At this year’s annual meeting of the National Academy of Science and Engineering (acatech), Andrés Lasagni, Chair of Laser-based Manufacturing at TU Dresden, was elected as a new member of the Academy. 

Acatech unites more than 600 individuals from science and industry as the national academy and voice of engineering in Germany and on an international level. The members of acatech are admitted to the Academy on the basis of their scientific achievements and reputation. They come from the fields of engineering and sciences, medicine, and humanities and social sciences. acatech regularly publishes position papers, studies, discussions and more on topics relevant to society and the economy, and also advises the government on engineering and engineering policy issues of the future. 

“Becoming a member of acatech is incredibly meaningful to me and my field of research – both personally and professionally. As part of the Academy, I have the unique opportunity to be actively involved in shaping the future of science and technology in Germany. It also emphasizes the importance of laser technology and surface finishing for technological progress and overcoming the major challenges we face,” says Lasagni. 

Andrés Lasagni has been a Professor at TU Dresden since 2012. Since 2017, he has been Coordinator of the Centre for Advanced Micro-Photonics (CAMP) at the Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS in Dresden. Born in Argentina, he began his academic career with a degree in chemical engineering at the National University of Comahue in Argentina and completed his doctorate in materials science at Saarland University in 2006. After a research stay in the USA, he came to Dresden in 2008 to set up a research group at the Fraunhofer IWS. Lasagni researches industrial solutions for surface functionalization using laser technology. Using direct laser interference patterning, he was able to structure various materials in such a way that their surfaces acquire certain functions. This has paved the way for a new and promising field of research for applications in medical technology, the automotive industry, and energy research. 

“I would like to use my expertise and show how photonic technologies can be used to overcome environmental challenges. I look forward to working with other experts to explore sustainable and digitalized approaches in line with the European Union's objectives,” adds Lasagni. 

Andrés Lasagni is the author of more than 400 publications and 30 patents. He has already received several international awards for his research work, including the Fritz Grasenick Prize (Austrian Society for Electron Microscopy), the Werner Koester Prize (German Materials Society – DGM), German High Tech Champion for Photovoltaics (Federal Ministry of Education and Research), the Masing Memorial Prize (DGM), and the Materials Science and Technology Prize (Federation of European Materials Societies – FEMS). 

In the “At work with...” video series, Andrés Lasagni provides an insight into his research: https://youtu.be/0Bpo5jVldAA  

Contact:
Prof. Andrés Lasagni
Chair of Laser-based Manufacturing
Tel.: +49 351 463-33343

Information on the Academy: https://en.acatech.de/