Jörg Sauer studied Chemical Engineering at the Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nürnberg. Subsequent to his graduation he went to the University of Karlsruhe (T.H.), now KIT, and earned his PhD on Chemical Engineering in the group of Gerhard Emig. He started his industrial career at Degussa AG in Hanau. He had different managerial positions at Degussa later Evonik Industries AG in Hanau, Germany, Mobile / Alabama, USA and Marl, Germany in the areas of research & development, production and process technology and engineering. As his last position at Evonik he served as head of the department Chemical Reaction Technology, before he was appointed as full professor of Process Technology and Catalysis and head of the Institute of Catalysis Research and Technology in 2012.