Prof. Christoph Heitz, PhD

Work at ZHAW

Position

• Head of Research Group Maintenance, Mobility, AI & Society
• Member of Board, Institute for Data Science (since 2001)
• Management board SCRAI Swiss Centre for Responsible AI
• Member core team of ZHAW Digital: Pushing Innovation around digitization (since 2020)

Focus

• Algorithmic Fairness
• Ethics of AI
• Value co-creation in data-based services
• Data-based decision making

Teaching

• Algorithmic Fairness (BSc Computer Science, BSc Data Science, different CAS)
• Responsible AI (BSc, Continued Education programs)
• Service Operations Management (MSc)

Professional development teaching

• CAS Advanced Machine Learning and Machine Learning Operations
• CAS KI verstehen und anwenden: No-Code Lösungen für die betriebliche Praxis
• MAS Wirtschaftsingenieurwesen
• CAS Instandhaltungsmanagement
• CAS Safe and Secure AI – Standards, Methods and Best Practices

Education and Continuing education

Education

• PhD / Theoretical Physics
  University of Freiburg, Germany
  08 / 1992 - 06 / 1996
• Diploma / Physics
  University of Freiburg, Germany
  09 / 1986 - 07 / 1992

Network

Membership of networks

• data innovation alliance, Co-Founder and President, Academic Lead Expert Group Data Ethics (since 2017)
• European Association for Algorithmic Fairness, Co-Founder and President (since 2023)
• The Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS), Member Advisory Boards of Service Science Section (2013-2015)
• Swiss Institute of Service Science: Co-Founder and president (2007-2017)

ORCID digital identifier

ORCID ID: 0000-0002-6683-4150

Projects

• SCRAI – A Think-and-Do-Tank for Responsible Development and Societal Alignment of Artificial Intelligence Systems / Deputy project leader / ongoing
• AI for REAL-world NETwork operation / Team member / ongoing
• Stability of self-organizing net fragments as inductive bias for next-generation deep learning / Team member / completed
• User-based redistribution for free-floating car sharing / Project leader / completed
• Machine learning and algorithms in social work / Team member / completed
• Algorithmic Fairness in data-based decision making: Combining ethics and technology / Project leader / completed
• Socially acceptable AI and fairness trade-offs in predictive analytics / Project leader / completed
• Data-based analytics and predictions to increase overall wind plant revenues under market conditions / Project leader / completed
• Development of a freefloating e-bike sharing service with user co-production / Project leader / completed
• Risk Based Maintenance for safety equipment of Swiss National roads / Project leader / completed
• Business Models for Remote Services / Project leader / completed
• Development of a method for optimized fleet management / Project leader / completed
• System for an Integral Data-based strategic Asset Controlling of Real Estates / Project leader / completed
• Predicting customer behavior by combining freetext information with structured customer data / Project leader / completed
• Optimum asset management of infrastructure networks / Project leader / completed
• Optimized product-service bundle for a new heating system based on fuel cells / Project leader / completed
• Set up your ERP with a questionnaire and without manual / Team member / completed
• Planning and Optimization of marketing campaigns under dyanamical customer behavior / Project leader / completed
• Pegasus – Development of a standardized enterprise resource planning system especially for airline and rail catering companies / Team member / completed

