Heiko Buettner is a lawyer and has been a passionate railway enthusiast for almost 30 years. Early in his career, he worked in the field of labour law and collective bargaining policy. Between 2003 and 2013, he was Regional Head of Human Resources at DB Regio AG Bayern in Munich. He helped steer the fortunes of DB Vertrieb as a member of the management board from 2013 to 2017.
Since 2017, he has been Chairman of the Executive Board of the Munich S-Bahn, an organisation that operates around 1,400 train services a day, employs 1,800 people and transports up to 840,000 passengers across the Munich Metropolitan Region daily. Since 2024, he has also served as Deutsche Bahn AG’s authorised representative for the Free State of Bavaria. Heiko Büttner is married and has two children.
Interview
How would you describe your vision for the “Spaces of Mobility” for the Munich Metropolitan Region in 2034 in three words?
Connected, practical and digitally simple. I believe it is crucial to connect the different modes of transport in the city and, even more so, in the surrounding areas. There are so many ideas that need to be developed from pilot projects into practical measures. Digital solutions can help overcome barriers.
What do you see as the biggest mobility challenge facing the Munich Metropolitan Region?
Growing pains and funding. The Greater Munich area is thriving and expanding and that can be painful. Munich doesn’t want to remain the capital of traffic jams. Ultimately, it needs an efficient public transport system to solve the problem. At present, however, the system is operating at – or even beyond – its capacity limits. Operations, expansion and services are currently underfunded. This cannot continue – at least not if we want to reclaim public spaces for the public. Housing development also has an important role to play. Mobility needs to be considered from the outset.
What motivated you to get involved in the IBA-M?
Mobility is a fundamental human need! The IBA offers a valuable opportunity to foster and connect innovative ideas in a creative way. I’m very much looking forward to working with people who will introduce new perspectives to develop concepts which cater to the mobility needs of the region as well as to urban development requirements. By connecting with new partners, we hope to create projects that wouldn’t be possible without this collaboration.
What unique perspective or expertise do you bring to the IBA-M?
Through my dual role as Chairman of the Executive Board of Munich S-Bahn and Group Representative of Deutsche Bahn in Bavaria, I have a comprehensive understanding of the region’s mobility needs and the challenges of infrastructure development. I believe I can provide valuable input into the design of a future-oriented, sustainable and interconnected mobility landscape in the greater Munich region, and help ensure that the ideas behind “Spaces of Mobility” are implemented in an innovative and practical manner. In doing so, I can draw on both my regional network of local mobility partners and the expertise of our group.