Dr. Max Lemke is the Head of Internet of Things (IoT) unit in the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology. He is responsible for several initiatives under the Horizon Europe, Digital Europe and CEF2 programmes focusing on the smart Internet of Things, edge computing, and the data economy. Max leads European innovation initiatives on the digital transformation of key industrial sectors, including in particular the agro-food, smart energy and mobility sectors.
In the context of Europe’s data and chips acts, Max is strongly involved in EU initiatives on the Vehicle of the Future, supporting the competitiveness of the European automotive sector at the time of strong disruption towards connected, automated, electric, and servitised vehicles. In previous roles at the Commission, Max had a leading role in the Digitising European Industry. He was co-responsible for several large public private partnerships and innovation initiatives, including the Joint Undertaking ECSEL (Electronic Components and Systems for European Leadership), the partnership Factories of the Future, and the I4MS (ICT Innovation for Manufacturing SMEs) initiative.
Max has a scientific background in numerical mathematics, software engineering and parallel computing. He holds a diploma in Mathematics, as well as a Doctorate in Natural Sciences. In 2020, Max was a European Union fellow at the University of Washington in Seattle directing his research and teaching assignment towards thriving innovation ecosystems and the increasing role of geopolitics in innovation.