Matthias Kleiner

Kleiner was born on 24 May 1955 in Dortmund, Germany. He completed his Abitur in 1974 at Geschwister-Scholl-Gymnasium and studied mechanical engineering at Technical University Dortmund from 1974 to 1982. Until 1987, he worked as scientific assistant, at the institute for forming technology while completing his PhD.

Between 1994 and 1998, Kleiner served as C4-professor at the newly founded Brandenburg Technical University in Cottbus and was also a member of the founding rectorate. Since 1998, he works as professor for forming technology at the Technical University Dortmund and since 2004 as head of the Institute for Forming Technology. Between 2000 and 2002, he was the dean at the mechanical engineering faculty.

From July 2005 to December 2006, Kleiner served as vice-chair and from January 2007 to December 2012 as chair (president) of the German Research Foundation succeeding Ernst-Ludwig Winnacker. In July 2014 he succeeded Karl Ulrich Mayer as president of the Leibniz Association. In 2022, he resigned and Martina Brockmeier took-over his position. Kleiner is a member in various academic and scientific organizations which include; acatech, German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina (since 2006) and Academia Europea. Since 2015, he serves as an executive director of the university board of Goethe-University in Frankfurt am Main.

He is also a member of several advisory boards such as Siepmann or the Werner Siemens Foundation.

Kleiner is married to pastor Christine Burkhardt Kleiner and has five children.