Fraunhofer IOSB Appoints Marc Eichhorn to Co-Lead Institute

Fraunhofer Institute for Optronics, System Technologies and Image Exploitation IOSB is strengthening its leadership team with the appointment of Marc Eichhorn, effective August 1. He will co-lead the institute alongside Executive Director Jürgen Beyerer. This new dual leadership structure aims to reflect the institute's expanded expertise in areas such as laser technology, optronic systems, computer vision, and AI-based robotics.

Eichhorn, a physicist, has led the Photonics and Optronic Systems division and the Ettlingen site since 2018, while also holding a chair in optronics at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). He has been instrumental in establishing a dedicated laser technology department at Fraunhofer IOSB, which currently comprises around 35 employees specializing in infrared solid-state and fiber laser systems.

Holger Hanselka, President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, highlighted the strategic importance of the institute's broadened research scope. "To reflect this broader scope, the institute has strengthened its leadership team, and I am delighted that Professor Eichhorn has agreed to take on this important role. He has already developed a new area of research at the institute and established Fraunhofer IOSB as a major player in laser technology."

In his new capacity, Eichhorn aims to further solidify the Karlsruhe-Ettlingen area as a leading European research hub for optronics and laser systems in collaboration with KIT. He also intends to expand defense research at Fraunhofer IOSB to address emerging global security challenges.

Jürgen Beyerer emphasized that the shared leadership will allow for more effective leverage of the institute's combined expertise across the entire light value chain, from generation to information processing. "With our shared leadership, we can leverage this unique end-to-end expertise even more effectively to develop solutions for a wide range of industries and drive innovation," Beyerer stated.