Like most independent, privately organized, non-profit research institutes in Germany, the legal entity of the ifak is a registered association.
Foundation and purpose of the association
This association was founded on 25.11.1991, several of the founders are still active in the institute today. The purpose of the association is the promotion of research, education, training and further education as well as consulting, information and documentation in all areas that are important for research in the fields of automation and communication. For this purpose, the association maintains a scientific research institute - the ifak - under its own management. According to the statutes, the association's organs are the general members' meeting, the executive board and a board of trustees with personalities from science, economy and public life.
Members
Today the association 'ifak e.V.' has more than 50 members. For the most part (almost 90 %) these are personal members, among them many employees of the institute. Due to the extensive tasks and rights of the general meeting, this results in a high degree of self-determination with regard to the institute's development. The Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg and the Ministry of Economics, Science and Digitalisation of Saxony-Anhalt are ex officio members.
Executive board
In accordance with the articles of the association, the chairmanship and vice-chairmanship of the Executive Board are associated with membership of the institute's management. The chairman of the board is concurrently the head of the institute. From 1991 to 2004 the initiator and founder of ifak, Prof. Peter Neumann, served as chairman of the board and the head of the institute. Dr Ulrich Jumar took over these tasks at the beginning of 2005. Professor Christian Diedrich has been Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board and associated Deputy Head of the Institute since 2001. Dr. Thomas Bangemann has been a member of the management since 2008. Dr. Lisa Underberg assumed board duties as an additional member at the beginning of 2024.