Prof. Dr. Dieter Schmitt

Honorary Professor at TUM since 2002

Field

Aeronautical Engineering

Career

Professor Schmitt completed his mechanical engineering studies in 1968 at TH Darmstadt. For the following six years he was a member of the scientific staff at the Institute of Aerotechnics. Professor Schmitt’s career in the aviation industry started in 1976 when he joined MBB, initially as a flight mechanics specialist. In 1990 he assumed an executive position in the Future Projects and Technologies Division. In this role Professor Schmitt was involved in a wide range of different projects including the definition of a second generation supersonic aircraft (a successor to Concorde), the definition of a 75 seat regional airliner (MPCA) and the definition of a joint European and American VLCA (Very large Commercial Transport Aircraft).

In 1994 Professor Schmitt was appointed Vice President Future Projects within the international team of Airbus Industries. Two years later he accepted the offer of a professorship at the Institute of Aeronautical Engineering at TUM where he played a key role in setting up the institute. In 2002 Professor Schmitt was named Vice President Future Projects and Technologies at Airbus SAS. When he retired in 2007 he set up a consulting firm: ARTS – Dieter Schmitt.

    Functions

    • Vice President “Research and Future Projects” at Airbus SAS in Toulouse (2002-2007)
    • Technical Director at Bauhaus Luftfahrt e.V. in Munich (2008-2009)
    • Professor at the Institute of Aeronautical Engineering at TUM (1996-2002)
    • Vice President Future Projects at Airbus Industries in Toulouse (1994-1996)
    • Head of Department Future Projects and Research at Deutsche Aerospace GmbH in Hamburg (1990-1994)

    Awards

    • Awarded Doctor of Science honoris causa, University of Glasgow, Scotland (2005)