- Press Release
New head of the Institute for Applied Laser, Photonics and Surface Technologies ALPS
03.08.2020 From August 2020, Beat Neuenschwander will take over as head of the Institute for Applied Laser, Photonics and Surface Technologies ALPS at Bern University of Applied Sciences BFH. The previous incumbent, Patrick Schwaller, will become head of the Mathematics, Natural Science and Humanities Division MNG at the Department of Engineering and Information Technology.
Beat Neuenschwander has been a professor of applied laser technology at BFH for 20 years and is head of the Laser Surface Engineering research group, which is part of the Institute for Applied Laser, Photonics and Surface Technologies ALPS. He is also vice-president of the Optics Section of the Swiss Society of Optics and Microscopy and was managing director of the Swiss Laser Net (now Swissphotonics) until 2011.
Around 40% of the products created by members of swissmem already include photonic functions. Beat Neuenschwander estimates that ‘this figure will rise to as much as 70% by 2025. In addition, surfaces – as well as their treatment and conditioning – will take on an even more important role. We are proud to be working on technologies with enormous future potential and are committed to exploiting the outstanding opportunities available for practical implementation. We are achieving this by taking an interdisciplinary approach and collaborating with industry partners, as well as other groups, institutions and universities. I am particularly looking forward to these continuing developments and interdisciplinary collaborations.’
Lukas Rohr, head of the Engineering and Information Technology Department at BFH, is convinced ‘that the ideal successor has been found in Beat Neuenschwander. He already knows the Institute very well and has excellent connections in the industry. This will help him to further develop the Institute in collaboration with its industry partners and research groups.’
Institute for Applied Laser, Photonics and Surface Technologies ALPS
Based in Biel and Burgdorf, the Institute deploys its future-oriented key technologies in the development of modern, digitalised processes for the manufacture, modification and analysis of materials. The Institute is divided into six research groups: Applied Fiber Technology AFT, Laser Surface Engineering, Materials Technology and Heat Treatment, Plasma Surface Engineering, Thin Films and Surfaces, and Additive Manufacturing.
