Since 2015 Prof. René Hofmann holds a professorship and is head of the research area Industrial Energy Systems at the Institute for Energy Systems and Thermodynamics, TU Wien. In parallel he is thematic coordinator at the AIT Center for Energy. He has many years of experience and publications in the field of thermal and industrial engineering and was active as senior process engineer in R&D at Josef Bertsch GmbH & Co. KG, Austria.

His current main research focuses on design and operational optimization of energy systems for complex industrial and energy production systems. Prof. Hofmann teaches methods for modelling, simulation and optimization of thermal processes and components.

Prof. Hofmann is Scientific Coordinator of the Cooperative Doctoral School SIC! [Smart Industrial Concept] and active as alternate delegate in the executive committee of the technology collaboration programme Industrial Energy-Related Technologies and Systems(IETS) of the International Energy Agency(IEA).