- Executive Director of Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering IAO, Stuttgart
- Acting Director of IAT University of Stuttgart
- Chairman of the Fraunhofer Group for Innovation Research
- Technology commissioner for the state of Baden-Württemberg
- Executive director of Fraunhofer Italia Research s.c.a.r.l.
As executive director, Professor Bauer leads a research organization with some 650 employees. He is responsible for research and implementation projects in the areas of innovation research, technology management, living and working in the future and smarter cities As a member of numerous committees, Professor Bauer is an advisor to policy-makers and the business community. He has authored more than 350 scientific and technical publications and is an associate lecturer at the Universities of Stuttgart and Hannover. Professor Bauer has been honored with the “Übermorgenmacher” distinction for innovators by the German state of Baden-Württemberg.