Michael MEINL has taken up office as new German Director
ISL’s new German Director Colonel Michael MEINL has taken up his duties yesterday on Wednesday, 1st December 2021. The binational duo in charge of the French-German Research Institute of Saint-Louis is thus complete again.
Christian de VILLEMAGNE (left), Colonel Michael MEINL (right)
In close cooperation with French Director Christian de VILLEMAGNE, Michael MEINL is responsible for implementing the decisions and objectives of the binational Steering Board. Together with his French counterpart, he is also in charge of conducting all the economic and business activities of ISL. Michael MEINL succeeds Dr.-Ing. Thomas CZIRWITZKY who left the Institute on 1st October 2021. His appointment was approved by the Institute’s Steering Board and confirmed by the French and German supervisory authorities.
On active duty as an officer for more than 30 years, Colonel Michael MEINL has mainly served in the fields of armaments and material equipment of the Bundeswehr. Thanks to his professional background, he is perfectly familiar with Franco-German cooperation.
Michael MEINL obtained his Graduate Degree in Computer Science in 1989 at the University of the Bundeswehr in Munich. Following various assignments in the area of information technology and in the Maintenance corps of the German Army, he completed a General Staff training course at the Bundeswehr Command and Staff College in Hamburg and at the French “Ecole de Guerre” in Paris.
As a graduate of the French Military Academy and exchange officer in the French General Staff, Operations Directorate (Etat-Major des Armées) in Paris, he gained valuable experience in Franco-German cooperation. In addition, he gathered experience on an international level serving in operations in Afghanistan, Kosovo and most recently as Second in command of the EUTM (European Union Training Mission) in Mali.
Prior to taking up office as German Director at ISL, Colonel MEINL was Director Support at the German Army Headquarters in Strausberg, Germany.
Michael Meinl is 57 years old, married and has five children. He speaks German, French and English.
About ISL
ISL is a binational research institute jointly operated by the French “Agence de l’Innovation de Défense” (AID) and the German Federal Ministry of Defence.
Its mission is to create cost-efficient technologies which can be used by land forces, even under the roughest conditions of military confrontation. The purpose of ISL’s innovations is to protect soldiers and vehicles by detecting enemy weapons, containing their effects and rendering them harmless. In addition, ISL optimises energetic materials and systems to make them safer and more efficient. It develops cost-efficient technological components indispensable for future artillery systems and intelligent ammunition. The aim is to engage the target as planned, increasing the range and enhancing precision. ISL’s innovations for attack and defence are complementary.
ISL’s research teams have a multidisciplinary approach. 60 % of the staff members are scientists or engineers and there are around 40 PhD students. Furthermore, ISL’s staff have state-of-the art equipment at their disposal and are part of a dense academic network. ISL’s research groups are in direct contact with the armed forces and their innovations are used both before industrial implementation and during joint development.
