Günter Koch is a long-period part-time resident in Tenerife, Canary Islands, serving as the President of the Humboldt Cosmos Multiversity (HCM) there. Under his leadership HCM ran and runs a series of academic projects, amongst them the global Knowledge World Summit Conference of the World Capital Institute (in which he serves as Chairman of the Board), the art event “Los Hijos de la Tierra” in Tenerife’s Art Museum TEA, the IAFES conference “Open Data and Big Data – The Impact on Digital Society and smart cities”, regular workshops and seminars on the subject of the islands’ local development, and, as a series since 2017, an annual Bootcamp, subject of which is the island’s economic development, attracting professors and students from different European universities. Professor Koch is associated with the University of La Laguna (ULL), Tenerife, through his role as a Member of the International Advisory Board of ULL’s participation in the European Universities Network Program (“STARS”).
As an academic (and thus representing HCM in Island Innovation’s Academic Council) he qualifies as a contributor and author to dozens of publications ranging from hardcore computer science subjects such as software technology, via knowledge management, intellectual capital economics, science organization ethics, and lately on the role of artificial intelligence on knowledge organizations as well as on business ethics. Through his engagement in discussions on the problems of the massive influx of migrants from West African countries to the Canary Islands, he both contributed in writing and initiating actions aiming at finding conceptual solutions on supranational levels on how to cope with this onslaught of ten thousands of refugees arriving by boat to the Canary Islands every year.
Throughout his career, Prof. Koch held several prominent positions such as Managing Director of a Regional Technology Center in Germany, of a European IT Technology Center in Spain, and Head of the largest Austrian Technology Organization, the Austrian Institute of Technology. For his work in science and science management, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from Romania, the Cross of Honor 1st Class for achievements in Science and Arts of the Republic of Austria, and the Austrian Innovator’s medal for achievements especially in pattern recognition technology. Prof. Koch is a member of a series of international and national associations in science, economics, and technology.
