#Industry 4.0 / Digitalization

2023-03-23

New Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for the Lenze Group

A handover at Lenze SE: on May 1, 2023, Dr.-Ing. Claus Bischoff (49) will become the new CTO of the global automation specialist. He succeeds Dipl.-Ing. Frank Maier (60), who is leaving the company on April 30 after 14 years on the Executive Board and 18 years with the company to devote more time to his family and personal interests. As Chief Technology Officer, Bischoff will be responsible for Research & Development and Innovation. In this role, he will continue to drive the digital transformation of the company and the technological development of Lenze's range of services.

Dr.-Ing. Claus Bischoff succeeds Dipl.-Ing. Frank Maier in April

Frank Maier joined the company in 2005 when Lenze became a globally successful automation specialist. Among other things, he drove the transformation of the product portfolio into a scalable modular mechatronics system and paid particular attention to the expansion of the software portfolio and expertise.

"Over almost two decades, Frank Maier has played a key role in shaping the company's further development and achieving major technical milestones. On behalf of the entire Supervisory Board and the Lenze family of owners, I would like to thank him for his work and the successes he has achieved. We wish him all the best for the rest of his life," says Dr. Michael Paul, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Lenze SE, and adds: "At the same time, I am very pleased that we have been able to recruit Dr. Claus Bischoff for the Lenze Executive Board. I see him as a strong leader who combines technical know-how with an entrepreneurial mindset, and I am convinced that he will provide a decisive impetus for the further growth of the Lenze Group."

Lenze CEO Christian Wendler adds: "With his expertise in digitalization and IIoT, Frank Maier has set a decisive course for our future. Building on this, we will further consolidate our position as a pacesetter in automation. With Claus Bischoff, we are getting an excellently suited successor. I look forward to working with my new colleague."

With Bischoff, a proven and recognized engineering, automation, and mechatronics expert joins the top management body of Lenze SE. He has many years of experience building digital and agile approaches and organizational and business development in global companies. Bischoff, who holds a PhD in Mechatronics & Automation, joins Lenze from mechatronics specialist Marquardt GmbH, where he was most recently Managing Director and CTO responsible for Engineering, Sales & Business Units. Previously, Claus Bischoff was Head of Engineering at Continental AG, where he was responsible for development in the field of hybrid and electric vehicle systems, and held management positions at Magna International AG and Robert Bosch GmbH.

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.

From spinning to finishing - Lenze makes textile machines more efficient

"Transforming the World of Textiles" - this is the motto of the world's largest trade fair for textile and apparel technology, ITMA 2023 in Milan (June 08 - 14). It shows: The textile industry is undergoing change. High demands on the sustainability and flexibility of machines, enormous cost pressure and a shortage of skilled workers pose major challenges for machine manufacturers and operators. Digitalization can provide a remedy here. At ITMA, automation specialist Lenze will therefore be presenting not only hardware and software, but also its digital services and platform offerings.

Reifenhäuser wins German Design Award for new user interface

At K 2025 in Düsseldorf, the Reifenhäuser Group unveiled its new company-wide machine user interface, which offers a uniform design language for blown film, flat film, and nonwoven lines – and stands out for its particularly simple operation. The overall concept impressed not only customers, but also the jury of the German Design Awards, who honored the system with the prestigious design prize during the trade fair.

Reifenhäuser NEXT: Tackling the skills shortage and achieving operational excellence with industrial AI

At K 2025, the Reifenhäuser Group will demonstrate Industrial AI's full potential for productivity in plastics processing. At the heart of the dedicated “Reifenhäuser NEXT” brand is a powerful AI chatbot that enables even inexperienced line operators to quickly solve complex tasks in their daily work, thereby maximizing availability, productivity, and quality.

BCI warns against ‘dangerous dilution’ of EU corporate directives

The approval of the European Commission’s Omnibus I proposal by the European Parliament’s Committee on Legal Affairs, accepting controversial changes to key sustainability directives is of great concern. These changes, namely to the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), threaten to significantly dilute business reporting and due diligence obligations.

Pioneering open-source framework shows how early innovation drives a just and net-zero fashion future

The non-profit H&M Foundation, in collaboration with Accenture, has unveiled From Signals to Systems Change, an insight report calling on the fashion industry to rethink its role in transformation. At its core is the Reimagined System Map, a pioneering open-source framework that visualises how early-stage innovation could drive a just and net-zero textile future.

Groz-Beckert showcases textile innovation at ITMA Asia + CITME 2025 in Singapore

From October 28 to 31, 2025, the global textile industry will gather at ITMA Asia + CITME at the Singapore Expo, where Groz-Beckert will present its latest highlights and innovations across its six product areas – Knitting, Weaving, Nonwovens, Tufting, Sewing, and Spinning – at Hall 5, Booth B301.