Dr. Christian Hagenlocher possesses nearly a decade of experience in unconventional advanced manufacturing methods with an applied direction. He is heading the department for process fundamentals in laser material processing at the Institut für Strahlwerkzeuge at the University of Stuttgart (Germany) since 2023. After completing his doctorate in the field of laser beam welding in 2020 he worked as a research fellow at the Centre for Additive Manufacturing at RMIT in Melbourne until 2022. His focus includes innovations in almost all kind of laser material processing with cw and ultrafast laser sources. Noteworthy contributions also include analytical criteria for predicting and adjusting grain structures in laser welds, and insights into heat accumulation effects in additive manufacturing. 

Dr.-Ing. Sarah Seffer studied mechanical engineering at Leibniz University Hannover. Since 2013, she has been working in the Joining and Cutting of Metals group within the Multi-scale Production department at Laser Zentrum Hannover e.V. She has been Head of the Joining and Cutting of Metals group since 2018. Her main research focus is the joining of similar and dissimilar materials.

Dr. Laura Gemini is a laser processing specialist at ALPhANOV, the French technology center for optics and lasers in Talence, France. She serves as Deputy Head of the Laser Processing Department and has 15+ years of experience in the field of photonics, with a particular focus on ultrafast laser processing and nanoscale laser manufacturing. Her research focuses on the development of laser techniques for advanced manufacturing and materials processing. Dr. Gemini has authored numerous scientific publications and actively contributes to collaborative research projects that bridge academic research and industrial innovation in photonics.

Jared Speltz is the Team Lead for the Development of Innovative Applications for Laser Systems (DIALS) at the University of Dayton Research Institute, with over 15 years of laser applications experience. His work centers on ultrashort‑pulsed laser applications, with expertise in hollow‑core fiber coupling, in‑situ sensing, and closed‑loop feedback for precision micromachining. Jared leads multidisciplinary efforts to transition novel laboratory capabilities into production‑ready solutions. As Track Chair, he brings a strong record of applied research, system integration, and collaboration with aerospace, medical, and advanced manufacturing partners. He is dedicated to expanding the capabilities and industrial adoption of advanced laser micromachining, and has led the development of Composite Laser Ablative for Surface Preparation (CLASP), one of the 1st hollow core-fiber coupled femtosecond systems deployed into an aerospace manufacturing facility. 

Barbara Previtali is a Full Professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Politecnico di Milano, Italy, where she is Head of the SITEC research group and laboratory dedicated to laser applications. Her activities focus on advanced manufacturing technologies, with strong involvement in industrial collaboration and technology transfer. She is co-author of several patents and works extensively with companies on applied research and innovation projects.

She is a member of the jury for the Berthold Leibinger Innovationspreis and the board of stakeholders of Photonics21. She also serves as editor for the international journals Journal of Laser Applications and Optics & Laser Technology.

Dr. John Middendorf, Director of Additive Manufacturing – Dr. Middendorf has been developing his own Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) machines since July 2014 and currently leads the additive manufacturing division at the Center for Design and Manufacturing Excellence at The Ohio State University.  John was the technical leader behind the development of the Open Additive (OA) brand, selling the PANDA LPBF machines and AMSENSE sensor suite, and in his past has develop several other innovations such as Selective Laser Ablation & Melting (SLAM) and Graded Alloy Processing (GAP).