Alfred Ludwig

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alfred Ludwig holds a chair position at the Institute of Materials Science within the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB). He serves in multiple leadership roles including Scientific Director of the Center for Interface-Dominated High-Performance Materials (ZGH), Director of the Research Center Future Energy Materials and Systems (RC FEMS), and Spokesperson of the Collaborative Research Center (CRC) 1625.

Prof. Ludwig studied mechanical engineering at the University of Karlsruhe, specializing in materials science and microsystems technology. He received his Dr.-Ing. degree in 1999 for research on nanoscale magnetoelastic multilayers. His career path includes positions at the caesar research center in Bonn, a junior professorship at RUB (2002-2007), and a Heisenberg Professorship (2007-2012) before assuming his current chair position in 2012.

His research spans several interconnected fields focused on advanced materials development:

• Combinatorial materials research and high-throughput processes
• Microsystem technology and MEMS tools for materials science
• Thin-film technology and nanoscale layers
• Multifunctional materials including ferromagnetic shape memory alloys
• Materials for future energy systems, particularly solar water splitting and novel electrocatalysts

Prof. Ludwig has published over 340 articles, with more than 300 in peer-reviewed journals, demonstrating a strong publication record in materials science.

Notable awards and recognitions include:

• Heisenberg Professorship from the German Research Foundation (DFG)
• Membership in the North Rhine-Westphalian Academy of Sciences, Humanities and the Arts (since May 2025)
• Leadership of major research initiatives including ERC Synergy Grant project (DEMI)

Prof. Ludwig has secured significant research funding through his roles as PI in major grants and as spokesperson for collaborative research centers. He initiated and organized the ZGH research building, demonstrating his ability to develop and lead large-scale research infrastructure. His current focus includes the Research Center Future Energy Materials and Systems (RC FEMS) and the upcoming Collaborative Research Center 1625.

As Scientific Director of the Center for Interface-Dominated High-Performance Materials (ZGH) since 2019, Prof. Ludwig leads a major research facility focused on materials where interfaces play a critical role in determining properties and performance. His leadership extends to coordinating RUB's cross-faculty Materials Research Department from 2011 to 2016, showing his institutional impact beyond his immediate department.