Portrait of an alumnus: Tilo Stanossek

Tilo Stanossek studied chemical engineering at the former University of Karlsruhe (TH). He has worked for Saint-Gobain RIGIPS GmbH for more than 25 years, from 2012 to 2013 in the dual role of process engineer for the Berlin-Brieselang plant and for the Process Innovation department in Paris. Since 2024, he has been in charge of the RIGIPS plants in Gelsenkirchen and Berlin-Brieselang, where the current focus is on the energy transition and switching to new raw materials.

What valuable experiences and insights from your studies still shape you today?

Towards the end, I specialized in combustion technology and food process engineering. LVT actually covers the entire range of sheetrock production: mixing, extruding, drying. We deal with bulk materials, pasty fluids and capillary solids. Organic polymers, surfactants, the whole nine yards. The material is still as relevant today as it was when Prof. Schubert taught it. My working group in Paris developed the new plaster mixer - I don't think there was a single part of my studies that I didn't need.

What added value do you get from being a member of the alumni network?

There are several advantages to being part of our alumni network: you can make contacts with former fellow students, professors and experts from various industries, which can be helpful for your professional development and career planning. In addition to these professional benefits, there are also social opportunities: alumni meetings, networking events such as the Alumni Talk and celebrations offer the chance to meet up with old friends and make new acquaintances, allowing you to cultivate not only professional but also personal relationships.

I am the contact person for the Berlin area; we organize excursions and alumni meetings once or twice a year.

What is your vision for KIT?

My vision for KIT is that, in addition to world-class research, there will be pragmatic cooperation with industry. When it comes to the energy transition and the circular economy, industry often needs solutions that it can only develop itself with enormous effort. And let's be honest: does it make sense for everyone to develop their own solutions for their own processes? I see the universities, above all KIT, as institutions that can drive forward even more innovations in a bundled effort with partners from industry.