Roland Sommer serves as Managing Director of the Austrian Platform Industry 4.0 since October 2015. The platform is a public private partnership that aims at improving framework conditions for the introduction of digitalization (‘Industry 4.0’) bringing together relevant stakeholders in Austria. The focus of the work is based on innovation in production technologies and business models on the one hand and high-quality working conditions on the other hand.
Prior to this function he worked as Director of Public-Private Affairs for AVL List GmbH. AVL List is the world’s largest independent company for the development of powertrain systems with internal combustion engines as well as instrumentation and test systems.
From 2004 -2011 Mr. Sommer worked as senior policy adviser for the Federation of Austrian Industries; there he was responsible for research and innovation policy, both on the national and the EU level. From 2000 to 2004 he was employed by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency respectively its predecessor institution.Mr. Sommer studied at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Austria, Wageningen University, the Netherlands, and the University of London, UK. He is active in various national and international bodies.