Taiwan: Christopher Herrmann appointed visiting professor

Christoph Herrmann, Professor of Sustainable Manufacturing and Life Cycle Engineering at TU Braunschweig and Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST, was appointed Distinguished Chair Professor at Feng Chia University (FCU) in Taiwan, effective 1 August 2026. The visiting appointment was formally presented during the Advanced Optics and Semiconductor Industry Forum held at FCU on 18 August 2026.

Professor Wei Wang, President of Feng Chia University (FCU) and Professor Christoph Herrmann. Picture Credits: Jeff Chen

This distinction recognizes the close collaboration that Fraunhofer IST and TU Braunschweig have established with FCU’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering. Since 2024, Fraunhofer IST and FCU have further expanded their cooperation through the Fraunhofer Innovation Platform for Surface and Production Engineering for Optical and Electrical Systems at Feng Chia University (FIP-SPE@FCU). In May 2026, at the initiative of Fraunhofer IST, the existing partnership with FCU was extended to include TU Braunschweig. The visiting appointment will help strengthen research and educational ties with FCU, other Taiwanese universities, and industry partners in the years ahead.

Fraunhofer IST and TU Braunschweig will continue their joint research with FCU in surface and production engineering for optical and electrical systems. Additional focus areas include machine- and process-oriented automation, components and equipment for semiconductor manufacturing, as well as Industry 4.0 and 5.0.

Professor Wei Wang, President of Feng Chia University (FCU) and Professor Christoph Herrmann