From seminar project to industry stage: bbw alumnus presents at Photonics Days 2025
A successful example of practical teaching and successful cooperation: bbw University of Applied Sciences alumnus Siddharth Kuttupuzha and Ivo Karrasch, Head of Development at Ahlberg Engineering GmbH, presented the results of their joint work on sustainability in laser technology at Photonics Days 2025 in Berlin.
The presentation took place on October 9, 2025, as part of the EcoPhotonics session-a series of events dedicated to the contribution of photonics to sustainability. In their presentation, Karrasch and Kuttupuzha showed how innovative laser manufacturing processes, in particular laser additive manufacturing (LAM), can lead to significantly reduced material and energy consumption compared to conventional methods.
One focus of the presentation was on the ecological assessment of real industrial applications: Case studies from the Berlin-Brandenburg Laser Center were used to illustrate how the use of laser technologies is already contributing to a reduction in material consumption, energy consumption, and production time. For example, the use of laser direct energy deposition (DED) in the repair of components reduces material consumption by up to 45 percent and enables resource-saving reuse instead of new production.
With around 20 percent of participants coming from abroad, the annual Photonics Days provide a platform for exchange between science and industry. In addition to future topics such as quantum photonics and sustainable production, this year's conference focused in particular on the contribution of laser technology to resource efficiency.
The contact between Kuttupuzha and Ahlberg was established as part of a practice-oriented seminar paper at the bbw University of Applied Sciences. The thesis, supervised by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Uwe Kaschka in the Department of Applied Engineering, was carried out in cooperation with Ahlberg Engineering GmbH - an example of how research projects can create direct links between students and industry and promote young talent at an early stage.
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