We are very happy to welcome our two new team members! Erik Manke and Finn Baron joined our aerogel-it R&D team in January 2026.
Erik and Finn will work with Alberto on improving on both our next-generation aerogel product technology as well as aerogel process technology at our R&D facilities at Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH). Their help is highly welcome as we move towards scaling of our aerogel materials.
The first day certainly meant a lot of input on aerogel materials and applications. But at end, the team could enjoy a pizza together – hopefully to be repeated soon!
Erik has been in active in the aerogel field for a long time. In his bachelor and master studies at the TUHH, he worked on lignin-based resorcinol-formaldehyde aerogels and polyurethane aerogels. The main focus of his PhD studies has been aerogel process technology, specifically continuous supercritical drying processes. He is also a professional photographer.
Finn first came into contact with aerogels during his bachelor thesis when studying energy and environmental technologies at the Technical University of Hamburg. For his master studies, he moved to TU Delft in the Netherlands where he studied sustainable energy systems. Finn wants to contribute to the change towards a more sustainable economy and the energy transformation. He will able to do so at aerogel-it, whether on aerogels as superinsulation materials for more energy-efficient buildings, industrial processes or household appliances, as safety materials for batteries, as electrode or catalyst materials or as carrier materials in care, agriculture or pharmaceuticals. With bio-based raw materials, aerogels have the potential to contribute to defossilization while improving many areas of daily life.
We wish Erik and Finn all the best for their start!
