Jivka Ovtcharova is Full Professor, Head of the Institute for Information Management in Engineering (IMI) since October 2003 and founder of the Lifecycle Engineering Solutions Center (LESC) at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), established in June 2008. In addition, she is Director for Process and Data Management in Engineering (PDE) at the Research Center for Information Technology in Karlsruhe (FZI) since 2004. Before, she worked at the International Technical Development Center at Opel as a leader of a Process and Systems Integration Center of GM Europe, the SME Tecmath, the Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics in Darmstadt, as well as the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences in Sofia.

more

The trend towards more social well-being in line with the increase in wealth , and the enhanced role of social networking entails clearly the signs of profound social change. It is no longer just about to strengthen the global economy for the upcoming great challenges. People with an eye for the big picture are required. So far, the human being is still considered as "human resource" with all his potential but not really as " Resourceful Human". The transition to the perspective of the "human beeing in focus" requires a sustainable innovation culture, which demands a fundamentally new understanding of human possibilities and needs in dealing with technology, work systems, natural resources and people themselves.

In this context, the Institute for Information Management in Engineering (IMI) and the Lifecycle Engineering Solutions Center (LESC) created the necessary and sufficient conditions for a comprehensive implementation that worldwide unique. The related subject spectrum in education, research and innovation corresponds closely to my interdisciplinary and international scientific career, which began in the fields of mechanical engineering at the Technical University of Sofia and process automation at the Institute for Energy in Moscow and continued in various professional IT sector stations in Germany. Additionally I draw on several years of successful industrial practice experience at General Motors in Europe and USA as Head of a Process and System Integration Center.

My vision for the future of IMI and the LESC is to enforce the change of the perspective to innovation by "Resourceful Humans" by exploring new modeling paradigms, technological solutions and work cultures and thus significantly contribute to effective and efficient teamwork across corporate boundaries and cross-cultural business partnerships.

• Lifecycle Engineering
• Knowledge Management
• Smart Immersive Environments