PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

Joachim Hornegger

Joachim Hornegger is a computer scientist and university president who spent his research career on medical image processing and pattern recognition, which he calls an important part of AI. After studying computer science and mathematics at Erlangen, he earned a doctorate in 1996, joined Siemens Medical Solutions in 1998, and became director of imaging systems there in 2003. Back at FAU as a professor from 2003, he headed the Chair of Pattern Recognition from 2005 to 2015, served as Vice President for Research from 2011, and became FAU President in 2015. He joined acatech in 2016, and in 2020 FAU won four new AI professorships under the Hightech Agenda Bavaria during his presidency. He is President of FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, and the University Council re-elected him in July 2026 for a third term that begins in April 2027.

Born
1967
Badges

Years link to their sources.

Timeline

  1. 1992–1996

    Studies and PhD in Erlangen

    In 1992, he graduates in theoretical computer science and mathematics from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, and in 1996 he earns his PhD in applied computer science there. The thesis covers statistical learning, recognition, and pose estimation of 3D objects.

  2. 1997–2003

    Imaging systems at Siemens

    From 1997 to 1998, he is a guest researcher at MIT and at the Computer Science Department at Stanford University. In 1998, he joins Siemens Medical Solutions to work on 3D angiography, becomes director of medical image processing in November 2001, and director of imaging systems in March 2003.

  3. 2003–2015

    Chair of Pattern Recognition

    In 2003, he becomes Professor of Medical Image Processing at Erlangen, and from 2005 to 2015 he heads the Chair of Pattern Recognition, also as a secondary member of the Faculty of Medicine. The chair is the first at a German university dedicated to pattern recognition, a field he calls an important part of artificial intelligence. His research covers medical image processing, image registration, and sensor data fusion.

  4. 2009–2015

    Vice dean and vice president

    From 2009 to 2011, he is Vice Dean of Computer Science at FAU. Elected Vice President for Research in October 2011, he joins the Executive Board and is responsible for research and young researchers until 2015.

  5. 2014–2015

    President of FAU

    In November 2014, the University Council unanimously elects him to succeed Karl-Dieter Grüske as President of FAU for a six-year term. He takes office in April 2015, and FAU marks the handover with a ceremony for over 800 guests at the Audimax in Erlangen.

  6. 2016

    Member of acatech

    In 2016, he is elected a member of acatech, the Deutsche Akademie der Technikwissenschaften.

  7. 2020

    Four new AI professorships

    In May 2020, FAU wins four new professorships in the second round of the Hightech Agenda Bavaria AI competition, two of them in AI and medicine. They join eight from the first round, attached to the new Department of Artificial Intelligence in Biomedical Engineering. As FAU President, he says the professorships raise the profile of AI at FAU.

  8. As of October 2026

    President for a third term

    He leads FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg as President. In July 2026, the University Council unanimously re-elects him for another six years, and the third term begins in April 2027.

Career

  1. Since 2003Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-NürnbergProfessor of Medical Image Processing, Head
  2. 1998–2003Siemens Medical SolutionsDirector of Medical Image Processing, Director of Imaging Systems
  3. 1997–1998Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyGuest Researcher
  4. 1997–1998Stanford UniversityGuest Researcher

Education

  1. 1996Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-NürnbergPhD
  2. 1992Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-NürnbergDegree in theoretical computer science and mathematics

From the biography.

  1. More people shaping AI studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology than at any other institutionIncludes Massachusetts Institute of Technology. We estimate where the people shaping AI studied and where their careers led. Massachusetts Institute of Technology leads with 467 former students, including 291 recorded doctorates.
  2. 20% of people at companies who shape AI also hold a university role, led by Google and Stanford UniversityIncludes Stanford University. We estimate that 539 of the 6,766 people with a known current organization (8%) hold both a university role and a company role, including 20% of people at companies and 13% of people at universities.
  3. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology trained or employed 44 of the 187 AI major-prize winners, more than any other universityIncludes Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology trained or employed 44 of the 187 AI major-prize winners, more than any other university. We compare doctorate and 5+ year employment links, career timing and current workplaces for 187 major-prize and 1,111 best-paper winners.
  4. The company share of AI researchers’ top papers was 31% in 2020–2024 and 8% in 1970–1974Includes Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg. We estimate where the people shaping AI worked when their most-cited papers appeared: the company share was 31% in 2020–2024 and 8% in 1970–1974, and Google led all organizations in 2020–2024.

Colleagues

People with dated positions at the same organization in the same years.

Sources and credits

Photo: We have no published photo of Joachim Hornegger yet. Send us a free-licensed photo.

  1. Joachim Hornegger - Pattern Recognition Lab lme.tf.fau.de. Checked 21 October 2026.
  2. President of FAU: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Joachim Hornegger | FAU fau.eu. Checked 21 October 2026.
  3. Artificial intelligence: Pioneers of the boom in AI | FAU fau.eu. Checked 21 October 2026.
  4. New President at FAU | FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg archiv.fau.eu. Checked 21 October 2026.
  5. Joachim Hornegger – Wikipedia de.wikipedia.org. Checked 21 October 2026.
  6. Hightech Agenda Bavaria: FAU successful in AI competition | FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg archiv.fau.eu. Checked 21 October 2026.
  7. FAU President re-elected | FAU fau.eu. Checked 21 October 2026.
  8. Karriere: Leitungspositionen September 2026 forschung-und-lehre.de. Checked 21 October 2026.