The four-member executive board consisting of chairman Ulrich Berners, deputy chairman Prof Constantin Häfner, managing director Dr Markus Kogel-Hollacher and treasurer Dr Claus Schnitzler is looking forward to the upcoming term of office.

AKL eV was founded in 1990 to make the fascinating possibilities opened up by the laser as a tool in terms of precision, speed, and economy, available for industrial use by intensifying the level of information and training.

Today, many of the application possibilities are known and the processes have been tested. Nevertheless, new laser beam sources and laser processes are constantly being developed, leading to innovative perspectives in industrial manufacturing. In this rapidly changing discipline, AKL eV with its network of more than 180 members serves to effectively promote and support innovation processes.

Dr Markus Kogel-Hollacher began his work in the field of lasers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology. Since then, his work has focused on the monitoring and control of laser processes. In 1996, he moved to Precitec. Dr Kogel-Hollacher is a fellow of the Laser Institute of America, a member of the board of stakeholders at Photonics21 in Brussels, and was a finalist for the Innovation Award Laser Technology in 2012 and 2014.

Dr Claus Schnitzler studied physics at RWTH Aachen University and developed ‘InnoSlab’ lasers with high to medium power from 1999 to 2003. With this he won together with the project group InnoSlab won the 2nd place at the Berthold Leibinger Innovation Award. He is co-founder and managing director of Amphos GmbH since 2010, one of the most successful spin-offs from the Fraunhofer ILT and a leader in the field of high-power ultrashort-pulse lasers, part of the Trumpf group since 2018. 

“I would like to thank the assembly for the unanimous election result and the trust placed in me for the office of managing director of AKL eV,” said Dr Kogel-Hollacher as he accepted the election.

Professor Constantin Häfner, director of Fraunhofer ILT, added at the general meeting: “We are very pleased that we can further expand our network with the newly elected personalities for the board of AKL eV. On behalf of all members, I would like to thank Dr Hartmut Frerichs and Dr Bernd Schmidt, who are leaving the board, for their commitment, work and support.”

Further reading: Innovation Awards Laser Technology 2020, 2022 presented, WileyIndustryNews.com, 05.05.2022