Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics Research IGDRésumé/Profile
Prof. Michael Sedlmair has been Director of Fraunhofer IGD since October 1, 2026. Together with Dr. Matthias Unbescheiden, he is responsible for the institute’s scientific and strategic development at its Darmstadt and Rostock locations. At the same time, he holds the former Chair of Graphical Interactive Systems at Technical University of Darmstadt, which he continues under the name Visual Computing. His work focuses on human-centered artificial intelligence and on how visual computing technologies can support people in complex cognitive and physical tasks.
Sedlmair received his doctorate in computer science from Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich in 2010. His academic career includes positions at BMW Group Research and Technology, the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, the University of Vienna, Jacobs University Bremen, and Shandong University. From 2018, he conducted research and taught at the University of Stuttgart. In 2021, he was appointed to a W3 professorship and became head of the Human-Computer Interaction research group at the Visualization Research Center (VISUS).
His research lies at the intersection of data visualization and visual analytics, human-computer interaction, and virtual and augmented reality. It centers on how people can understand and interact with complex data and make effective use of it in digital and immersive environments.
Sedlmair is internationally recognized in particular for his contributions to the methodological foundations of visualization research. The work on Design Study Methodology: Reflections from the Trenches and the Stacks contributed to creating a systematic framework for practice-oriented visualization studies and has had a lasting impact on the methodology of the field. The resulting paper received a Best Paper Honorable Mention in 2012 and the IEEE VIS Ten Year Test of Time Award in 2022 in recognition of its long-term influence on visualization research. His other honors include Best Paper Awards at IEEE VIS and ACM CHI, among others. In 2021, Sedlmair also received the AMiner Most Influential Scholar Award for his contributions to visualization research from 2011 to 2021, ranking first among the 100 researchers listed.
At Fraunhofer IGD, Sedlmair combines scientific excellence with practical applications. Together with partners from industry and society, he translates research findings into practical technologies and strengthens their transfer to the market. His work focuses on combining visual computing with human-centered artificial intelligence.