Jens Hagen completed his first degree in chemical engineering in Essen, before studying chemistry at the RWTH Aachen. He gained his doctorate in 1975 in the field of catalysis and high-pressure synthesis. Following a period in industry at Henkel KGaA, Düsseldorf, he was appointed Professor of Technical Chemistry at Mannheim University of Applied Sciences in 1979. In addition, he has been head of the Steinbeis Transfer Center for Process Engineering, Biotechnology and Environmental Techniques since 1985, and holds vocational training seminars. Professor Hagen's teaching and research at the faculty of Chemical and Process Engineering focuses on chemical reaction engineering and technical catalysis.