Founding Director
Martin Reiser studied electrical engineering at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH). He started his career in the IBM Zürich Research Laboratory, where he conducted his doctoral research in large-scale numerical simulations of Field-Effect Transistors. His thesis was awarded the Silver Medal at the ETH
1972, he moved to the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, N.Y. where he started work in the area of Performance Evaluation of computer and communication systems. His most important scientific contribution is Mean Value Analysis of Queuing Networks which won the IEEE Koji Kobayashi Award for Computers and Communications in 1991.
In 1979, Martin Reiser returned to his native Switzerland to lead the Communication and Computer Science department of the IBM Zürich Research Laboratory. Under his leadership, the IBM Token-Ring was developed, the Digital Signal Processor invented and high-speed data modems realized and transferred into successful IBM products. For these innovative accomplishments, he won five IBM Outstanding Innovation Awards.
1986 he was promoted to the position of Director of the IBM Zürich Research Laboratory, where about 200 scientists worked on projects in computer networks, physics and technology.
A highlight of his career was the Nobel Prizes for Physics of 1996 and 1997, won under his leadership by Rohrer, Binnig, Müller and Bednorz.
At the beginning of the 90‘s, Martin Reiser joined Professor Wirth working on the Object-Oriented Oberon system. Reiser was promoted to IBM Executive and held a seat on IBM's Corporate Technical Committee with responsibility for the technical strategy in communications.
1997, Martin Reiser was appointed Director of the newly-founded Institute for Media Communications (IMK) at GMD, German National Research Center for Information. This gave him the chance to realize the dream of bringing together technology and the arts. Under his term, IMK invented the Responsive Workbench, realized exhibitions in the Art Museum Bonn, invented the idea of Virtual Audio Environment and realized a virtual reality production of Beethoven’s Fidelio, now on display in the Beethovenhaus Bonn. In 1998, he was appointed Honorary Professor of the University of Cologne. In 2000, the GMD was fused wit the Fraunhofergesellschaft, Germany’s leading organization for applied research. Reiser became Director of the Fraunhofer Institute Media Communication.
In 2007, Martin Reiser was on a sabbatical at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and the University of Vienna. Since 2008, he has joined NTU as Founding Director of the Institute for Media Innovation where he continues the leadership role in the world of Interactive Digital Media
Martin Reiser is a member of the Swiss Academy of Engineering and a Fellow of the IEEE. He has an honorary Doctoral degree from the Technical University of Moscow.