Publications

Articles in scientific journal, peer-reviewed

• Scantamburlo, T., Baumann, J. and Heitz, C. (2024) ‘On prediction-modelers and decision-makers : why fairness requires more than a fair prediction model’, AI & Society. doi: 10.1007/s00146-024-01886-3.
• Bürgin, R. et al. (2023) ‘A space-time model for demand in free-floating carsharing systems’, Journal of Advanced Transportation, 2023(6610624). doi: 10.1155/2023/6610624.
• Meierhofer, J. and Heitz, C. (2023) ‘On the value of data in industrial services : how to optimize value creation by reconfiguration of operant resources’, Journal of Creating Value, 9(2), pp. 245–258. doi: 10.1177/23949643231199002.
• Templ, M. and Heitz, C. (2020) ‘Fleet management in free-floating bike sharing systems using predictive modelling and explorative tools’, Austrian Journal of Statistics, 49(2), pp. 53–69. doi: 10.17713/ajs.v49i2.1114.
• Heitz, C., Dettling, M. and Ruckstuhl, A. (2011) ‘Modelling customer lifetime value in contractual settings’, International Journal of Services Technology and Management, 16(2), pp. 172–190. doi: 10.1504/IJSTM.2011.042595.
• Gustavsen, B. and Heitz, C. (2009) ‘Fast realization of the modal vector fitting method for rational modeling with accurate representation of small eigenvalues’, IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery, 24(3), pp. 1396–1405. doi: 10.1109/TPWRD.2008.2005462.
• Gustavsen, B. and Heitz, C. (2008) ‘Modal vector fitting : a tool for generating rational models of high accuracy with arbitrary terminal conditions’, IEEE Transactions on Components, Packaging and Manufacturing Technology, 31(4), pp. 664–672. doi: 10.1109/TADVP.2008.927810.
• Schawe, J. E. K. et al. (2006) ‘Stochastic temperature modulation : a new technique in temperature-modulated DSC’, Thermochimica Acta, 446(1-2), pp. 147–155. doi: 10.1016/j.tca.2006.01.031.
• Altenburger, R., Heitz, C. and Timmer, J. (2002) ‘Analysis of phase-resolved partial discharge patterns of voids based on a stochastic process approach’, Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, 35(11), pp. 1149–1163. doi: 10.1088/0022-3727/35/11/309.

Book chapters, peer-reviewed

Sorano, J. et al. (2013) ‘Internet of services : telecommunication services evolution’, in Evolution of telecommunication services. Heidelberg: Springer, pp. 283–325. doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-41569-2_14.

