Handover of office at the Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research in Dresden - New Scientific Director Professor Jürgen Eckert appointed

The Saxon State Minister for Science and the Arts, Sabine von Schorlemer, today honoured Professor Jürgen Eckert as the new Scientific Director of the Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research (IFW). He builds on the successful work of his predecessor Professor Ludwig Schultz, who had been Scientific Director of the IFW since 2008.

"The Leibniz Institute is one of the leading international institutions in the field of modern materials science and materials research. In addition to its dedicated scientists, the institute always owes this leading position to the outstanding leadership of the Scientific Director," said Minister von Schorlemer, recognising the achievements on the occasion of the handover of office.

After serving as Director of the Institute of Metallic Materials at the IFW for almost 15 years, Professor Ludwig Schultz assumed overall scientific responsibility for the institute in 2008. Under the scientific leadership of Professor Ludwig Schultz, the IFW has developed into one of the largest research institutes in the Leibniz Association. In addition to 530 permanent employees, the institute also employs more than 100 guest scientists and scholarship holders from all over the world. In addition, there are 150 doctoral students and undergraduates as well as around 20 trainees in seven training programmes. The institute is involved in 14 ongoing EU projects, seven of which are coordinated by IFW scientists - "a testament to IFW's efforts to contribute to the development of an elite of young European researchers", said the Science Minister.

Professor Jürgen Eckert has been the new Scientific Director of the Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research since 1 April. He was previously a doctoral student in Central Research at Siemens and later worked with Professor Ludwig Schultz at the IFW. Four years ago, Eckert was honoured with the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize - the most prestigious and most highly endowed German science prize, which is awarded annually by the German Research Foundation.
"The Board of Trustees of the IFW has appointed an outstanding scientist personality as Scientific Director. You are taking over an institute that is ideally positioned," said Science Minister Sabine von Schorlemer in recognition of the new Scientific Director.