How Systems Engineering is making a difference in Automotive R&D

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Dr. Ing. Gerhard Ebenhoch

Advisory Board

“Fast and efficient development processes are essential for the pace of innovation—and thus the competitiveness—of industrial companies. Drawing on my many years of experience, I want to help keep the 3DSE team on the path to success.”

About Dr. Ing. Gerhard Ebenhoch

From 1986 until his retirement in 2025, he worked at MTU Aero Engines and for a European engine consortium. He held senior positions in major engine programs involving MTU as part of international collaborations.
From 2004 to 2011, as Technical Director of a European engine consortium, he was responsible for the development, certification, and introduction of the engine for a European defense program. He also served at times as “Customer Support Director,” ensuring the operational reliability of the engine in various European aircraft configurations.
From 2012 to 2021, he headed technology management at MTU Aero Engines and was responsible for the company’s technology strategy. Part of the role involved representing the company on various committees within national and European aerospace associations as well as public-private partnerships, sometimes in a leadership capacity.
In addition to his professional responsibilities, he has headed the Propulsion Division at the German Society for Aeronautics and Astronautics (DGLR) for several years and is also a member of the Senate.
He has been a member of the 3DSE Advisory Board since September 2025 and supports the consulting firm with his many years of national and international R&D and industry expertise.

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Dr. Detlef Müller-Wiesner, Eng.

Advisory Board

“For me, the creative collaboration with the experienced, outstanding members of the 3DSE Advisory Board, combined with my interaction with the 3DSE team, is what makes it both rewarding and enjoyable to contribute to the continued development of an award-winning consulting firm.”

About Dr. Ing. Detlef Müller-Wiesner

Independent consultant for innovation processes, research & technology in aerospace, systems engineering, strategy, and start-up coaching.
From 1986 until his retirement in 2016, he worked at Airbus or at companies that later became part of Airbus.
In the field of aerospace engineering, he held senior positions in development, production, service, and program management; among other roles, he was the last project manager for Spacelab. At the EADS and Airbus Group, he was entrusted with the management, integration, and global development of the EADS Corporate Research Center, as well as positions as Chief Operating Officer for Innovation and a member of the EADS Corporate Technical Office (CTO).
In addition to his professional achievements, Dr. Müller-Wiesner has held and continues to hold a wide range of other roles and honorary positions, including: reserve officer in the German Air Force; member and deputy spokesperson of the Senate of the German Society for Aeronautics and Astronautics (DGLR); the honorary title of “Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite de France” and a full member of the Académie de l’Air et de l’Espace in France, and much more.
He has been a member of the 3DSE Advisory Board since 2017, where he supports the consulting firm with his outstanding industry knowledge, in-depth expertise, and high-caliber network in the aerospace sector.

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Frieder Megerle

Advisory Board

“Disruptive changes in the automotive sector have been a constant throughout many years of my professional life—both overseas and in Europe. I would like to support 3DSE and its international clients in identifying and developing the best solutions.”

About Frieder Megerle

Independent business consultant with extensive experience in Engineering & Manufacturing, Lean Production, turnaround management, M&A, internationalization, and managing multinational teams.
1982–2000: Engineering Project Manager and Director at Robert Bosch GmbH
He then spent four years as Senior Vice President, a member of the Board of Management, and Regional President for Bosch in Japan.
2004–2009: Senior Vice President and Technical Plant Manager at Bosch in Blaichach.
2009–2018: Executive Vice President of Manufacturing & Engineering at Bosch and Head of the Japan, India, and Southeast Asia regions as a member of the divisional executive board.
2018 German Innovation Award from the business magazine “WirtschaftsWoche” for the iDisc, an innovative brake disc developed under his leadership.
In addition to his professional activities, he has served and continues to serve on several supervisory and advisory boards.
He has been a member of the 3DSE Advisory Board since 2019, where he supports the consulting firm with his outstanding national and international R&D and industry expertise.

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Ulrich Kranz

Advisory Board

“Throughout my many years in the automotive industry, innovation and future technologies have always been my focus. Developing and implementing these solutions together with international teams is a major source of motivation for me. I would like to support 3DSE and its customers in their search for creative solutions.”

About Ulrich Kranz

A driving force in the development of sustainable mobility and technological solutions that are shaping the future of the automotive and technology industries.
After earning his degree (Diplom-Ingenieur in Mechanical Engineering) from Bingen University of Applied Sciences, he began his career at BMW AG in the development department in 1986.
1995–2016: Various leadership positions at BMW, including member of the Supervisory Board, Senior Vice President for the BMW i and MINI product lines, and senior roles in strategy, communications, and product development in Munich and the United States.
In 2017, as CTO, he was responsible for R&D at Faraday Future in Los Angeles.
2017–2021: Joined Evelozcity (now CANOO) in Los Angeles as CTO, responsible for R&D. In 2019, he was promoted to CEO.
2021–2024: Special Project Group at Apple Inc. in Cupertino.
He has been a member of the 3DSE Advisory Board since January 2025 and supports the consulting firm with his many years of national and international R&D and industry expertise.

