Honorary senatorship for August-Wilhelm Scheer: A ray of hope for Saarland!

Honorary senatorship for August-Wilhelm Scheer: A ray of hope for Saarland!

On October 17, 2025, Professor August-Wilhelm Scheer will be awarded the honorary senatorship of Saarland University. This award is the highest honor that the university can bestow and is given to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the university and society. The award ceremony will take place at 5 p.m. in the university auditorium and media representatives are warmly invited to attend this special event.

Professor Scheer, born on July 27, 1941 in Lübbecke, Westphalia, is an outstanding German university professor and entrepreneur. In 1975, he became the youngest professor to take over the chair for business informatics at Saarland University. During his career he performed groundbreaking scientific work, particularly in business process modeling and optimization. His development of the ARIS (Architecture of Integrated Information Systems) concept now forms the basis of many corporate applications worldwide. According to Saarland University [uni-saarland.de], the Senate highlights Scheer's outstanding contributions to science and society.

Economic and social contributions

The founding of IDS Scheer AG in the 1980s is considered a prime example of the successful combination of university research and economic success. Wikipedia reports that the Scheer Group now employs more than 1,300 people at over 20 locations worldwide and is thus contributing to the creation of jobs in the Saar region. Scheer is also the sole owner and managing director of IDS Scheer Holding in Saarbrücken, which supports several start-ups, including IS Predict and Okinlab.

Another important commitment of Scheer is the promotion of young scientists through the August Wilhelm Scheer Foundation for Science and Art, which he founded. This foundation supports young scientists and innovative research projects and finances a professorship for jazz at the Saar University of Music. He also donated the Graduate Center at the university, which provides events and workspaces for doctoral students.

A bridge builder between disciplines

University President Ludger Santen describes Scheer as a “bridge builder between science, business and politics”. His role as Innovation Commissioner for Saarland and member of Chancellor Kohl's Innovation Council are just a few examples of his commitment beyond the academic area. From 2007 to 2011, Scheer was also president of the industry association Bitkom and is described by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung as the “father of the digital ministry”.

Scheer's influence extends far beyond the university. He has been involved in shaping the digital economy, particularly in the “Industry 4.0” and “Smart Service World” projects. His numerous publications and specialist books on topics in business informatics, ARIS and e-government show his commitment to the further development of the discipline. Wirtschaftsinformatik.de describes the discipline as an independent science that has been established since the 1970s and addresses information system challenges in business and society in a scientifically sound manner.

The honorary senatorship is not just a recognition of Scheer's outstanding achievements. It also represents an emphasis on the growing importance of business informatics, which impresses with its combination of scientific rigor and practical relevance. The planned ceremony includes greetings from Interior Minister Reinhold Jost, University President Ludger Santen and University Council Chairman Margret Wintermantel as well as a keynote speech by Henning Kagermann, former SAP board spokesman.

The event will be rounded off by a panel discussion with Scheer, Kagermann, Wolfram Jost (CEO of Scheer IDS) and Helmut Krcmar (emeritus professor of business informatics). Roland Rolles, Vice President for Administration and Economic Management at Saarland University, will moderate the event.