Heinz Stoewer holds advanced degrees in technical physics, economics and systems management from German and U.S. universities. Since 1962 he has worked in various systems, project and management positions in German and US industry (Boelkow/EADS and MDAC/Boeing). In 1973 he joined the Technical Centre of the European Space Agency (ESA) as the first Programme Manager Spacelab and later founded the Agency's Systems Engineering and Programmatics Department. In 1990 he became Managing Director Progammes of the newly created German Space Agency (DARA GmbH). After retirement from DARA, Stoewer founded the Space Associates GmbH, a company consulting internationally on space systems, education and strategic topics.

Stoewer is a Fellow and Past President of the International Council for Systems Engineering (INCOSE), emeritus member of the Board of Trustees of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) and a past chair of its Engineering Sciences Section. He is a member of several international journals editorial boards, lectures at universities in Europe and abroad, has authored numerous scientific/technical publications and holds prestigious German and international awards.