Jens Saak

Dr. Jens Saak is a leading researcher and team leader at the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems in Magdeburg, Germany. He heads the Computational Methods in Systems and Control Theory research group and has held several leadership positions at the institute since 2010, including Head of the Scientific Computing Team (2010-2020), Head of the Matrix Equations Team (2013-2020), and currently serves as Head of the Data, Infrastructure, Software & Computing Team since 2021.

Dr. Saak earned his undergraduate degree in Technomathematik from the University of Bremen (1996-2003), completed his PhD at TU Chemnitz (2003-2009), and held a postdoctoral position there (2009-2010) before joining the Max Planck Institute.

His research spans computational mathematics with a focus on large-scale sparse matrix equations, model order reduction, and optimal control of complex systems. He specializes in developing efficient numerical algorithms for Lyapunov and Riccati equations, with applications in mechanical engineering (particularly machine tools), fluid dynamics, and thermal systems. His work bridges theoretical numerical analysis with practical high-performance computing implementations.

Analysis of his recent publications reveals a clear trajectory toward energy-efficient computing solutions, sustainable research software practices, and increasingly sophisticated model reduction techniques for complex coupled systems. His work demonstrates a strong emphasis on practical implementations with industrial applications, particularly in mechanical engineering contexts.

Dr. Saak has been instrumental in developing and maintaining research software infrastructure, with a growing focus on sustainability and reproducibility in computational science. His leadership extends to collaborative projects across the German mathematical community, particularly in research data management initiatives.

His team actively contributes to open-source scientific computing tools, with significant work on the M-M.E.S.S. (Matrix Equations, Sparse Solvers) toolbox, which provides implementations of modern algorithms for matrix equations and model order reduction.