Timo Schnoelzer

Founder and CEO, HYVEN
Advanced Mobility · Energy Systems · Industrial Innovation · Strategic Development

CIRAS – HYVEN Project Leader

Within the CIRAS ecosystem, Timo contributes experience in transforming disruptive technologies into structured development programs that connect scientific research, industrial implementation, investment strategy and international deployment.

Professional Background

Timo’s career includes major digitalization, process-management and financial-services programs involving leading European automotive and mobility organizations.

His professional experience includes work associated with:

• Mercedes-Benz Bank
• BMW Bank
• Porsche and MHP
• ALD Autoleasing Deutschland
• Bank Deutsches Kraftfahrzeug Gewerbe
• VR Leasing Bank
• COMCO Leasing

Across these engagements, he led or supported the development of vehicle-configuration systems, financial-calculation platforms, leasing processes, fleet-management solutions, risk-management systems and the digitalization of core business operations.

His work connects engineering, automotive commerce and financial architecture. This combination enables him to assess advanced mobility not only as a vehicle technology, but as a complete industrial and economic system involving production, financing, infrastructure, regulation and long-term operation.

HYVEN

Timo founded HYVEN in 2020 to advance a new generation of integrated mobility and energy solutions.

HYVEN develops technology across three connected pillars:

• HYVEN Energy: printable energy coatings for generation, storage, heating, cooling, illumination and adaptive shading;
• HYVEN Mobility: compact and modular mobility platforms for road, water and air applications;
• HYVEN Construction: energy-active, locally produced and circular habitat systems.

The HYVEN vision is based on the principle of “Turning Surfaces into Power.” Buildings, vehicles and public infrastructure become active energy systems rather than passive structures.

HYVEN’s mobility portfolio includes the SpaceCab narrow-body urban platform and multimodal concepts integrating road, water and aviation capabilities. Its wider city-development model combines distributed energy, intelligent mobility, advanced construction, closed-loop resource systems and industrial production.

Contribution to CIRAS

Timo’s work supports the CIRAS mission at the intersection of science, infrastructure, economics, education and international cooperation.

His contribution focuses on:

• regenerative city systems;
• advanced and autonomous mobility;
• distributed energy infrastructure;
• technology commercialization;
• industrial development;
• strategic program design;
• manufacturing and production scaling;
• mobility and infrastructure finance;
• risk management;
• public-private-research cooperation;
• international technology transfer.

Through the CIRAS-HYVEN Strategic Development Program, he contributes to the development of research cities in which buildings generate and store energy, intelligent mobility supports public services, and scientific innovation enters a structured pathway toward production and global deployment.

Aviation and Regulatory Experience

In addition to his automotive and financial background, Timo has extensive aviation experience.

He has worked as a professional pilot for approximately two decades and holds multi-engine, instrument and high-performance aircraft qualifications. His experience also includes the management of flight-training organizations and complex flight-simulation systems.

For approximately 15 years, he worked in auditing, quality and compliance functions within the European and German aviation-regulatory environment, including EASA- and LBA-related standards.

This background contributes to his systems-oriented approach to safety, certification, risk management and the controlled implementation of advanced mobility technologies.

Education

Timo earned an MBA in Marketing and Management from the University of Münster, Germany, graduating magna cum laude in 1996.

His academic work examined the shortening of product life cycles and used a customized neural-network model to analyze influencing factors and optimize business strategy. This early engagement with artificial intelligence continues to inform his work in mobility, finance and strategic development.

He later completed professional pilot training in Germany, including multi-engine, instrument and high-performance aircraft qualifications.

Areas of Expertise

• Strategic planning and business development
• Advanced mobility systems
• Automotive financial services
• Digital business transformation
• Artificial intelligence and decision systems
• Industrialization and production strategy
• Risk management and compliance
• Aviation operations and certification
• Technology financing
• Negotiation and international partnerships
• Team and program leadership
• Regenerative city development

Selected Achievements

Timo’s professional and social-impact work includes:

• developing automotive configuration and financial-calculation systems;
• establishing digital leasing and fleet-management processes;
• creating an asset-based risk-management solution for financial services;
• supporting the establishment of a leasing company for a German Volvo dealership;
• developing an immersive configuration and sales system for the automotive industry;
• designing the Paragolfer mobility solution for people with disabilities;
• filing patents and claims connected with disruptive mobility innovations;
• receiving recognition through a Bundeswehr Badge of Honour for a motivational reward-system initiative.

Since 2002, he has also supported mobility solutions for people with disabilities through engineering, funding and organizational work, including cooperation with the Stand Up and Play Foundation in the United States.

Publications and Public Engagement

Timo is the author or co-author of publications addressing artificial intelligence, business strategy and digital transformation.

His published work includes:

• The Shortening of Product Life Cycles: A Computer-Aided Analysis of Influence Factors
  University of Münster, 1996
• Autohaus@Internet
  Co-authored with Tanja Lösslein and published by Bertelsmann in 1999

He has also spoken at professional events on technology, finance, automotive business, digitalization and future mobility.

Languages

• German — Native
• English — Proficient
• Spanish — Elementary

Strategic Perspective

Timo’s work is guided by the understanding that energy, mobility, construction and finance must be developed as one integrated system.

For CIRAS, this perspective supports a transition from isolated research projects to complete research-city environments in which scientific knowledge is tested through real infrastructure, validated through measurable performance and translated into industrial and economic value.

His focus is not only on imagining future systems, but on creating the partnerships, implementation structures and industrial pathways required to build them.