MedAustron is a synchroton-based cancer therapy center, which was designed at - and in close collaboration with - CERN in Geneva, Switzerland, and then installed in Austria. From November 2008 until January 2014, I was technical project leader for the MEBT, synchroton and HEBT of the MedAustron accelerator complex. From Nov. 2012 onwards I was the head of the accelerator group. I was involved in the various project phases starting at design and ending at the installation.

Setting up a dedicated accelerator R&D facility at DESY

From March 2014 untill November 2019, I worked at DESY in Hamburg, Germany, as project leader of the SINBAD project to establish a dedicated accelerator R&D facility in the former DORIS accelerator tunnel. After the dismantling of the old DORIS accelerator, this included setting up a 100 MeV normal conducting S-band linac (calles “ARES”) to study the generation of femto-second electron pulses and ultra fast science. In addition, I was involved in laser plasma and THz acceleration projects as well as a member of the ACHIP (“accelerator on a chip”) collaboration.

The MINERVA project at SCK CEN is the first implementation stage of the MYRRHA project. As such, the objective is to construct a high power, superconducting, 100 MeV proton linac. Once completed, it will be used to

• demonstrate the ability to deliver the proton beam fulfilling the superiour reliability requirements for the later extension stage when it will be connected to the subcritical nuclear reactor (ADS)
• deliver beam to two user stations for medical radio isotope production & fundamental research and fusion material research.

I joined the project in December 2019 as deputy leader of the “MINERVA design and build” institute and head of the newly created accelerator group. Until end 2023, I was also the head of the technical coordination group responsible to align all technical matters of all involved groups (building and infrastructure, control system, safety, users).