Ralf Preu, is director of the division for PV Production Technology at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) in Freiburg, Germany. He studied physics at the universities of Freiburg, Germany and Toronto, Canada and economics at the University of Hagen. He holds a PhD degree in electrical engineering. He joined Fraunhofer ISE in 1993 and has worked in different fields in PV including system monitoring, silicon solar cell and module technology, characterization and simulation. His main focus is research and development of advanced silicon solar cell technology and its transfer to industrial production. He has received several awards including the Fraunhofer Prize in 2016 for the development of the Laser Fired Contact Technology and teaches photovoltaics at the university of Freiburg.