Philipp Stiefel
Head of Industrial Engineering Fuel Cell
Position: Head of Industrial Engineering Fuel Cell
Department:Industrial Engineering Fuel Cell
With EKPO since: March 01, 2021
Since when have you been with ElringKlinger/EKPO, and how did you first become aware of us?
I joined ElringKlinger in 2016 as a mechanical engineering student to write my master’s thesis in the PEM fuel cell development department. After a theory-heavy university program, I wanted to complete my thesis in a practical, real-world setting. ElringKlinger is one of the most well-known employers in the region, so I took the classic route and looked for job postings on the company’s website. At the time, I found it particularly exciting to learn that ElringKlinger was not only working on solutions for conventional combustion engines but was also heavily involved in the development and industrialization of fuel cells as a sustainable drive technology.
You started at ElringKlinger as a student – how has your career developed since then?
After completing my studies, I was fortunate to be offered a permanent position and was able to continue developing the topics from my thesis as a full-time engineer. During this time, our department grew significantly, and I had the opportunity to take on responsibility early on. As project manager for the industrialization of our first stack platform, I gained valuable experience across the entire product development process – including interdisciplinary collaboration with all involved departments such as development, design, industrial engineering, quality, purchasing, and production.
Shortly thereafter, I was given the opportunity to take on disciplinary leadership as a team leader in the Industrial Engineering department and to grow into a leadership role. Over the years, my team has steadily expanded. My responsibilities have included both administrative tasks such as recruiting, employee management, and team development, as well as the technical aspects of our field. We focus on process development and series industrialization of fuel cell stack production – from assembly and integration to end-of-line testing. My academic background in production engineering and automation supports me in successfully implementing numerous projects together with my team.
"I experience this open culture throughout all areas at EKPO. It’s certainly one of the key reasons for our success as a technology leader."
What opportunities do your employees have to contribute ideas or suggestions?
Within my team and across the entire department, we maintain constant communication and foster a very open work culture where everyone is encouraged to contribute ideas and suggestions. This happens not only through regular meetings and departmental roundtables, but also in many informal conversations – at desks, in one-on-one meetings, and quite often while standing at the coffee corner or during lunch in the cafeteria. I experience this open culture throughout all areas at EKPO. It’s certainly one of the key reasons for our success as a technology leader.
Which achievement are you and your team particularly proud of?
I’m especially proud of the strong and capable team I’ve been able to build from the ground up. Together with EKPO, we’ve grown rapidly and have been working closely for many years. Within our team structure, each member has developed into an expert in their respective area – whether in processes or project tasks. We also have a healthy mix of young and experienced colleagues from various disciplines and professional backgrounds. What matters most is that new team members integrate well both personally and professionally.
From a technical perspective, we’re particularly proud of the successful industrialization of our fuel cell stack production at our main site in Dettingen. Over the past few years, we’ve installed numerous highly automated production and assembly lines in a state-of-the-art manufacturing environment, capable of producing up to 10,000 stacks per year to automotive standards. In addition, we successfully completed a localization project for our subsidiary EKPO China – a major challenge, especially given the pandemic.
Our processes, like our products, are considered benchmarks. That’s why we’re already working on the next generation of automated stack production for high-volume applications.
"Each of my employees has my full trust – built on their honesty, openness, and reliability."
What makes your job exciting or special?
At EKPO, we develop high-performance fuel cell stacks and components. While our products are at the center of our work, manufacturing such technologically advanced systems also requires highly specialized production processes. In the Industrial Engineering department, we focus daily on developing and implementing these manufacturing technologies. We operate at the exciting interface between development and production, which means we’re involved throughout the entire product development process – from the initial idea to the start of series production in our factory. At the end of our work, there are real, tangible results: new machines, systems, tools, or fixtures on which our products are manufactured. As an engineer, seeing these outcomes is always a special highlight.
How would you describe the leadership culture at EKPO?
Open, respectful, and responsible – across all levels of hierarchy. What unites us is the shared ambition to always set the benchmark with our products and manufacturing processes. This mindset is deeply rooted in our leadership culture and lived by all colleagues. Each employee takes ownership of their area of responsibility and can make a real impact. Most importantly: the fun in our daily collaboration is never lost – and that’s a key factor for us.
Which qualities do you value most in your employees?
Each of my employees has my full trust – built on their honesty, openness, and reliability. In addition, everyone on the team fully identifies with EKPO and brings the ambition needed to successfully drive their own projects forward. This way, each person makes an individual and valuable contribution. All this combined enables us to work professionally in a pleasant and relaxed atmosphere. I truly appreciate that – because it’s far from a given.
