Professor Jürgen Hafner is a distinguished pioneer in computational materials science whose visionary leadership has established Vienna as a global center of excellence in this field. Born on July 24, 1945, in Lunz am See, he completed his diploma thesis and doctorate in 1973 at the Institute for Theoretical Physics at the Vienna University of Technology. After an influential research period at the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research in Stuttgart, he returned to TU Wien in 1979 as a habilitated researcher, where he built his reputation as a leading theoretical physicist. In 1999, he accepted a position as full professor at the University of Vienna, where he continued his groundbreaking work until his retirement as Associate Professor Emeritus.
Hafner's seminal contributions to computational materials science began with his early recognition of the transformative potential of density functional methods in the late 1980s, well before these approaches became mainstream. His development of the WIEN2k simulation package, which has been licensed to over 2,200 institutions serving approximately 6,500 users worldwide, revolutionized the field by providing unprecedented flexibility and efficiency for atomic-scale material simulations. This work catalyzed the remarkable growth of computational materials science from merely 200 annual publications in 1990 to over 12,000 today, establishing methodologies that have become indispensable across the discipline. His research has been instrumental in advancing the understanding of material properties through atomistic simulations, fundamentally shaping modern approaches to materials design and discovery.
Beyond his technical contributions, Professor Hafner has been deeply committed to fostering the next generation of scientists, mentoring numerous researchers whose careers have flourished under his guidance. For over a decade, he served as speaker of the FWF-funded Science College 'Computational Materials Science,' an inter-university training center that has produced more than 40 doctoral graduates. His pivotal role in establishing Vienna's international leadership in this field was formally recognized in 2012 when he received the Great Silver Medal of Honor for Services to the Republic of Austria from the Federal Minister for Science and Research. The enduring legacy of his work continues to influence materials research worldwide, with his simulation methodologies remaining foundational tools for scientists exploring the frontiers of material science.
