Gold for Austria – Gold for Friedrich Franek

Prof. Franek, born 1949 in Sankt Pölten, Niederösterreich, operates over 44 years of experience as a university teacher with a focus on precision engineering / Tribology at the TU Wien and Austrian Tribological Society. Since the 1990s, Friedrich Franek is Vice-President of the International Tribology Council.

Prof. Franek studied Mechanical Engineering. Prof. Franek, who in 1984 habilitated in “Precision engineering with emphasis on Tribology” was appointed head of the newly established Department of Tribology at the TU Wien in 1985. 1999 – 2003 he was Head of the Institute for Precision Engineering. Prof. Franek was co-founder, co-owner and later Managing Director of Tribotechnik Forschungsgesellschaft m. b. H. (1976 – 1988). He initiated the Austrian bid to the World Tribology Congress 2001, which in 2001 was successfully held in Wien thanks to the support of corporate partners and colleagues. The World Tribology Congress and a certain positive mood associated with it, but also the helpful framework conditions through the Austrian Kplus-programme resulted in decisive impetus for the founding of the Austrian Center of Competence for Tribology in Wiener Neustadt. Friedrich Franek largely addressed himself starting from 2002 especially as Scientific Head to this Centre, which could reap for the period 2002 – 2020 a research budget of roughly € 150 million and evolved into an exemplary, internationally visible research facility specializing in the field of Tribology.