Fraunhofer IOSB’s new co-directors, Marc Eichhorn (left) and Jürgen Beyerer (right), are leading the institute into the future together.

With Eichhorn joining the institute management, Fraunhofer IOSB’s leadership team is gaining a distinguished laser expert. Since 2018, the renowned physicist has headed both the Photonics and Optronic Systems division and the Ettlingen site while also holding a newly established chair in optronics at the Electrical Engineering and Information Technology department of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). Optronics combines optics and electronics, dealing with processes that convert electromagnetic radiation into electrical signals and vice versa. The field encompasses laser sources, atmospheric light propagation and imaging sensors.

Eichhorn spearheaded the creation of a dedicated laser technology department at Fraunhofer IOSB. Today, this department has around 35 employees and specializes in infrared solid-state and fiber laser systems and the related photonic materials, components and process steps. Eichhorn had previously demonstrated his expertise in this field through his research on laser sources at the French-German Research Institute of Saint-Louis (ISL).

“With its unique expertise, Fraunhofer IOSB drives innovation in fields vital to German industry—from automation and Industry 4.0 to inspection and utility infrastructure up to security and defense research,” said Holger Hanselka, President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. “Over the past two decades, Fraunhofer IOSB has thrived while strategically broadening the scope of its research. 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.”

“I look forward to taking on this new role and the opportunity to help shape the institute’s direction,” says Eichhorn. “One goal is to work with KIT to further strengthen the greater Karlsruhe-Ettlingen area’s standing as one of Germany’s and Europe’s foremost research hubs for optronics and related laser systems while bolstering Germany’s technological sovereignty. Another priority is to expand defense research at Fraunhofer IOSB in optronics and other key fields that address emerging global security challenges, ensuring that the institute remains a reliable partner to the Bundeswehr in these areas.”

Jürgen Beyerer, who took over KIT's Chair of Interactive Real-Time Systems and became Director of Fraunhofer IITB, the predecessor to Fraunhofer IOSB, in 2004, emphasizes: “Since the merger that created Fraunhofer IOSB in 2010, we have benefited from bringing together expertise in computer vision and optronics. With Professor Eichhorn and our laser technology department, we will now also focus on the corresponding light sources, allowing us to cover the entire light value chain—from generating, transmitting and detecting light to processing and using the information it carries in deployable systems. 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.”

By expanding its leadership team, Fraunhofer IOSB is adapting its management structure to reflect the institute’s broader range of research fields and strengthening its position in key application areas.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Optronics, System Technologies and Image Exploitation IOSB conducts R&D on smart sensor, information and assistance systems. Its core expertise in optronics, systems engineering and image analysis enables solutions across the entire process chain—from generating and detecting light to collecting and analyzing data to supporting informed decision-making. Its research is translated into real-world applications in industry and automation, critical infrastructure and security and defense research. The institute is committed to applied research and to transferring innovative technologies to industry, government and society.