Dirk Hoke

Overview
Dirk Hoke is a German technology executive and, since 2025, the chief executive of the Voith Group, a family-owned industrial technology company. Over a career spanning three decades he has led major engineering, aerospace and technology organisations across several continents, with a consistent focus on digitalisation. He is widely recognised as one of Germany's most prominent industrial and deep-technology leaders.
Why this entity matters
Hoke is a reference figure for how established European industrial and aerospace leaders move into emerging deep-technology fields. Having run one of Europe's largest defence and space businesses and then a pioneering electric air-taxi developer, he bridges traditional heavy industry and next-generation mobility, making him a notable voice on European technological competitiveness and industrial transformation.
Career, company, or institutional background
Hoke began his professional career at Renault in Paris before joining Siemens, where he worked for about two decades between 1996 and 2016. At Siemens he held a series of senior positions, including chief executive of the company's business in Africa and chief executive of its Large Drives unit. In 2016 he became chief executive of Airbus Defence and Space and a member of the Airbus executive committee. From 2022 he served as chief executive of Volocopter, the German electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) air-taxi developer, before taking up the leadership of the Voith Group.
Role in the startup, technology, investment, or innovation ecosystem
At Volocopter, based in Bruchsal, Hoke led the company through development and certification efforts for its urban air-mobility aircraft until he stepped down in early 2025; the company was subsequently reorganised under the Diamond Aircraft Group. Beyond his executive roles, he has held non-executive and advisory positions connected to satellite, space and technology companies, giving him a broad vantage point across European and international deep-tech.
Selected relationships and affiliations
Through his executive career Hoke is associated with the Voith Group, Volocopter, Airbus and Siemens. He has also been linked to space- and satellite-technology firms through board and advisory roles, connecting him to the wider aerospace and deep-technology ecosystem.
Startuprad.io relevance
As a senior DACH industrial and deep-technology executive, Hoke is representative of the founders, investors and technology leaders whose work Startuprad.io covers in its reporting on the German-speaking startup and innovation ecosystem.
Public source context
Publicly available information on Hoke includes his https://de.linkedin.com/in/dirk-hoke-610a0710 and his https://www.crunchbase.com/person/dirk-hoke , alongside corporate announcements published by the Voith Group and Volocopter.

Startuprad.io coverage of Dirk Hoke

Dirk Hoke appears in the following Startuprad.io interviews, news and analysis.

Volocopter Is Now A Unicorn
Published: 15 March 2026
Last updated: 30 August 2026
Coverage type: Analysis
https://www.startuprad.io/post/volocopter-is-now-a-unicorn

September 2024 Startup News in 10 Minutes: Intel Halts €30B Project, Magic AI Raises $320M, Flink Expands
Published: 7 October 2024
Last updated: 29 August 2026
Coverage type: News
https://www.startuprad.io/post/september-2024-startup-news-in-10-minutes-intel-halts-30b-project-magic-ai-raises-320m-flink-ex

DACH Startup News September 2024: Founders, Funding and Ecosystem Updates
Published: 3 October 2024
Last updated: 14 August 2026
Coverage type: News
https://www.startuprad.io/post/this-month-in-german-swiss-and-austrian-startups-september-2024

DACH Startup News May 2024: Founders, Funding and Ecosystem Updates
Published: 30 May 2024
Last updated: 29 August 2026
Coverage type: News
https://www.startuprad.io/post/this-month-in-german-swiss-and-austrian-gsa-startups-may-2024-startuprad-io

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Canonical record: https://www.startuprad.io/entities/dirk-hoke