The regular General Meeting of the Versuchs- und Lehranstalt für Brauerei in Berlin (VLB) e.V. (Research and Teaching Institute for Brewing in Berlin) took place on October 6, 2025, as part of the VLB October Convention. VLB President Ulrich Rust chaired the meeting, and the Managing Directors presented a positive financial statement for the 2024 fiscal year. Michael Seip (Flensburger Brauerei) was elected to the Administrative Board as the successor to Uwe Ebbighausen, who had stepped down. Finally, Dr. Josef Fontaine was bid farewell after 22 years as Managing Director.

Managing Director Dr. Josef Fontaine and Gerhard Andreas Schreiber reported on the 2024 fiscal year. Sales revenues rose by 16%, and a decline in research funding was offset by higher contributions, donations, and subsidies. After taxes, the VLB achieved a significantly positive result, which will be allocated to reserves. Rust thanked the Managing Director and employees: "This positive annual result shows a good trend and should be an incentive for further development. Despite volatile conditions, we have succeeded in making the VLB more resilient. Nevertheless, caution and vigilance remain necessary."

Discharge and outlook

The audited annual financial statements for 2024 were unanimously approved, and the Administrative Board and managing director were discharged. For the current year 2025, management expects business to develop in line with planning. Analytics, consulting, conferences, and congresses developed positively, with only third-party funding slightly below plan due to general changes in the federal research funding policy.

Changes to the Administrative Board

Following the departure of Uwe Ebbighausen, Michael Seip, Managing Director of the Flensburg Brewery, was elected to the Administrative Board. The Administrative Board then appointed Jan Steffes (Gerolsteiner Brunnen) as the new treasurer.
The current composition of the board is available here.

Change in the endowed professorship for brewing and beverage technology at the TU Berlin

The new Managing Director, Dr. Björn Klotzbücher, announced that Prof. Brian Gibson, holder of the VLB Endowed Chair for Brewing and Beverage Technology at the TU Berlin, will be leaving the university at his own request in December 2025. The VLB Administrative Board and management are working together with the university management and the Faculty of Engineering III to find a solution that will ensure the continuation of brewing studies at TU Berlin in both the short and long term.

Farewell to Dr. Josef Fontaine

The General Meeting marked the official end of the term of office of Dr. Josef Fontaine, who has shaped the VLB since 2002. His achievements include the internationalization of the VLB, the stabilization of the membership base, the new building project on Seestraße, and the doubling of sales revenue and the number of employees. Fontaine will remain associated with the VLB for another two years as a brand ambassador.

Rust praised him as the "driving force behind the positive development of the past 20 years" and introduced his successor, Dr. Björn Klotzbücher, who will continue as Managing Director alongside Gerhard Andreas Schreiber. In an emotional speech, Fontaine thanked all employees and partners for their trust and cooperation.

The General Meeting ended at 7:40 p.m.

The official minutes of the meeting are available to VLB members upon request (mitglieder@vlb-berlin.org ).

A detailed report on the VLB General Meeting will follow in the December issue of our Brauerei Forum.

Members of the VLB Administrative Board and the managing directors at the General Meeting on Oct 6, 2025, in Berlin: Dr. Stefan Kreisz, Michael Seip, Dr. Stefan Lustig, Dr. Björn C. Klotzbücher, Dr. Josef Fontaine, Gerhard Andreas Schreiber, Ulrich Rust, Jan Steffes

Farewell and handover: Dr. Björn C. Klotzbücher (new VLB Managing Director), Dr. Josef Fontaine (former Managing Director and future VLB brand ambassador), and Ulrich Rust (VLB President)