Astri Bjørnetun Haugen is an Associate Professor at the Department of Energy Conversion and Storage, Technical University of Denmark (DTU), where she conducts research in functional ceramics for energy and acoustic applications. Her work is centered in the Applied Ceramics and Processing group, focusing on sustainable and advanced manufacturing of piezoelectric and porous ceramic materials. Institution: Technical University of Denmark (DTU) Department: Department of Energy Conversion and Storage Research Group: Applied Ceramics and Processing Rank: Associate Professor Her research interests span piezoelectric materials , particularly lead-free variants such as potassium sodium niobate (KNN), ceramic processing techniques including extrusion, tape casting, and 3D printing, and functional ceramics for energy conversion and underwater acoustics. She investigates microstructure control, grain orientation, sintering conditions, and hydrothermal synthesis to enhance material performance. The most recent publications highlight a strong trend in sustainable, lead-free piezoelectric ceramics, with emphasis on manufacturing innovation such as 3D printing, shape engineering, and textured ceramics. Her work bridges fundamental materials science with practical applications in ultrasound transducers and energy devices. Topics frequently explored include phase formation, dielectric and ferroelectric properties, aging behavior, and environmental processing conditions. She actively supervises PhD students and leads or co-supervises multiple research projects, including the SCUALE project on sustainable underwater acoustic components in Europe. Her collaborative network spans across Europe, and she regularly presents invited talks at international conferences on textured and porous piezoelectrics. Main research areas: Piezoelectricity, Sintering, Oxygen Transport Membranes, Zirconia, Sodium-based Ceramics Dr. Haugen advises several PhD candidates and is involved in projects funded by European and national initiatives, focusing on the optimization of geometry, microstructure, and manufacturing processes for high-performance ceramic components. Her lab employs advanced fabrication and characterization techniques to develop next-generation functional materials.