Written conference contributions, peer-reviewed

• Stadelmann, T. et al. (2026) ‘Pro-human AI design : concept, methodology, and preliminary results’, in uDay XXIV : #responsible AI, Dornbirn, Austria, 21 May 2026. ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences. doi: 10.21256/zhaw-36392.
• Fedorova, A. et al. (2025) ‘Continuous assessment-driven requirement elicitation for trustworthy AI systems’, in European Conference on Machine Learning and Principles and Practice of Knowledge Discovery in Databases (ECML PKDD), Porto, Portugal, 15-19 September 2025. Zenodo. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.17099001.
• Hertweck, C., Heitz, C. and Loi, M. (2024) ‘What’s distributive justice got to do with it? Rethinking algorithmic fairness from a perspective of approximate justice’, in Proceedings of the AAAI/ACM Conference on AI, Ethics, and Society. Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence, pp. 597–608. doi: 10.1609/aies.v7i1.31661.
• Hertweck, C., Loi, M. and Heitz, C. (2024) ‘Group fairness refocused : assessing the social impact of ML systems’, in 2024 11th IEEE Swiss Conference on Data Science (SDS). IEEE, pp. 189–196. doi: 10.1109/SDS60720.2024.00034.
• Baumann, J. et al. (2024) ‘Fairness in online ad delivery’, in Proceedings of the 2024 ACM Conference on Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency. Association for Computing Machinery, pp. 1418–1432. doi: 10.1145/3630106.3658980.
• Baumann, J. and Heitz, C. (2022) ‘Group fairness in prediction-based decision making : from moral assessment to implementation’, in Proceedings 2022 9th Swiss Conference on Data Science (SDS). IEEE, pp. 19–25. doi: 10.1109/SDS54800.2022.00011.
• Baumann, J., Hannák, A. and Heitz, C. (2022) ‘Enforcing group fairness in algorithmic decision making : utility maximization under sufficiency’, in Proceedings of the 2022 ACM Conference on Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency. New York: Association for Computing Machinery, pp. 2315–2326. doi: 10.1145/3531146.3534645.
• Meierhofer, J., Benedech, R. A. and Heitz, C. (2022) ‘On the value of data : multi-objective maximization of value creation in data-driven industrial services’, in Ceballos, C. (ed.) Proceedings : 2022 9th Swiss Conference on Data Science (SDS). IEEE, pp. 33–39. doi: 10.1109/SDS54800.2022.00013.
• Loi, M. and Heitz, C. (2022) ‘Is calibration a fairness requirement? : an argument from the point of view of moral philosophy and decision theory’, in Proceedings of the 2022 ACM Conference on Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency. Association for Computing Machinery, pp. 2026–2034. doi: 10.1145/3531146.3533245.
• Viganò, E. et al. (2022) ‘People are not coins : morally distinct types of predictions necessitate different fairness constraints’, in Faact ’22: Proceedings of the 2022 ACM Conference on Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency. New York: Association for Computing Machinery, pp. 2293–2301. doi: 10.1145/3531146.3534643.
• Meierhofer, J. and Heitz, C. (2021) ‘Service customization : optimizing value creation and capture by designing the customer journey’, in Proceedings of the 8th SDS. IEEE, pp. 32–38. doi: 10.1109/SDS51136.2021.00013.
• Meierhofer, J., Heitz, C. and Hannich, F. (2021) ‘Optimizing service value creation with smart, connected products’, in Gummesson, E., Mele, C., and Polese, F. (eds) Proceedings of the 2021 Naples Forum on Service. Available at: https://naplesforumonservice.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/meierhofer-heitz-hannich-optimizing-service-value-creation.pdf.
• Hertweck, C. and Heitz, C. (2021) ‘A systematic approach to group fairness in automated decision making’, in Proceedings of the 8th SDS. IEEE, pp. 1–6. doi: 10.1109/SDS51136.2021.00008.
• Hertweck, C., Heitz, C. and Loi, M. (2021) ‘On the moral justification of statistical parity’, in Proceedings of the 2021 ACM Conference on Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency. New York: Association for Computing Machinery, pp. 747–757. doi: 10.1145/3442188.3445936.
• Loi, M., Heitz, C. and Christen, M. (2020) ‘A comparative assessment and synthesis of twenty ethics codes on AI and big data’, in Proceedings of the 7th SDS. IEEE, pp. 41–46. doi: 10.1109/SDS49233.2020.00015.
• Heitz, C. et al. (2019) ‘User-based redistribution in free-floating bike sharing systems’, in Operations Research Proceedings 2018. Cham: Springer, pp. 555–562. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-18500-8_69.
• Heitz, C. et al. (2019) ‘Designing value co-creation for a free-floating e-bike sharing system’, in Smart service systems, operations management, and analytics : proceedings of the 2019 INFORMS international conference on service science. Cham: Springer, pp. 113–125. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-30967-1_11.
• Loi, M. et al. (2019) ‘Towards an ethical code for data-based business’, in 2019 6th Swiss Conference on Data Science (SDS). IEEE. doi: 10.1109/SDS.2019.00-15.
• Heitz, C., Goren, L. and Sigrist, J. (2016) ‘Decision making in asset management : optimal allocation of resources for maximizing value realization’, in Proceedings of the 10th World Congress on Engineering Asset Management (WCEAM 2015). Cham: Springer, pp. 259–268. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-27064-7_25.
• Heitz, C. (2016) ‘Optimum lifecycle management of asset portfolios with non-monetary value realization’, in Grubbström, R. W. and Hinterhuber, H. H. (eds) Nineteenth International Working Seminar on Production Economics, Pre-prints, Volume 2: Papers scheduled for Tuesday, February 24, 2016, 8.00 am to 21.15 pm, pp. 159–170.
• Heitz, C., Ruckstuhl, A. and Dettling, M. (2010) ‘Customer lifetime value under complex contract structures’, in Morin, J.-H., Ralyté, J., and Snene, M. (eds) Exploring services science : first international conference, IESS 2010, Geneva, Switzerland, february 17-19, 2010 - revised papers. Berlin: Springer, pp. 276–281. doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-14319-9_24.
• Fragniere, E., Heitz, C. and Moresino, F. (2008) ‘The concept of shadow price to monetarize the intangible value of expertise’, in Proceedings of 2008 IEEE International conference on service operations and logistics, and informatics IEEE/SOLI-2008. Piscataway: IEEE, pp. 1736–1741. doi: 10.1109/SOLI.2008.4686331.
• Gustavsen, B. and Heitz, C. (2007) ‘Rational modeling of multiport systems by modal vector fitting’, in Proceedings, 11th IEEE Workshop on Signal Propagation on Interconnects. Piscataway: IEEE, pp. 49–52. doi: 10.21256/zhaw-3595.
• Tiberg, M. et al. (2007) ‘Generic and automated simulation modeling based on measurements’, in Proceedings of the International Conference on Power Systems Transients 2007 (IPST 2007). Available at: http://www.ipstconf.org/papers/Proc_IPST2007/07IPST104.pdf.

