Various Austrian business magazines call her “Austria’s smartest tech-lady“, “Manager of the year“ or “… one of Austria’s most powerful women“ – Dr. Sabine Herlitschka, CEO and CTO of Infineon Technologies Austria AG. On January 25, 2019 Univ.Prof. Dr. Sabine T. Köszegi, Academic Director of the Professional MBA Entrepreneurship & Innovation (TU Wien) welcomed Dr. Herlitschka at TUtheSky, the top of TU Wien’s famous Plus-Energy building with a fantastic view over Vienna. There she gave the keynote speech at the first CEC Executive Talk about Infineon’s daily mission – Creating value through innovation.

Dr. Herlitschka has a remarkable academic and professional career. Ever since her studies and her post-doctoral works, she has been devoting herself to research, technology and innovation. She held many executive positions within these areas, is well connected to the industry and contributes to many international committees. Being the Deputy Chairwoman of the University Council of TU Wien, Dr. Herlitschka also has a special affiliation to TU Wien.

In her keynote Sabine Herlitschka introduced Infineon Technologies AG and offered a closer look at its innovation strategy and practice. Infineon is a world leader in semiconductor solutions. With the largest research unit for microelectronics in Austria, it is also a leading company in research and innovation. In the age of digitalization, microelectronics are key drivers for innovation, productivity and economic growth. They allow the connection between the real and the digital world, enabling answers to global trends and societal changes.

At Infineon innovation is an integral part of the culture in which employees on all levels are encouraged to take the courage for big steps and to bring thought into action. This requires a systematic identification of new opportunities, active transfer management and a responsible approach towards risk and error. To strengthen R&D excellence, Infineon builds strong cooperations with universities for example. For TU Wien, Infineon is a major third party partner with many ongoing R&D projects and a newly launched innovation hub providing room for the new as well as a networking platform for tech experts, young professionals and science specialists.

When asked about her career and success, Dr. Herlitschka emphasized that she has always been passionate about what she does. She follows her enthusiasm and functions and positions come along. About 50 students and alumni took the opportunity to learn from this exceptional manager and to further network at the buffet after this inspiring talk.