Claudia Kessler

Advisory Board Member

“My role on the advisory board is, on the one hand, to provide expertise on space-related topics and leverage my network in the space sector, and on the other hand, to address the issue of diversity—both as a mentor to the female advisors and more broadly—in order to achieve greater diversity at 3DSE in the long term.”

About Claudia Kessler

An entrepreneur and visionary, and one of the few female executives in the international space industry with over 30 years of professional experience.
CEO of Astronautin GmbH, whose goal is to make space travel accessible to the general public in a variety of ways.
Founder of the Europe-wide network “Women in Aerospace Europe” (WIA-E); member of the Senate of the German Society for Aeronautics and Astronautics (DGLR) and the International Aeronautical Academy (IAA).
2004–2018: As CEO of HE Space, a staffing agency specializing in professionals in the aerospace industry, she achieved a 55% representation of women among the company’s 200 technical employees.
She has been a member of the 3DSE Advisory Board since 2017, where—in addition to her outstanding industry knowledge and deep expertise—she supports the consulting firm as a mentor to 3DSE consultants in the areas of diversity and women’s empowerment.

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Prof. Dr. Clemens van Dinther

Associate Partner

“We are not interested in buzzwords, but in the questions that truly determine future viability. We confront, scrutinize, and challenge in order to enable sustainable decisions—not the most pleasing ones, but the most effective.”

About Prof. Dr. Clemens van Dinther

More than 20 years of professional and leadership experience from managing director and board roles, strategic consulting, and academia.
Supports top decision-makers in the energy industry on key strategic and entrepreneurial issues.
Content focus on strategy, transformation, AI, and the digital economy.
Creates clarity in complex situations. Which assumptions hold weight. Where the decisive levers lie. And which solutions are strategically and operationally viable.
Quickly penetrates complex contexts, analyzes precisely, and derives reliable options for action.
Combines scientific depth with operational leadership experience and concrete implementation expertise in transformation projects.
Works analytically, critically, and with a focus on effectiveness. With a clear focus on root causes, correlations, and sustainable results.

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Denis Trost

Partner

“We are like a think tank for our clients. We thrive when things get complex and strive for tailored solutions to our clients’ problems. Together with them, we achieve peak performance.”

About Denis Trost

Partner at 3DSE with over 10 years of R&D consulting experience.
Sharp mind with strong analytical skills and pronounced people expertise. Implementation-focused, absolutely reliable, open and honest, and highly motivated.
Broad industry expertise in medical technology, agricultural machinery, mechanical and plant engineering, energy, commercial vehicles, and automotive.
Consulting expertise focused on designing and implementing R&D performance improvements, R&D organization and process design combined with extensive transformation know-how, and R&D strategy development.
Best practices in R&D performance benchmarks and resilient, customer-oriented R&D organizations.
Degree in Industrial Engineering with specialization in Mechanical Engineering from RWTH Aachen University.

Marc Fritzen

Partner

“Thanks to our deep understanding of the challenges and processes in R&D as well as our pronounced transformation know-how, we create customer-centric and creative solutions. Our empathetic consultants measurably maximize the added value for our customers.”

About Marc Fritzen

Partner with over 11 years of professional experience in R&D consulting.
Results-oriented, fast and reliable team player with high transfer competence. Loves complex challenges, always focuses on systematic and sustainable change in the company.
Broad industry knowledge in the automotive and commercial vehicle industry, the agricultural and construction machinery sector, in mechanical and shipbuilding as well as in aerospace.
Core competencies lie in R&D optimization, Complexity Management, Systems Engineering, Requirements Engineering and agile scaled working methods.
Management of studies in the field of R&D, speaker at R&D-related events.
Author of numerous national and international publications.
Studies in Industrial Engineering and Mechanical Engineering at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) as well as Economics at Miami University.

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Stephan Finkel

Partner

“With our consulting approach, we address your pain points and solve them together as a team, bringing in best practices from a wide range of industries and projects without imposing them on you. Your company, with its culture and employees, is always at the center of our focus.”

