1 August 2023
As of today, 1 August 2023, Prof. Astrid Lambrecht (56) will be at the helm of Forschungszentrum Jülich. She has been appointed to her new position for a period of five years and succeeds Prof. Wolfgang Marquardt, who headed Jülich for nine years starting in 2014. Prof. Lambrecht has been a member of Jülich's Board of Directors since 2021.
"I'm looking forward to this challenging task and I believe that Forschungszentrum Jülich has a successful future ahead of it," said Prof. Lambrecht.
In her new role, Prof. Lambrecht aims to particularly focus on further development and modernization. "We're already well positioned with our strategic research fields of information, energy, and sustainable bioeconomy. Our common goal at Jülich is to foster scientific excellence in the best possible way. With its key processes of research and innovation, Forschungszentrum Jülich contributes to solving the major societal challenges of the future such as the transformation of the German energy sector and digitization. To do so, we will strengthen our collaboration with stakeholders in science, industry, and the political sphere - at the regional, national, and international level."
As Chair of the Board of Directors, Astrid Lambrecht aims to intensify cooperation and exchanges both internally and externally. "Here at Forschungszentrum Jülich, I experience a lot of knowledge, competence, and motivation that we can incorporate into our collaboration among Jülich colleagues as well as with external partners." Prof. Lambrecht believes in open communication: "Successful research needs a lively exchange based on trust and transparency, both internally and externally."
Despite all of its strengths, Forschungszentrum Jülich must continue to develop, says Prof. Lambrecht. "We aim to remain a strong player in the national and international scientific landscape in the future. That is why I want to see us creating as much space as possible for research, creativity, and innovation."
Stefan Müller, Chair of the Supervisory Board of Forschungszentrum Jülich, looks forward to the continued cooperation with Prof. Lambrecht in her new role as Chair of the Board of Directors: "As Chair of the Supervisory Board, I'm pleased that Prof. Lambrecht has agreed to guide Jülich into the future as Chair of the Board of Directors. Forschungszentrum Jülich is well equipped to make excellent contributions to solving the grand and pressing challenges of our time. I know that Jülich is in good hands with Prof. Lambrecht and I'm happy to offer her the support of the Supervisory Board in all upcoming tasks."
"In Astrid Lambrecht, Forschungszentrum Jülich has secured an outstanding researcher and experienced science manager as Chair of the Board of Directors. Having been a member of the Board of Directors since 2021, she's already well acquainted with Forschungszentrum Jülich. Her many years of experience in various management positions at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) in Paris mean that she is very familiar with the European research arena," said Helmholtz Association President Otmar D. Wiestler. "Thanks to this special combination of having both an internal and external perspective, Astrid Lambrecht will provide new impetus and help to successfully develop Forschungszentrum Jülich. I wish her all the best and every success in her new, exciting tasks at one of our largest Helmholtz centres, and look forward to working with her."
Astrid Lambrecht, who was born in Mülheim an der Ruhr in 1967, studied physics in Essen and London, and completed her doctoral degree at the Laboratoire Kastler Brossel (LKB) research institute in Paris in 1995. In 2002, Prof. Lambrecht obtained her habilitation from the Pierre and Marie Curie University in Paris. Her field of research is quantum physics.
Prior to joining Forschungszentrum Jülich, Astrid Lambrecht headed the Institute of Physics at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) from 2018. Jülich's new Chair of the Board of Directors gained a great deal of experience in numerous international science organizations and also contributed her expertise through policy advice to the French Parliamentary Office for Scientific and Technological Assessment (OPECST). Prof. Lambrecht is a member of the supervisory board of the French research institution CEA.
In addition to other awards, she received the French Legion of Honour order of merit in 2019.
