Dr. Gerd Meier Zu Koecker

Dr. Gerd Meier zu Koecker has a diverse work experience spanning various roles and organizations. Dr. Gerd is currently serving as the Managing Director of RegioClusterAgentur BW, a regional cluster and innovation policy implementation agency in Baden-Württemberg. In this position, they focus on training cluster managements to provide tailored services to their members.

Prior to this, Dr. Meier zu Koecker held multiple roles at VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH. These include being the Project Director for Regional Development in Uzbekistan and the Head of Section for Regional Transformation. Dr. Gerd also served as the Head of Department for Regional Transformation and Economic Development, where they worked on projects related to smart specialization and innovation and technology parks.

Dr. Meier zu Koecker has also worked as a Coordinator at S3-StressTest, where they were involved in benchmarking-based learning to evaluate the effectiveness of clusters in supporting industrial transformation.

Additionally, they have held positions at Hochschule für öffentliche Verwaltung Kehl as an Associate Professor and The World Bank as a Senior Circular Economy Specialist and Senior Value Chain Expert.

Furthermore, Dr. Meier zu Koecker was the founder of ESCA (European Secretariat for Cluster Analysis), an initiative that aimed to strengthen cluster excellence and create world-class clusters across the European Union.

Lastly, they worked at the European Commission as the Programme Director of the European Cluster Observatory, which focused on promoting the development of world-class clusters in Europe and facilitating SMEs' access to clusters and internationalization activities.

Dr. Gerd Meier zu Koecker's education history includes earning a Diploma in Material Science from Technische Universität Berlin from 1986 to 1990. Dr. Gerd then pursued a Doctorate in Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians from the same institution between 1991 and 1995. In 2001, they attended the University of St.Gallen for a Leadership program.