Science, Business and Politics in Dialogue: The Scheer Companies Celebrate the 85th Birthday of Prof. Dr. August-Wilhelm Scheer
On the occasion of the 85th birthday of Prof. Dr. August-Wilhelm Scheer, representatives from science, business and politics came together at the invitation of the Scheer Companies. The focus of the event was not to look back on a lifetime of achievements, but to look ahead together. During several panel discussions, participants discussed current challenges and future perspectives for innovation, digitalization, entrepreneurship, and Saarland as a center for business and science.
Saarbrücken July 2026
Together with Prof. Dr. August-Wilhelm Scheer, Minister-President Anke Rehlinger, State Ministers Reinhold Jost and Jürgen Barke, Karl-Heinz Streibich, as well as the academics Prof. Dr. Ludger Santen, Prof. Dr. Helmut Krcmar, Prof. Dr. Jörg Becker and Prof. Dr. Peter Loos discussed the future of innovation, entrepreneurship, and knowledge and technology transfer.
The discussions focused on questions that have shaped Prof. Dr. August-Wilhelm Scheer's work for decades while also looking to the future: How does innovation emerge? How can research be transferred into practice? What role do entrepreneurship, digitalization and artificial intelligence play in Germany's competitiveness? And what opportunities do strong networks offer for the future of Saarland as a center for innovation?
Minister-President Anke Rehlinger paid tribute to Prof. Dr. August-Wilhelm Scheer in her welcoming address and highlighted his importance as an entrepreneur, scientist and driving force:
"Looking at the impressive life's work of Prof. Dr. August-Wilhelm Scheer is also a look towards the future. As a pioneer of business informatics, a visionary university professor and successful entrepreneur, he has had a lasting impact on Saarland and has made a decisive contribution to establishing our state as an internationally recognized IT hub. His courage to actively shape the future remains an important example, particularly with regard to artificial intelligence. On the occasion of his 85th birthday, I extend my heartfelt congratulations and wish him all the very best."
Prof. Dr. August-Wilhelm Scheer also participated in several of the discussions, sharing personal insights into his career and the convictions that continue to shape his work to this day. He said:
"The two best decisions of my life were: first, to take on a new academic discipline. Second, to take the step from academia into entrepreneurship and found companies."
By establishing the Chair of Business Informatics at Saarland University, Prof. Dr. August-Wilhelm Scheer deliberately decided against taking over an already established academic discipline. Rather than continuing existing structures, he wanted to help shape a new field and place the exchange between science and business at the center from the very beginning. By founding his own companies, he subsequently put this aspiration into practice and made knowledge and technology transfer a central element of his work.
The evening demonstrated that Prof. Dr. August-Wilhelm Scheer's commitment to bringing science and business together continues to shape the Scheer Companies to this day. His 85th birthday therefore became not only an occasion for celebration, but above all a forum for new ideas, future perspectives and dialogue on the challenges of tomorrow.
About the Scheer Group:
The Scheer Group is a leading provider of innovative solutions for process optimization, low-code/no-code development and digital learning technologies. With more than 1,200 experts at over 30 locations, the Group supports companies worldwide on their digital transformation journey. Founded by Prof. Dr. August-Wilhelm Scheer, the company combines technological innovation with deep consulting expertise. More than 1,300 companies rely on the Scheer Group to successfully implement their digital strategies. The Group is headquartered in Saarbrücken. For more information, please visit scheer-group.com
