During his 40 years of work in the plastics industry and especially in the automotive sector, Niebauer constantly promoted innovation in the use of PUR and achieved far-reaching developments with his team.
Niebauer reached the peak of his career in 2000 as Head of the Interior Technology Department at BMW, a position he successfully held until he left the company in March 2012.
Since 2010, Niebauer has been a member of the FSK Board of Management, thereby also setting a milestone: For the first time, two automobile manufacturers (together with Jens-Jürgen Härtel of Volkswagen AG) were elected to the Board of Management of the Foamed Plastics and Polyurethanes Association.