Bringing the Voice of Science to Innovations
The GELITA Life Science Institute is GELITA's central competence hub for life science, health and nutrition innovation.
Bringing together experts from science, formulations, regulatory affairs, applications, market intelligence and innovation, the institute transforms scientific knowledge into practical guidance, strategic insights and evidence-based solutions for customers, partners and expert communities worldwide. The mission of the GLI is to serve as the voice of science and life science, providing access to the latest scientific insights, technologies and emerging trends.
Connected Expertise for Better Innovation Decisions.
Transforming Knowledge Into Guidance That Helps Solve Customer Challenges.
Explore Our Fields of Research.
Discover the Breadth of Product-Specific Research Across Human and Pet Health.
Meet the Experts Behind the GELITA Life Science Institute
Expert guidance across science, formulation and regulation for better innovation decisions.
Michael Teppner
Vice President Global Marketing
Michael Teppner is Vice President Global Marketing at GELITA. In his role, he is responsible for the global marketing strategy and communication of GELITA's collagen peptide and gelatin portfolio. With many years of experience in the collagen industry, he is actively involved in translating scientific research into market-relevant innovations and consumer benefits. His work focuses on evidence-based communication of collagen peptides and their applications in beauty, healthy aging, mobility, and overall wellbeing. In addition, Michael holds the following positions: President of GME (Gelatin Manufacturers of Europe); Chair of the PR Working Group, EUSFI (European Specialty Food Ingredients Association).
Michael holds a university degree in Micro- and Macroeconomics, specialized in Marketing and Phycology.
Michael started his professional carrier in a strategic marketing consultancy firm working for international clients in the FMCC food and pharmaceutical business.
In 1992 he joined GELITA and helped to establish strategic marketing by implementing classic Marketing concepts in a B2B environment.
Johanna Schmidgall
Global Head of Technical Service & Product Development Food & Collagen Peptides
Dr. Johanna Schmidgall is Global Head of Technical Service & Product Development Food & Collagen Peptides at GELITA AG. With more than 15 years of experience in the food, nutrition, and ingredients industry, she combines scientific expertise with strategic innovation and customer-focused product development.
In her current role, she leads global Technical Service and Product Development for food, beverage, and collagen peptide applications. She works with international teams to develop new product concepts, support customer projects, and foster cross-functional collaboration from idea to market launch.
Dr. Schmidgall earned her doctorate in food technology at the Technical University of Berlin. Her passion lies in developing innovative solutions for food, health, and supplement applications.
“For me, the GLI represents a platform where experts from diverse scientific and technical disciplines collaborate to address targeted market and customer requirements at a scientific level. By integrating cross-functional expertise, the GLI develops solutions, provides sound answers that contribute to the continuous advancement of functional ingredients.”
Dr. Martin Hahn
Head of Global Emerging Platforms & Technologies
Dr. Martin Hahn brings a rare combination of scientific depth, entrepreneurial thinking and genuine curiosity for future technologies. His professional path reflects a consistent drive to translate complex science into practical solutions that create value for customers, markets and organizations.
With more than 20 years of professional experience across science, biotechnology, product development and strategic innovation, and with his background in chemistry, biochemistry and molecular biology, complemented by executive business education, he is able to bridge the worlds of research, technology development and strategic business building. In his role as Head of Global Emerging Platforms & Technologies at GELITA AG, he focuses on identifying and developing new technology platforms that can open future growth opportunities.
“For me, the GLI is more than an innovation structure. It is a place where people with different expertise come together to turn ideas into relevant solutions. It connects scientific excellence with application know-how, customer proximity and a clear understanding of market needs. For customers, this means direct access to interdisciplinary expertise, faster translation of ideas into feasible concepts and stronger support in developing differentiated products. The GLI helps reduce complexity, accelerate innovation and create solutions that are not only technically sound, but also meaningful for the market.”
Dr.-Ing. Stephan Hausmanns
Vice President Market Management Collagen Peptides
He currently holds the position of Vice President Market Management Collagen Peptides at GELITA, a role he has filled since 2025. Since joining GELITA in 2010, he has been responsible for managing global sales, product management, and new business development for Pharma and Collagen Peptides.
Before joining GELITA in June 2010, Dr. Hausmanns led New Business Development and managed New Ingredients for BENEO Palatinit GmbH/Südzucker AG. Additionally, he oversaw Patent and Innovation Management for NUTRINOVA GmbH.
Earlier in his career, Dr. Hausmanns worked as an R&D Scientist and Project Manager at the former HOECHST AG and Aventis R&D. His focus during this time was on food biotechnology and bioprocess engineering.
Dr. Hausmanns' educational background includes a Dipl. Chem. (M.Sc.) degree in chemistry from the University of Bonn, Germany, and a Ph.D. in food bio-engineering. He also pursued additional studies in business economics at the University of Bonn, Germany, and the University of Bath, UK.