Other publications

• Thouvenin, F. et al. (2024) ‘Diskriminierung beim Einsatz von Künstlicher Intelligenz (KI) : technische Grundlagen für Rechtsanwendung und Rechtsentwicklung’, Jusletter IT. doi: 10.38023/9642ed9a-5c05-4884-b5b9-ebc66f2f3324.
• Christen, M. et al. (2020) Code of ethics for data-based value creation. Thun: Swiss Alliance for Data-Intensive Services. doi: 10.21256/zhaw-24226.
• Meierhofer, J. and Heitz, C. (2020) ‘Data-Driven Management zur Steigerung des Kundennutzens’, Netzwoche, 2020(07), p. 11. Available at: https://www.netzwoche.ch/news/2020-04-22/data-driven-management-zur-steigerung-des-kundennutzens.
• Heitz, C. (2020) ‘Algorithmic Fairness : Algorithmen und soziale Gerechtigkeit’, Inside IT. Available at: https://www.inside-it.ch/post/dsi-insights-algorithmic-fairness-algorithmen-und-soziale-gerechtigkeit-20200110.
• Schtalheim, U. et al. (2019) Risk Based Maintenance (RBM) : Minimierung der Nutzerrisiken und Betriebskosten mit einer risikobasierten Methode für den Unterhalt der BSA. Bern: Bundesamt für Strassen. doi: 10.21256/zhaw-3341.
• Heitz, C. (2019) ‘Daten als Treibstoff der Instandhaltung?’, Technische Rundschau, 2019(2), pp. 14–15. Available at: https://www.technische-rundschau.ch/archiv/2019/02/daten-als-treibstoff-der-instandhaltung/.
• Heitz, C. (2019) ‘Daten in der Instandhaltung : Potenziale und Stolpersteine’, fmpro service, 2019(1), pp. 44–47.
• Meierhofer, J., Heinatz Bürki, G. and Heitz, C. (2019) ‘Data Science für KMU’, Unternehmer Zeitung, 25(10), pp. 20–23.
• Heitz, C., Heinatz Bürki, G. and Meierhofer, J. (2019) ‘Zusammen in die Zukunft : fit für Data Science’, KMU Rundschau, 2019(2), pp. 34–35. Available at: https://issuu.com/prestigemedia/docs/kmurundschau_2019_02.
• Heitz, C. (2018) ‘Von smarten Produkten zu neuen Service-Modellen’, fmpro service, 2018(3), pp. 38–39.
• Heitz, C. (2018) ‘Ausbildung zur Führungskraft in der Instandhaltung an der Hochschule’, fmpro service, 2018(3), pp. 14–16.
• Heitz, C. (2016) ‘Instandhaltung im Zeitalter von Industrie 4.0’, fmpro service, 2016(1), pp. 4–6.
• Heitz, C. (2015) ‘ISO 55 000 : die Norm für Asset Management’, fmpro service, 2015(2), pp. 32–34.
• Heitz, C. (2015) ‘Strategieentwicklung in der Instandhaltung’, fmpro service, 2015(2), pp. 35–37.
• Heitz, C. (2015) ‘Instandhaltung - Kostentreiber oder Garant des Betriebserfolges?’, fmpro service, 2015(1), pp. 27–28.
• Heitz, C. (2015) ‘Infrastruktur und Rollmaterial besser bewirtschaften mit Asset Management’, By rail.Now!, pp. 8–10.
• Heitz, C. and Sigrist, J. (2015) ‘Asset Management im praktischen Einsatz’, fmpro service, 2015(3), pp. 21–23.
• Heitz, C. (2015) ‘Asset Management - ein wichtiges Zukunftsthema für die Bahnwelt’, Schweizer Eisenbahn-Revue, 2015(6), pp. 9226–9228.
• Heitz, C. (2015) ‘Neues Schlagwort: Asset Management’, fmpro service, 2015(1), pp. 24–25.
• Heitz, C., Bütikofer, S. and Dettling, M. (2014) ‘Customers as investment objects : a new perspective on marketing’, in Conference proceedings of the 13th international science-to-business marketing conference on cross organizational value creation. Münster: Fachhochschule Münster, pp. 257–271. doi: 10.21256/zhaw-1888.
• Heitz, C. and Goren Huber, L. (2014) ‘On the economics of asset management’, in Grubbström, R. W. and Hinterhuber, H. H. (eds) Eighteenth international working seminar on production economics : pre-prints. Innsbruck: Kongresszentrum IGLS, pp. 89–102. doi: 10.21256/zhaw-1893.
• Goren Huber, L., Heitz, C. and Sigrist, J. (2014) ‘Anlagenbewirtschaftung und Nutzenmaximierung’, fmpro service, 2014(2), pp. 22–23. doi: 10.21256/zhaw-1886.
