Prof. Dominik B.O. Bösl joined the Technical University of Munich (TUM) Institute for LifeLong Learning as Adjunct Professor in June 2025. Since September 2019, he has been Professor for Digital Sciences, Automation and Leadership at the University of Applied Sciences for Management and Technology (Hochschule der Bayerischen Wirtschaft, HDBW), where he teaches business informatics, artificial intelligence, cyber security, automation, and technical foresight.

His career spans over two decades in leadership positions across technology and robotics industries. From 2011 to 2018, Prof. Bösl was responsible for Innovation and Technology Management at KUKA AG, serving as Principal Corporate Innovation Manager and Vice President Consumer Driven Robotics, and was one of KUKA's Technical Fellows, defining the group's strategy for "Apps, Cloud & IoT". From January 2019 to December 2020, he served as Vice President & Head of Robotics at Festo AG & Co. KG, leading the company's robotics business unit. From 2022 to 2023, he acted as Chief Technology Officer and Managing Director of Micropsi Industries, a Berlin-based AI and robotics startup.

Prof. Bösl began his career in 1999 at Siemens ICN, where he contributed to establishing the foundations for today's mobile ecosystem by bringing the first UMTS broadcasting cell to market. From 2005 to 2011, he held various leadership positions at Microsoft Germany with national responsibility in developer evangelism.

UN Expert Group & International Governance

Prof. Bösl is serving as an expert for United Nations initiatives on the role of robotics and AI in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. He was invited as a panelist for the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs STI Forum 2021, where he presented research on how robotics both enables and inhibits SDG achievement. His multidisciplinary analysis found that robotics has the potential to enable 46% of SDG Targets while potentially inhibiting 19%, particularly through exacerbation of inequalities.

Peer-reviewed publications

Bösl, D.B.O., & Liepert, B. (2016). 4 Robotic Revolutions – Proposing a holistic phase model describing future disruptions in the evolution of robotics and automation and the rise of a new Generation 'R' of Robotic Natives. IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS).

Haidegger, T., Mai, V., Mörch, C.M., Boesl, D.O., Jacobs, A., Khamis, A., et al. (2023). Robotics: Enabler and inhibitor of the sustainable development goals. Sustainable Production and Consumption, 43, 422-434.

Takács, Á., Rudas, I., Bösl, D., & Haidegger, T. (2018). Highly automated vehicles and self-driving cars [industry tutorial]. IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine, 25(4), 106-112.

Boesl, D.B.O., Achtenberg, T., & Bergler, L. (2023). Foundations of an AI-based, cross-platform companion app for lifelong learning optimization. IEEE International Conference on Teaching, Assessment and Learning for Engineering (TALE), 1-4.

 

Leadership in Professional Organizations

IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)

• Chair (2017 - 2022), IEEE TechEthics Initiative (global ambassador for technology ethics)
• Vice President for Industrial Activities (2018 - 2022), IEEE Robotics and Automation Society
• Member of multiple IEEE working groups and committees on autonomous systems and their societal impact

Robotic & AI Governance Foundation

• Founder and Director (since 2012)
• Established to foster interdisciplinary discourse about the impact of robotics and automation on society
• Develops governance frameworks for voluntary self-regulation of disruptive technologies
• Website: https://www.roboticgovernance.com

Sustainable Robotics Think Tank

• Co-Founder (since 2023)
• Member of expert groups analyzing how robotics, automation, and AI contribute to achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals

euRobotics aisbl

• Member of multiple Topic Groups, including Ethical, Social and Legal Implications (ESL) of Robotics
• Contributing to European robotics roadmaps

Key Research Projects

APOLLO Project 2021-2024

Prof. Bösl served as Project Coordinator for the BMBF-funded INVITE project APOLLO (AI-based, cross-Platform cOmpanion-app for Lifelong Learning Optimization), a 39-month research initiative with EUR 6.4 million in funding. The project, which concluded in November 2024, involved five consortium partners developing an intelligent AI-based mobile app to support individuals throughout their lifelong learning journey. Using artificial intelligence, the app captures and evaluates user competencies, then provides personalized learning opportunities tailored to individual skills. Project Website: https://project-apollo.de

Delphi Study: Future of Robotics 2050+

Prof. Bösl leads the global Delphi Study on the Future of Robotics, Automation and AI 2050+, consulting over 200 international experts to provide an unbiased foundation for international roadmapping efforts. This comprehensive futures research initiative examines the technological, societal, and ethical dimensions of robotics evolution through 2070 and beyond, employing rigorous technology assessment methodologies to anticipate disruptions and guide responsible development. Study Website: https://www.robotics2050.org

Additional Activities

Developer Education & MINT Promotion

• Co-developer of AntMe!, one of the world's most successful serious games for learning programming
• Active in promoting STEM/MINT education and making technology accessible to broader audiences

Public Engagement

• Regular keynote speaker and workshop facilitator on robotics, AI, and digital transformation
• Media contributor discussing the future of automation and its societal impacts
• Advisory roles for government bodies, international organizations, and industry