Biography
Dr. Florian has built a reputation as high-tech leader and practitioner, and advisor in innovation and future tech. He is in the Board of Trustees of the International Foundation of Artificial Intelligence and Quantum Computing, a special advisor to the Quantum Strategy Institute, on Board of Advisors of the KI Park, a co- author of Germany’s National Roadmap for Quantum Computing, on the Advisory Board of Quantum.Tech, and was a member of the World Economic Forum’s Future Council on Quantum Computing.
Before joining Terra Quantum AG in 2021, he worked at Volkswagen Group in various positions for 11 years, assuming responsibility as Director for the Group’s innovation labs in Munich and San Francisco. Preceding his career at Volkswagen, he held various management and research positions in industry, academia, and consulting. Florian studied computer science, physics, and information technology, holding Master’s degrees and diplomas in these fields as well as a Ph.D. in computer science focusing on the intersection of artificial intelligence and quantum computing.
He pursues academic research and teaching, working as assistant professor at the Leiden Institute of Advanced Computer Science teaching quantum computing. He has written books on artificial intelligence and energy, edited a book on quantum computing, and published more than 90 articles on quantum computing and various other topics ranging from materials science to self-driving vehicles.