On July 1st, VLBBerlin’s two research institutes for raw materials and beer were merged to form the new research institute for raw materials and beverage analysis (FIRGA). With around 50 employees, FIRGA is now the largest organizational unit within the VLB.
The new institute is headed by Dr. Nils Rettberg (39), a trained, studied and doctorate brewer and maltster. He began his professional career at the VLB in 2011 as a research assistant. Since 2015 he has been working at the VLB as head of the research institute.
The restructuring which has been discussed already for a long time to enhance efficiencies, has now been made possible by the resignation of the former head of the research institute for raw materials, Henrike Vorwerk, who is to leave the VLB at the end of July this year.
"This strategic measure offers us the opportunity to optimize many internal processes and to implement cross-institute projects more easily," comments VLB Managing Director Dr. Josef Fontaine the decision. "We very much regret Henrike Vorwerk's departure and wish her all the best for her professional future."
His managing director colleague Gerhard Andreas Schreiber adds: "For our customers we can offer the VLB services in the future even more 'from a single source' and together with Dr. Rettberg will also continue to strengthen research in the field of raw materials.”
Nils Rettberg is looking forward to the new challenge: “Behind the scenes, the two previous research institutes had numerous points of contact in the past. Our task now is to reorganize the teams in some places and to optimize various internal processes. Overall, by making our resources more flexible, we want to better cushion seasonal peaks and gaps in time with new projects to fill."
