Prof. Ing. Mag. DDr. h. c. Ulrich Kubinger is a trained chemist. He founded VTA in 1992 as a one-man company with the aim of optimising wastewater treatment in sewage treatment plants with innovative and completely biocompatible products that he developed himself. In doing so, he laid the foundation for today's VTA Group.
In recent years, he has developed numerous innovations in the field of wastewater treatment and environmental technology through his own research work and brought them to market maturity. He holds more than 70 patents in total.
As an expert, he has taken part in consultations on environmental issues in the European Parliament in Brussels.
As a member of the Deutsche Expertenrat für Umwelttechnologie und Infrastruktur (dex), whose office for Austria is located at the VTA headquarters in Rottenbach (Upper Austria), as well as a member of the Österreichische Wasser- und Abfallwirtschaftsverband (ÖWAV), Deutsche Vereinigung für Wasserwirtschaft, Abwasser und Abfall e.V. (DWA) and the Association of Schweizer Abwasser- und Gewässerschutzfachleute (VSA), he has already successfully contributed his expertise to numerous international projects and driven the development of pioneering solutions.
In 2022, the European Academy of Sciences and Arts made him an Honorary Senator for his commitment to the environment and research.
Prof. Ing. Mag. DDr. h. c. Ulrich Kubinger was named an honorary citizen of the municipality of Rottenbach in Haag am Hausruck in May 2023. In 2024, Prof. Ing. Mag. DDr. h. c. Ulrich Kubinger received an honorary doctorate from the University of Library Studies and Information Technologies (ULSIT) in Sofia, Bulgaria.
In 2025, Prof. Ing. Mag. DDr. h. c. Ulrich Kubinger was appointed Professor of Innovation Management by the United International Schools (UIS) Malta. In this role, he is now authorized to design courses, train students and young scientists, and supervise research projects. This allows him to pass on his many years of practical experience directly and provide practical support to future generations of specialists and managers in the field of environmental technology and innovation management.
Ulrich Kubinger's extensive research work and successful entrepreneurial activities have already been recognised with a number of awards, including the Pan-European Union Environmental Award, the Golden Medal of Merit of the Province of Upper Austria and the Golden Ring of Honour of the Municipality of Rottenbach.