and development activities in a targeted manner. He studied electrical engineering and information technology, majoring in automation technology, at Darmstadt Technical University, where he earned his doctorate in building automation and renewable energies.

Lenze receives IEC 62443-4-1 certification: TÜV Rheinland confirms cyber-secure development process

Lenze SE has been certified according to IEC 62443-4-1 since November 2025. TÜV Rheinland thus confirms that Lenze meets the requirements of this internationally recognized standard for a secure development process for industrial automation and drive products. The certification is an important milestone on the way to implementing the EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA), which will become mandatory for machine manufacturers and their suppliers from December 2027.

Lenze at ITMA Asia 2025: Smart, Robust and Cost-Efficient Motor Drive System IE5/IE6 for the Textile Future

At the world's largest trade fair for textile and apparel technology, ITMA Asia (October 28-31, 2025 in Singapore), Lenze will be presenting innovative automation solutions for the textile value chain in Hall 7, Stand B201. The focus will be on energy-efficient drive packages, modular machine concepts and scalable software solutions - developed for mechanical engineers and end users who rely on sustainable technologies. Lenze has been a reliable partner to the textile industry for over 77 years.

New alliance for high-performance drive technology

The Lenze Group, international specialist for drive technology and automation solutions, and Sonepar in Germany, leading electrical wholesaler, have entered into a sales partnership with a focus on innovation and market penetration. Since 1 July 2025, Sonepar has been an official "Lenze Performance Partner Distribution" - with the aim of bringing innovative drive solutions to industry faster and more comprehensively.

Earning money with data? Lenze demonstrates how.

The “SPS – smart production solutions” in Nuremberg is THE trade fair for automation in Europe. At the Lenze booth 391 in Hall 7 it is all about the digitalization of mechanical engineering this year. In four steps - from data collection and analysis to the development of data-driven, scalable products and a platform that facilitates the implementation of application in the field - the automation experts from Hamelin will showcase how they collaborate with customers to generate additional revenue for them.

Textilfabrik 7.0 launched: Mönchengladbach becomes a real-world lab for sustainable textile production

With the official kick-off event of the Textilfabrik 7.0 (T7), a major transformation project for the German textile and apparel industry has been launched in the Monforts Quarter in Mönchengladbach. At the “Textile Roundtable,” an event format organized by the Zukunftsagentur Rheinisches Revier, representatives from industry, research, politics, and the regional economy came together to jointly lay the foundation for CO₂-neutral, circular, and economically viable textile production in Germany.

OnceMore® from Södra brings end-to-end traceability for circular Man-made Cellulosic Fibers (MMCF) using TextileGenesis

OnceMore® from Södra, the world’s first large-scale process for recycling blended fabrics into high‐quality dissolving pulp, will begin using TextileGenesis, a Lectra company, to strengthen traceability from raw material to retail across the value chain. OnceMore® produces dissolving pulp made from blended textile waste and wood sourced from responsibly managed Swedish forests. By integrating TextileGenesis, OnceMore® supports the growing need for verified data and secure, transparent tracking throughout increasingly complex supply chain.

Jeanologia launches Billy

The new AI extracts precise laser designs from a garment image in minutes, transforming how vintage denim is recreated for production. If Jeanologia’s laser changed the way jeans were made at the end of the last century, its AI now takes the next step: moving from reproducing wear to designing it. / archive photo © 2026 Jeanologia

ABB and Syre partner to explore technologies for industrial-scale textile recycling

ABB has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Swedish textile impact company Syre to jointly explore technologies to support the development of Syre’s first textile-to-textile recycling plant in Vietnam. The agreement establishes a framework for collaboration to investigate how ABB’s automation, electrification and digital technologies could contribute to safe, efficient and scalable operations. It will also explore how these capabilities could further optimize process and quality control performance as Syre advances its ambition to produce circular polyester at industrial scale.

From Nature Performance to Circular Economy: Techtextil 2026 focuses on the future market for technical textiles

Alternative materials and recycling technologies are one of the most important future segments and drivers of innovation in technical textiles. Sustainability goals and regulatory requirements increase their relevance, while advances in performance and economic viability enhance their market competitiveness. Taking place from 21 to 24 April 2026, Techtextil reflects this key industry trend with a growing number of specialised exhibitors. With the new “Nature Performance” label, the leading global trade fair bundles relevant market offerings and facilitates access to new solutions – from natural fibres and yarns to bio-based materials and circular approaches.