David Kliewe

During my time at GEA, I served as a Project Manager for MES (Manufacturing Execution System) implementations and Proof of Concepts (PoCs), coordinating international stakeholders and ensuring successful project execution from planning through deployment. I worked closely with production, engineering, and IT teams to drive digitalization initiatives and deliver scalable MES solutions across multiple sites.

In addition to project management responsibilities, I was responsible for global system operations activities, including patch management, vulnerability remediation, and maintaining the security and stability of more than 50 MES servers across various international GEA locations. My role involved coordinating security updates, implementing sustainable operational processes, managing system lifecycles, and ensuring compliance with corporate IT security standards while supporting business-critical manufacturing systems worldwide.

As part of my work in product development for embedded systems and smart mechatronic solutions, I was involved in both hardware and software engineering throughout the product lifecycle. My responsibilities included the design and development of electronic circuits for printed circuit boards (PCBs), creating schematics, supporting board layouts, and performing hardware validation and testing to ensure functionality, reliability, and compliance with project requirements.

On the software side, I developed embedded firmware for an automotive chipset responsible for controlling and monitoring LED systems. The chipset communicated with the vehicle's network via automotive bus systems, enabling seamless integration into the overall electronic architecture. This role provided hands-on experience in embedded software development, hardware-software integration, electronic design, testing, debugging, and automotive communication technologies.

During my time at TH Köln, I worked as a Research Assistant and Laboratory Head, conducting research in the fields of automotive engineering, computer vision, and image processing. My work focused on the development and evaluation of image processing algorithms, as well as the implementation and optimization of image processing applications on FPGA-based hardware platforms for real-time operation.

In addition to my research activities, I was responsible for the development of electronic hardware circuits and the management of laboratory equipment and infrastructure. I also supervised and mentored students, providing technical guidance for research projects, practical assignments, and bachelor’s and master’s theses. This role strengthened my expertise in embedded systems, FPGA development, hardware design, computer vision, and academic project leadership while working closely with students, researchers, and industry partners.