Lectures are usually about facts, formulas, or theories, but rarely about visions. After all, students need the knowledge for their future careers. But the inaugural lecture officially marks the beginning of teaching, when professors like Andreas Michalowski introduce themselves to the faculty and the public in a ceremonial setting. "I want to give you a glimpse into the future of my research and hope to inspire listeners with my thoughts," explains Michalowski. The title of his inaugural lecture on June 16 was "Manufacturing with lasers - today and in the future".
Michalowski strongly emphasized a specific topic in the field of laser technology. "Dramatic advances in artificial intelligence are opening up whole new possibilities in manufacturing technology," he explained. His vision is that manufacturing machines may one day become experts themselves, enabling them to produce very complex components cost-effectively, reliably and of the highest quality. This is an important part of securing Germany's future and competitiveness as an industrial location. Along the way, data-driven AI algorithms would need to be augmented with physical models and an understanding of causality. Only then would it be possible for them to understand the modes of action underlying manufacturing. On this basis, the machines themselves could make predictions about how a laser process could be carried out using different materials, for example, and which parameters would have to be changed to do so. "I see this fusion of manufacturing technology and artificial intelligence as one of the main focuses of my research work," explained Andreas Michalowski.
Andreas Michalowski has held the newly established Chair of Laser Technology in Manufacturing and Deputy Director of the Institute of Laser Technologies (IFSW) since August 2022. The professorship was established at the University of Stuttgart as part of the Innovation Campus Future Mobility (ICM). A further professorship at the University of Stuttgart, and two more at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology will follow.
About the InnovationsCampus Future Mobility
About the InnovationsCampus Future Mobility
The mobility and production of the future will be sustainable, efficient, and come from Baden-Württemberg. But this requires new breakthrough technologies - from innovative vehicle drives to versatile production processes. The goal of the InnovationCampus Future Mobility (ICM) is to help shape this change. At the ICM, the University of Stuttgart and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) combine their expertise in research and innovation to jointly develop new technologies quickly and flexibly, test new approaches, and create the basis for breakthrough innovations. The ICM is one of Germany's largest initiatives on mobility and production of the future.
