• Press Release Andreas Kaufer appointed as next ESO Director General 27 October 2025 The Council of the European Southern Observatory (ESO) has appointed Andreas Kaufer to be the new ESO Director General. • Kaufer, who is currently ESO Director of Operations, will succeed Xavier Barcons, who will remain as Director General until the end of August 2026. • “We are delighted that Andreas Kaufer has accepted the position of the next Director General of ESO. • As someone who has been steering ESO operations for over 17 years, he is ideally suited to lead the organisation in the coming years, which will see the completion ofESO’s Extremely Large Telescope(ELT) and thesearch for the next innovative ESO programme,” says President of ESO Council Tom Ray. • He added: “I am grateful that Xavier Barcons has tirelessly led this organisation since September 2017 and will continue to do so in the coming months. • He has ensured enormous progress on a variety of ESO projects, particularly on the construction of the ELT, while effectively addressing many challenges.” Andreas Kaufer, who was born in Heidelberg, Germany, will succeed Xavier Barcons in September 2026.
Article Summaries:
- The European Southern Observatory (ESO) Council has named Andreas Kaufer, the organisation’s current Director of Operations, as the next Director General. Kaufer will take over from Xavier Barcons in September 2026, with Barcons remaining in the role until the end of August. The decision follows Kaufer’s 17‑year tenure at ESO, during which he has overseen operations at the Chilean observatories and the European segment of ALMA. ESO’s leadership will focus on completing the Extremely Large Telescope and developing the next major programme, while maintaining the observatory’s technological edge and protecting its Chilean sites.
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