Dr. Dipl.-Ing. Wolfram Schmidt

Dr.-Ing. Wolfram Schmidt is an internationally recognised structural engineer and materials scientist with extensive expertise in cementitious materials, concrete technology, rheology, and sustainable construction. He obtained his Diploma in Structural Engineering from RWTH Aachen University, Germany, and his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), the Netherlands.

Since 2005, he has been a senior researcher at the Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM), Germany, where he conducts interdisciplinary research on innovative cementitious materials for durable, resource-efficient, and climate-resilient infrastructure. His research focuses on chemical admixtures, cement and concrete rheology, high-performance concrete, supplementary cementitious materials, and the utilisation of bio-based and agricultural waste-derived materials for low-carbon concrete applications.

Dr. Schmidt is widely recognised for his contributions to understanding fresh concrete rheology and improving the workability, durability, and sustainability of advanced concrete systems. He has also played a pivotal role in strengthening scientific collaboration between Europe and Africa. He founded the Pan-African Cement Proficiency Testing Scheme (PACEP-TS) and initiated the Advances in Cement and Concrete Technology in Africa (ACCTA) conference series, both of which promote research excellence and capacity building across Africa. In recognition of his international contributions, he received the German-African Innovation Incentive Award in 2017. Since 2018, he has served as Secretary of the German Rheological Society (DRG) and is an active member of several RILEM and fib Technical Committees. As Chair of the RILEM Development Advisory Committee (DAC), he leads initiatives that promote scientific networking, researcher mobility, and sustainable construction research, particularly across Sub-Saharan Africa.