• Schatzmann, A., Heitz, C. and Münch, T. (2014) ‘Churn prediction based on text mining and CRM data analysis’, in Conference proceedings of the 13th international science-to-business marketing conference on cross organizational value creation. Münster: Fachhochschule Münster, pp. 296–310. doi: 10.21256/zhaw-1889.
• Heitz, C., Kienegger, E. and Sigrist, J. (2014) ‘Assetmanagement : technische Anlagen als Mittel zur Wertschöpfung’, EW - Magazin für die Energiewirtschaft, 2014(3), pp. 57–60.
• Heitz, C., Ryder, G. and Ross, K. (2008) ‘Knowledge management in call centers : how routing rules influence expertise and service quality’, in 13th INFORMS MSOM Conference Proceedings. The Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS). doi: 10.21256/zhaw-2680.
• Sigrist, J. and Heitz, C. (2008) ‘Flow-time estimation in dynamic job shops with priority scheduling using a hybrid modelling approach’, in MITIP 2008 : proceedings 10th international conference on the modern information technology in the innovation processes of the industrial enterprises. Pilsen: University of West Bohemia, pp. 155–160. doi: 10.21256/zhaw-1896.
• van Bonn, B. and Heitz, C. (2007) ‘Weltweites Netz von Distributionsstandorten optimiert’, Industrie 4.0 Management, 23(5), pp. 71–74.
• van Bonn, B. and Heitz, C. (2007) ‘Mit Durchblick gewinnen’, Log., 2007(3), p. 32.
• Wildi, M. et al. (2006) ‘Neuer Studiengang Wirtschaftsingenieurwesen : von IDP zu WI’, ZHWInfo, 28, p. 28.
• Schubnell, M. et al. (2005) ‘TOPEM® – the new advanced multifrequency temperature modulated DSC technique’, in Chervin, S. et al. (eds) Proceedings of the 33rd annual conference of the North American thermal analysis society. Sacramento: North American Thermal Analysis Society NATAS.
• Dietrich, J. and Heitz, C. (2005) ‘Process performance analysis and layout optimization for a medium-sized manufacturing enterprise’, in Needs and opportunities for Swiss industry. IPLnet, pp. 1–9. doi: 10.21256/zhaw-1887.
• Meierhofer, J., Heitz, C. and Steiner, A. (2004) ‘Simulation based case studies for management training in the fields of production and supply chain Management’, in Automation and logistics for manufacturing in Switzerland. Brugg: FHNW Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz. doi: 10.21256/zhaw-1884.
• Heitz, C. and Gomez, C. (2004) ‘Inventory management based on simulation of ordering process’, in Heitz, C. (ed.) Challenges of globalization for Swiss manufacturing and logistics : proceedings of the 3rd IPLnet workshop, september 9-10, 2003, Ebnat-Kappel, Switzerland. Winterthur: ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences. doi: 10.21256/zhaw-1883.
• Engeler, M., Heitz, C. and Zaglauer, H. (2004) ‘Dynamical behaviour of cyclic production lines under instationary conditions with a system dynamics approach’, in Taisch, M. (ed.) Global challenges in manufacturing. Milano: Politecnico di Milano, pp. 666–673. doi: 10.21256/zhaw-1885.
• Heitz, C. (2003) ‘Macro-level modelling of product lines’, in From research to applications : proceedings. Yverdon-les-Baines: IPLnet.
• Heitz, C. (2003) ‘Approximative modelling of manufacturing systems’, in 7th IFAC Workshop on Intelligent Manufacturing Systems, Budapest, Hungary, 2003, pp. 143–148.
• Bühlmann, M. and Heitz, C. (2003) ‘Bodenverkehr am Flughafen Zürich-Kloten’, Technische Rundschau.
• Hosang, J., Heitz, C. and Mönkeberg, S. (2002) ‘Demand forecasting for inventory control and production planning’, in From research to applications : proceedings. Yverdon-les-Baines: IPLnet.

