“Additive Manufacturing with lasers is a highly topical and forward-looking field,” says Kaierle. “The newly established professorship excellently addresses this topic and thus expands the teaching and research in mechanical engineering and optical technologies in Hannover.” Prof Volker Epping, president of Leibniz University Hannover, adds: “The joint professorship sustainably consolidates the cooperation between the Laser Zentrum Hannover and the university.” The LZH emerged from three LUH institutes 35 years ago.

Stefan Kaierle studied electrical engineering at the RWTH Aachen University. In 1999, he received his doctorate in mechanical engineering from the RWTH Aachen University on the topic of “Autonomous Production Cell for Welding with Laser Radiation”. From 1998 to 2011, he headed the systems technology department at the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT in Aachen. From 2012 to 2018, he was head of the materials and processes department at the LZH. Since 2018, Kaierle has been a member of the LZH board of directors and scientific-technical director.