On July 8, 2004, the Berthold Leibinger Innovationspreis was awarded for the third time to three winners for outstanding research in applied laser physics. During the awards ceremony at the TRUMPF Sales and Service Center in Ditzingen, Germany, members of the jury presented the prizes, which amounts to Euro € 35,000. Over 200 invited guests from the fields of politics, science and business had the opportunity to gain an insight into the impressive work of the prize winners.

Prize Winners
Professor Dr. Ursula Keller from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Zurich, Switzerland, received first prize for the invention of the SESAM – SEmiconductor Saturable Absorber Mirror for Ultrafast Lasers – a saturable absorber mirror composed of overlaid semiconductor layers, which can simply and reliably generate ultrashort pulses. Professor Dr. Hubertus Christ, President of the German Federation of Technical and Scientific Associations, said in his laudation, "Professor Dr. Ursula Keller has made it possible to bring the ultrafast laser out of the laboratory with the invention of the SESAM. She has also demonstrated entrepreneurial courage: In 1994, she and her husband, Dr. Kurt Weingarten, founded the company Time-Bandwidth Products which installs the SESAM in commercial beam sources worldwide."

Second prize was awarded to Professor Dr. Andreas Tünnermann, Dr. Stefan Nolte and Dr. Holger Zellmer for novel fiber laser designs. The team from the Friedrich Schiller University and the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering, both in Jena, Germany, was able to create continuous, high-level laser outputs and ultrashort pulses with highest beam quality. "For the functionality of glass fibers as a laser medium, their special design is important. These three scientists have performed important pioneering work", said laser specialist Professor Dr. Helmut Hügel in explaining the jury’s decision.

Privatdozent Dr. Axel Rolle, chief physician of thoracic and vascular surgery at the Specialized Hospital in Coswig, Germany, received third prize for the development and application of a laser system with a wavelength especially effective on lung tissue. Even patients with many lung metastases previously considered to be inoperable can be treated. Juror Professor Dr. Hans-Peter Berlien, chief physician of the Laser Clinic at the Hospital of Neukölln, Berlin, Germany, praised the commitment and persistence of the surgeon: "In the face of the at first dismissive attitude from the scientific community, Dr. Axel Rolle has succeeded in making laser surgery on the lung possible. The method is now accepted around the world, and 80 percent of German thoracic centers are already using it."

In his address "Innovations – Our Future", Professor Dr. Eike Lehmann, President of the Association of German Engineers, talked about the high level of expectations from society and the political world for short term lasting effects in the German economy through innovations." Technical innovations in general are not successful as a result of simply solving individual problems, but rather are a battle for the implementation of ideas impacted by constant expectations and disappointments."

Professor Berthold Leibinger, the prize founder, then congratulated the prize winners and acknowledged them: "The issues that arise around the world can be solved only by continual progress in science and technology. We need people with ideas and a zest for action who can work responsibly with these themes. People like our prize winners."

Goal of the award
The Berthold Leibinger Innovationspreis is worth a total of € 35,000 and is open to applicants worldwide, recognizing and supporting scientists and engineers every two years for opening up new paths in the field of applied laser lights. The prize is a way for the Berthold Leibinger Stiftung to promote laser technology as one of the most important technologies of our time and to make it accessible to the public.

Selection process
After a preselection from numerous applications and recommendations concerning applied laser physics for production technology, laser medicine or biotechnology, eight nominees were invited to the jury session in Ditzingen in March 2004. The jury then selected the three prize winners.

About the foundation
The Berthold Leibinger Stiftung is a private non-profit foundation concerned exclusively with cultural, scientific, religious – to a modest extent – social issues. Professor Berthold Leibinger, President and Managing Partner of the TRUMPF Group, established the foundation in 1992.

For digital photos and additional information on the Berthold Leibinger Innovationspreis, go to www.leibinger-stiftung.de.