Prof. Christoph Leyens takes over the management of the thematic network MatWerk at acatec

Press release (Nr. XIII) - Fraunhofer IWS Dresden, /

Prof. Christoph Leyens, manager of the business units "Thermal Surface Technology" and "Additive Manufacturing and Printing" at the Fraunhofer IWS Dresden and Director of the Institute for Material Science at the TU Dresden has been elected the new spokesman of the thematic network MatWerk of the National Academy of Science and Engineering (acatech). He still has to be formally appointed by the acatech committee. Prof. Leyens succeeds Prof. Christina Berger, TU Darmstadt , who will remain active as Deputy Speaker.

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christoph Leyens, manager of the business units “Thermal Surface Technology” and “Additive Manufacturing and Printing” at the Fraunhofer IWS and Director of the Institute for Material Science at the TU Dresden
© Fraunhofer IWS Dresden / Jürgen Jeibmann
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christoph Leyens, manager of the business units “Thermal Surface Technology” and “Additive Manufacturing and Printing” at the Fraunhofer IWS and Director of the Institute for Material Science at the TU Dresden

Presently, Acatech joins 10 thematic networks, which serve as a platform for science and economy within and beyond the academy. The networks focus relevant expertise knowledge; e.g., they prepare position papers with regard to socially relevant topics for policy advising purposes. "In my opinion, one important task as spokesman is to advance the cooperation between materials science and engineering and further thematic networks within the academy", explains  Prof. Leyens. "Interdisciplinary approaches fuel innovations! Acatech with its concentrated expertise can assist policy and society in setting the right course for Germany’s wealth to be secured in future."

According to the Federal Ministry of Education and Research the majority of all technical innovations are directly or indirectly related to novel and improved materials, and are thus of utmost importance for Germany as business hub. Dresden’s research community with its outstanding university and non-university partners provides important impulses in the fields of material science, materials and production engineering. Examples include extensive development activities in the field of storage materials and battery systems as well as in the field of additive manufacturing.

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christoph Leyens, full member of the National Academy of Science and Engineering since 2009, graduated from the RWTH Aachen with a diploma in metallurgy and materials technology. From 1997 to 2004 he worked at the Institute of Materials Research, DLR, which was temporarily headed by him from 2003 to 2004. 2004 he was appointed to the position of professor at the Brandenburg University of Technology, where he became the Vice President of Research, Development and Innovation in 2007. 2009 he changed to the Technische Universität Dresden and at the same time he took over the management of the Department “Thermal Coating Procedures” at the Fraunhofer IWS Dresden. Since 2015 Prof. Leyens has been responsible for the business unit “Thermal Surface Technology, Additive Manufacturing and Printing”.