Oral conference contributions and abstracts

• Heitz, C. (2021) ‘Digitale Transformation : wie fair sind Algorithmen?’, in NGW-Vorträge Freitagabend, Winterthur (online), 12. März 2021. Available at: https://www.ngw.ch/vortraege-archiv/digitale-transformation-wie-fair-sind-algorithmen.
• Heitz, C., Kleger, S. and Sigrist, J. (2013) ‘From maintenance management to asset management : shifting the view from functional behavior of assets to value creation with assets’, in The 2nd World Maintenance Forum, Lugano, 4-6 September 2013.
• Breymann, W., Dingerkus, S. and Heitz, C. (2013) ‘Life cycle management of technical systems and integral financial modeling’, in World Trends in Maintenance Engineering, Pretoria, South Africa 13-15 August 2013.
• Heitz, C. and Sigrist, J. (2013) ‘Asset management : from minimizing costs to maximizing value creation’, in The 2nd World Maintenance Forum, Lugano, 4-6 September 2013.
• Ryder, G., Heitz, C. and Ross, K. (2008) ‘Maximizing service productivity through task routing rules’, in INFORMS Annual Meeting 2008, The Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences, Washington, USA, 11-14 October 2008.
• Heitz, C. et al. (2008) ‘Direct marketing of service contracts under autonomous customer dynamics’, in INFORMS Annual Meeting 2008, Washington, USA, 11-14 October 2008.
• Heitz, C. and Roithner, T. (2007) ‘Estimation of job completion times in a dynamic job shop based on static job shop solution’, in IFAC Workshop on Intelligent Manufacturing Systems, Alicante, Spain, 2007.
• Corsten, D., Heitz, C. and Ruckstuhl, A. (2007) ‘A method to detect out of stock’, in INFORMS Annual Meeting 2007, Seattle, USA, 3-6 November 2007.
• Tiberg, M. et al. (2006) ‘New simulation methodology for power systems’, in 13. European EMTP-ATP Conference, Dresden, 25–27 September 2006.
• Iantosca, C., Heitz, C. and Weibel, H. (2005) ‘Synchronizing IEEE 1588 clocks under the presence of significant stochastic network delays’, in 2005 Conference on IEEE 1588, Standard for a Precision Clock Synchronization Protocol for Networked Measurement and Control Systems, Winterthur, 10-12 Oktober 2005.
• Heitz, C. (2001) ‘Optimization of industrial processes in an uncertain environment’, in IPLnet 2001 Workshop, Monte Verità, September 2001.

Patents and patent applications

• Niayesh, Kaveh; Berth, Matthias; Dahlquist, Andreas; Tiberg, Martin; Heitz, Christoph,

  2017.

  Method and device for characterizing the linear properties of an electrical component.

  Patent number EP1684081 B1

  (2017-06-14)

  .

  Available from: https://worldwide.espacenet.com/patent/search?q=pn%3DEP1684081B1

• Hütter, Thomas; Heitz, Christoph; Schawe, Jürgen,

  2007.

  Verfahren und Vorrichtung zur Stoffuntersuchung.

  Patent number EP1494126 B1

  (2007-08-29)

  .

  Available from: https://worldwide.espacenet.com/patent/search?q=pn%3DEP1494126B1

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