Beginning in November 2019, Dr. Constantin Häfner will assume responsibility as the director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology (Fraunhofer ILT; Aachen, Germany). Häfner is currently Program Director for Advanced Photon Technologies at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL; Livermore, CA), where he has led the development of the world's most powerful laser systems. After graduating from the University of Konstanz with a degree in physics, he obtained a Ph.D. in laser physics from the University of Heidelberg. In 2004, Häfner moved to the United States, first to the Nevada Terawatt Facility at the University of Nevada, Reno.
In addition to his role as institute director, Häfner will hold the associated Chair for Laser Technology LLT at RWTH Aachen University. As university lecturer and Fraunhofer ILT director, he will be involved in the many-faceted R&D activities at RWTH Aachen University. These include interdisciplinary research projects conducted by 16 different RWTH institutes as part of the Research Center for Digital Photonic Production (RCDPP) and joint research with industry in the Research Campus Digital Photonic Production (DPP).
"By drawing together top-class research and industrial applications, and cultivating a direct and open dialog with its customers, Fraunhofer ILT brings innovative and competitive solutions faster to the market," says Häfner. "These excellent results are a product of the expertise and passion of the institute’s employees. I'm delighted to have the opportunity to perpetuate and build on this culture."
For Häfner, research and technology transfer is a question of culture, not merely a process: "Fraunhofer ILT sets international standards in training of future laser scientists and engineers for both industry and the research community. It is important to me that we integrate and promote people of different genders, origins, and cultures with their many different points of view. Diversity is a source of new ideas and approaches and enhances our competitiveness significantly."
For more information, please visit ilt.fraunhofer.de.