Festo has announced the appointment of Prof Dr-Ing Tomas Smetana to the Management Board of Festo Management SE. Beginning May 1, 2026, he will assume responsibility as Board Member for Research and Development, guiding the company’s global technology and innovation strategy.
Professor Smetana joins the family-owned automation specialist with extensive international leadership experience in engineering, innovation management and industrial technology development. In his new role, he will oversee Corporate Research and Innovation, Corporate Product Development and Corporate Software Development. He will also be responsible for several strategic business areas, including Electric Automation, Process Automation and LifeTech.
With this appointment, Festo strengthens its focus on innovation and technological advancement in industrial automation. The company expects Professor Smetana’s background in building global research organizations and advancing efficient development processes to support the continued expansion of its technology portfolio.
Professor Smetana studied mechanical engineering at the Technical University of Prague and earned his doctorate in mechanical engineering from Chemnitz University of Technology. In 2022, he was appointed professor at Shanghai University. His professional career began in 2001 at Schaeffler, where he spent more than two decades in a variety of senior leadership roles.
During his time at Schaeffler, Professor Smetana held positions including Head of Development for eMobility, Chief Technology Officer for Asia Pacific, Global CTO of the Industrial Division and Senior Vice President of Innovation for the Schaeffler Group. His work included developing international research structures and guiding new technology initiatives across multiple markets.
In 2023 he joined the ebm-papst Group as Chief Technology Officer, where he led global research and development activities for the company’s air and heating technology solutions. Festo believes his experience in technology strategy, digital transformation and international collaboration will support the company’s continued growth and competitiveness. His knowledge of Asian markets and customer-focused development is expected to play an important role as the company expands its innovation activities worldwide.
Thomas Böck, Chairman of the Management Board of Festo, welcomed the appointment. “On behalf of the company, I am very pleased to welcome Professor Smetana as our new CTO. We look forward to working together and wish him success in his new role,” he said.
Founded in Germany and headquartered in Esslingen am Neckar, Festo is a global provider of industrial automation technology and technical education. The company supplies pneumatic and electric automation solutions to approximately 300,000 customers across more than 35 industries.
With around 20,600 employees working in more than 250 locations across 60 countries, Festo reported revenue of approximately €3.45 billion in 2024. The company invests more than eight percent of its annual revenue in research and development and continues to expand its activities in digitalization, artificial intelligence, medical technology and laboratory automation.
