Biegert, ICREA professor at the Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques ICFO in Barcelona, and current chair of the association’s general assembly is succeeding Claes-Göran Wahlström from the Lund Laser Center in Sweden, who served as executive director since the creation of Laserlab-Europe AISBL in 2018 and who will continue as a member of the management board.

“I am honored to take over the helm of Laserlab-Europe AISBL and I warmly thank Claes-Göran Wahlström for his key role in shaping our community. Laserlab-Europe plays a pivotal role in addressing societal challenges and, thus, it is crucial to give our long-term collaboration continuity. I am excited about the challenges and opportunities lying ahead and look forward to serving the Laserlab Community in this new role,” stated Biegert.

The outgoing executive director, Claes-Göran Wahlström, remarked: “As Europe is strengthening its efforts in research and development to respond to urgent societal challenges, we need to make sure that the potential of demand- and curiosity-driven laser research is unlocked and developed further. Light, and laser light in particular, provides innovations which will have a tremendous impact on European sustainable development and prosperity. In this respect, I am confident that Jens Biegert will be a crucial asset for our organization.”

The General Assembly of Laserlab-Europe AISBL also renewed the management board members and user representatives, with the election of Colin Danson, Cristina Hernandez-Gomez, Sylvie Jacquemot, Britta Redlich, Marc Vrakking, Claes-Göran Wahlström, and user representative Rosa Weigand into the management board. As user representatives, Helder Crespo, Susan Quinn, and Rosa Weigand take office.

The members of the general assembly congratulate Biegert and the members of the management board on their election and thank Wahlström for his achievements and commitment in leading the Laserlab-Europe consortium. The new executive director is elected for five years and the management board for three years as of 2 November 2021.

Laserlab-Europe provides leadership in laser-based and photonics research, and in related technologies, through a wide range of world-leading investigative capabilities, user training, and services. The association understands itself as the home for laser-based research in Europe, formulating and promoting new developments that are pursued in a flexible and co-ordinated fashion beyond the potential of a national scale.