Simtec Founder Bernd Kaufmann Passed away †

(eap) Bernd Kaufmann, the founder, owner and managing director of Simtec Systems, passed away on 7 July 2024 at the age of 67 surrounded by his family. Bernd Kaufmann, who founded the Braunschweig-based technology company in 1989, developed it into an important international provider in the field of simulation technology. It is thanks to Bernd Kaufmann that Simtec is now in demand worldwide as a manufacturer of customised simulator systems for the leisure and entertainment sector as well as for flight and driving simulation applications. He knew how to lead his team of specialists to the top of this industry. In Bernd Kaufmann, the industry has not only lost a visionary, but also a wonderful person.

In the last two years, Bernd Kaufmann had already increasingly focused on the future of his company in order to prepare the company structure developed up to that point for the next generation. Since the beginning of this year, he had shared the management responsibilities with Andreas Stickel, Philipp Hellwig, Dr Robert Ekelhof and Philipp Kaufmann, his son. Due to Kaufmann’s unexpectedly early death, the team now has to implement the next steps more quickly than planned. “Bernd was always an optimist and had already prepared the company well for NextGen and the time without him. In this spirit, the Simtec team will continue Bernd’s life’s work,” says Andreas Stickel, who has been at Bernd Kaufmann’s side for over 10 years – most recently as VP Global Sales & Project Management – and who is now taking over the position of Managing Director.

Together with his family, friends and colleagues, the industry mourns the loss of a determined and successful entrepreneur, but above all a particularly cherished person. ■