About Stephan Finkel

Partner at 3DSE with over 18 years of professional experience in consulting.
Creative mind paired with mathematical-analytical understanding, a high degree of intuitive power, flexible, empathetic, relaxed, and a loyal team player.
Excellent industry knowledge in Automotive, Transportation, Aerospace, Defense, and Security.
Content focus on the design, introduction, and implementation of (model-based) systems engineering programs. Emphasis on both process and organizational improvement, rounded off by change and qualification programs.
Best practices in maturity-oriented product development, Design to Cost, requirements development and management, transfer of market requirements to the product portfolio, project and risk management, Project@risk expert, synchro planning and management, digital PEP, and design review processes. Trainer for ‘Advanced Systems Engineering Trainings’.
Author of numerous national and international publications.
Studied Aerospace Engineering at the Technical University of Munich, assistant at the Chair of Astronautics at the TU Munich.

Thomas Haim

Managing Partner Austria

“Our clients value our systemic and consistently results-oriented consulting approach, which directly increases their value creation. Effectiveness and efficiency are clear guiding principles for what we do.”

About Thomas Haim

Managing Partner, 3DSE Austria, with more than 25 years of experience in management consulting.
A results-driven advisor with a strong hands-on approach. Pragmatic, personable, decisive, and highly committed, with a proven ability to motivate and inspire teams.
Responsible for 3DSE’s Creating and Sustaining Growth solution portfolio.
Industry expert in the automotive and rail sectors, with extensive experience across the entire product development lifecycle.
Consulting expertise includes: coaching and supporting innovation projects, facilitating Innovation Cells, designing and implementing R&D optimization programs.
Developing competency programs and Systems Engineering training.
Previously served as a Senior Consultant at IBM Business Consulting Services, specializing in organizational transformation and process improvement.
Holds a degree in Business Informatics from Johannes Kepler University Linz.

Dr. Tim Sturm

Partner

“Our consulting services must be tailored to the specific needs of our R&D clients. This includes precisely calibrating the scope of external support, the methodological approach, and the necessary content-related impulses. Only then can we deliver real added value and initiate and support sustainable change within the company.”

About Dr. Tim Sturm

Partner with over 13 years of consulting experience.
Results-driven, fast, and reliable team player with strong transfer competence. Loves complex challenges and always keeps systematic and sustainable change within the company in focus.
Content focus is on increasing the value of products and services in high-tech industries, with the key thrusts being complexity reduction and quality improvement.
Design, initiation, and implementation of major transformation programs at product, process, and organizational level.
Best practices in systems engineering, agile and maturity-oriented product development, and preventive quality management. Leads studies in the field of R&D, speaker at R&D-related events.
Studied mechanical engineering at Ruhr University Bochum and the Technical University of Munich. PhD on systems engineering and preventive quality management at Graz University of Technology.

Dr. Armin Schulz

Founder and Managing Partner

“Our clients value our unique combination of engineering expertise and consulting competence. Our high adaptability and strong commitment enable us to quickly find superior solutions even for the most challenging problems.”

About Dr. Armin Schulz

Founder and Managing Partner of 3DSE with more than 20 years of consulting experience.
Brilliant mind with high analytical intelligence, loves complex challenges, efficient through precise, structured thinking. An aesthete who strives for perfection.
Excellent industry knowledge in Automotive, Transportation, Industrial, Aerospace, and Health Tech.
Consulting expertise: Initialization, design, and implementation of R&D optimization programs as well as process and organizational changes, best practices in Systems Engineering and maturity-based product development, modular and platform strategies, quality improvement programs.
Author of numerous national and international publications, some of which have received awards.
Studied Aerospace Engineering at the Technical University of Munich and at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA. Doctorate on the topic of Systems Engineering in integrated product development.

Dr. Stefan Wenzel

Founder and Managing Partner

“Our clients do not need cookie-cutter solutions, but tailored, well-founded approaches. That is why conventional management consultants are not able to deliver real added value in innovation and development.”

About Dr. Stefan Wenzel

Founder and Managing Partner of 3DSE with more than 20 years of consulting experience.
Creative lateral thinker and idea generator, with a strong affinity for innovative trends. Team player with clear objectives—confident, reliable, composed.
Excellent industry expertise in automotive, transportation, aerospace, defence, industrial, health tech and energy.
Consulting expertise: Initialization, design, and implementation of R&D optimization programs as well as process and organizational changes, best practices in Systems Engineering and maturity-based product development, modular and platform strategies, quality improvement programs.
International experience in consulting and product development, as well as in production, sales and investment banking.
Consulting expertise with a focus on initiating, designing and implementing R&D optimisation programmes as well as innovation and strategy programmes, cost engineering, best practices in systems engineering and maturity-level-oriented product development, project and risk management, and change management.
Author of numerous national and international publications; speaker on management topics.
Studied mechanical engineering at the Technical University of Munich; research assistant at the Chair of Aerospace Engineering in Munich; PhD on systems engineering in integrated product development.
Management trainee and executive assistant at EnBW AG.