Andreas Kaufer starts as new ESO Director General

Today, 1 September 2026, Andreas Kaufer began his term as ESO’s Director General. Kaufer takes up the role as the construction of ESO’s Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) approaches its final stages, ALMA undergoes a major upgrade, and ESO begins the search for its next programme. He succeeds Xavier Barcons, who has served as ESO’s Director General from 2017 until the end of his term on 31 August 2026. 

Kaufer says: “My priorities for the next five years are very clear. First, we will focus on successfully completing and commissioning the ELT. But for me the ELT is not the end of a journey, it’s the beginning of a new chapter. It will spark a revolution in observational astrophysics, and we cannot even anticipate what we are going to discover. In parallel we will work towards maximising the scientific return of all our ESO facilities in a safe, efficient and effective way to ensure that they can run for many decades to come. My goal is to prepare ESO for the future beyond the ELT First Light. We will achieve that by investing into our people and in technology and by thinking about the next generation of scientific opportunities.” 

Kaufer, ESO’s ninth Director General, brings a wealth of experience in astronomical research, instrumentation and operational management to the role. He obtained a PhD in Astronomy from the Heidelberg University in 1996, and subsequently worked at the Heidelberg State Observatory, where he conducted research on the atmospheres of massive stars and the chemical evolution of galaxies, while also developing and building astronomical instrumentation. Kaufer joined ESO in 1999 as part of the science operations group contributing to bringing the newly built Very Large Telescope into operation. He became Director of the La Silla Paranal Observatory in 2006 and was appointed ESO’s first Director of Operations in 2008.  

Now as Director General, Kaufer intends to keep enabling the highest-quality science with ESO’s world-class staff, telescopes and instruments, allowing the best possible astronomical observations. 

“What makes ESO truly special to me is its ability to bring together countries, people and an extraordinary breadth of expertise. Together, we are achieving things that no single country could accomplish alone. It is a unique combination of scientific ambition, engineering excellence, operational expertise and long-term vision,” says Kaufer. “This is only possible thanks to the continued support of our 16 Member States and our host country, Chile. I look forward to working with them, and with the entire ESO community, as we take on the exciting challenges and opportunities ahead.”