People at the Alliance
The Founders
Prof. Dr. Torbjørn Netland
ETH Zurich
Prof. Dr. Torbjørn Netland is a Professor of Production and Operations Management at ETH Zurich and Co-Director of the ETH-HSG Manufacturing Alliance. His research focuses on the digital transformation of manufacturing, operational excellence, and global production networks. A dedicated educator and industry collaborator, he promotes hands-on engagement through real-world problem-solving. Within the Alliance, he supports doctoral students to contribute directly to industry challenges from day one, advancing both academic research and industrial competitiveness.
Prof. Dr. Thomas Friedli
University of St.Gallen (HSG)
Prof. Dr. Thomas Friedli is Director of the Institute of Technology Management at the University of St.Gallen and Co-Director of the ETH-HSG Manufacturing Alliance. His academic and consulting work concentrates on operational excellence, manufacturing strategy, and performance management in industrial companies. Through the Alliance, he fosters collaboration between academia and industry, ensuring scientific insights are translated into actionable strategies and innovations. His leadership helps bridge theory and practice in ways that benefit Swiss and global manufacturing firms alike.
The Director
Dr. Mark Grothkopp
ETH Zurich / University of St.Gallen (HSG)
Mark is Senior Researcher and Director of the ETH-HSG Manufacturing Alliance. Splitting time between ETH and HSG, he is responsible for building and managing the Alliance in collaboration with the Manufacturing Alliance companies.
PhD Candidates
Jingqi Liu
ETH Zurich
Jingqi Liu holds a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering from Tsinghua University and a Master’s degree in Management, Technology, and Entrepreneurship from EPFL, with a focus on business analytics and data-driven decision making. Her academic background bridges engineering, data science, and management. She worked at Bosch and Hilti on supply chain and sustainability-related topics, and contributed to research at IMD, focusing on the role of artificial intelligence in organizational transformation. These experiences have shaped her interest in how organizations can more effectively adopt and integrate AI technologies.
Johannes Bunse
University of St.Gallen (HSG)
Johannes holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management and a Master’s degree in Impact Entrepreneurship and Innovation from the Nova School of Business and Economics in Lisbon. Prior to joining the Alliance, he gained experience in the chemical sector, working for BASF for one and a half years as Sustainability Manager for Switzerland and Austria. He is therefore interested in topics related to Smart Manufacturing and Circular Economy.
Alexander Albers
ETH Zurich
Alexander holds a Master’s in Industrial Engineering and Management from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), where he graduated with distinction focusing on manufacturing, machine learning, and strategy and management. Alexander conducted his Master’s thesis at Cambridge University, exploring the application of Augmented Reality for quality inspection. His current research interests lie in how companies can utilize data more effectively, driven by his prior work with leading companies in the automotive, semiconductor, and machining sectors.
Simon Gese
University of St.Gallen (HSG)
Simon Gese joined the University of St.Gallen as a research associate and doctoral candidate. He graduated with a Master’s in Industrial Engineering and Management from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology with a focus on production and logistics. In his Master’s thesis, Simon applied machine learning and process mining to optimize production planning. Prior to this, Simon worked for various industrial companies within the plant engineering, automotive, semiconductor and machining sector as well as in consulting. His previous experience shaped his interest in researching the management of global production networks.
Circle of Scholars
The Circle of Scholars (CoS) is the alliance’s unique doctoral research program, where PhD students from ETH Zurich and HSG collaborate on real-world industry challenges.
How It Works:
✔ Scholars work closely with alliance partners to develop actionable research insights.
✔ Industry members can influence research topics and gain first-hand access to cutting-edge studies.
✔ Doctoral students specialise in Operational Excellence, AI in Manufacturing, Smart Factories, Supply Chain Management, and Sustainable Manufacturing.
Student Assistants
Benjamin Dawson
ETH Zurich
Ben holds a Bachelor’s in Computer Science from the University of Sheffield, with a focus on systems design and applied software engineering. Before pursuing a Master’s in Management, Technology and Economics from ETH Zurich, he worked as a software engineer in the automotive sector and early-stage startups, building prototype and end-to-end digital products. His interests include digital transformation and applying operational excellence principles in technology-driven environments.
Evangelia Stathi
ETH Zurich
Eva holds an Integrated Master’s in Chemical Engineering from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, specializing in process design and the optimization of production and supply systems. She is currently pursuing a Master’s in Management, Technology, and Economics at ETH Zurich. Prior to this, she conducted research at the Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH). She is interested in advancing operational excellence by enhancing efficiency and resilience in production and supply chain.