A family business with a long tradition

The Materna Group was founded as a spin-off from TU Dortmund University by Dr Winfried Materna and Helmut an de Meulen. To this day, the Materna and an de Meulen founding families hold one hundred per cent of the shares in the group – and this will remain the case in future.

The beginnings

The computer industry reached its peak in the early 1980s: first, the Commodore C64 took households by storm; then the IBM PC was launched; and later, the Apple Macintosh set new standards with its graphical user interface. It was at this time – in 1980, to be precise – that Dr Winfried Materna and Helmut an de Meulen founded their IT company in Dortmund.

Growth within the Group

What began as a two-man business has grown into a market-leading group of companies with more than 4,000 employees at over 40 locations worldwide. We have always benefited from technological developments and closely monitored the requirements of our customers and the market. Technology is not an end in itself. Our approach has always been to select the technology best suited to the specific application.

Credo: Added value

Our solutions have always been centred on delivering the greatest possible added value to our customers. High-quality service forms the basis of our collaboration and has led to long-term, stable relationships. With this approach, Materna has built up a strong reputation in the market. Over the decades, our guiding principle has been profitable and sustainable growth, coupled with a high level of responsibility towards all stakeholders.

Founding families

Dr Winfried Materna

Company founder

After studying measurement and control engineering at the Gauss Academy of Engineering in Berlin and electrical engineering and computer science at the Technical University of Berlin, Winfried Materna obtained his PhD in computer science at the University of Hamburg. He subsequently took charge of a research project in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Dortmund. In 1980, he founded Materna GmbH together with his partner Helmut an de Meulen. The two ran the family business very successfully for 35 years and stepped down from their management roles on 1 April 2015.

From 1997 to 2004, Winfried Materna served as President of the Dortmund Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) and was subsequently appointed Honorary President. In 2001, the Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia awarded Winfried Materna the North Rhine-Westphalia State Prize for his outstanding contributions to the modernisation of the economy and the structural transformation of the state. In April 2008, the Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia presented him with the Federal Cross of Merit, 1st Class. This recognised his decisive contribution to the region’s successful transformation and his tireless commitment to safeguarding jobs under threat.

Materna ©

Materna ©

Helmut an de Meulen

Company founder

After studying mathematics and computer science at the University of Bonn, Helmut an de Meulen took up a post as an assistant in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Dortmund. Together with his partner Dr Winfried Materna, he founded Materna GmbH in 1980. The two ran the family business very successfully for 35 years and stepped down from their management roles on 1 April 2015. Helmut an de Meulen’s particular focus was on the international business of communications technologies.

Helmut an de Meulen is involved in various organisations dedicated to promoting young entrepreneurship. Strengthening the Ruhr region is particularly close to his heart. In January 2007, he was elected Chairman of the association ‘pro Ruhrgebiet e.V.’. For many years, he has also been particularly committed to supporting start-ups. Furthermore, an de Meulen is a member of the board of the Development Association of Dortmund University of Applied Sciences.