Dr Mathias Winkel

Trained as a physicist, Mathias is inherently curious, a trait that has driven him across numerous scientific fields—primarily in digital domains—including large-scale numerical simulations of laser-plasma interactions, parallel-in-time methods, finite-element modeling of cardiac activity, commercial software development for particle simulations, brain-inspired AI research, and modular automation for laboratories and production. Today, Mathias leads the AI & Quantum Lab at Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. The team identifies and transfers disruptive technologies into the company to accelerate scientific discovery and production processes globally. In addition, he serves as Head of Software for the company's innovation project focused on AI in Drug Discovery.