Peter Uggowitzer


Peter J. Uggowitzer is an Austrian-Swiss metallurgist and materials scientist. He has notable contributions in several fields of metallurgy, specially in the development of nickel-free austenitic stainless steels, aluminium crossover alloys and biodegradable magnesium alloys for medical implants.

Academic life

Born in Carinthia, Uggowitzer studied materials science at Montanuniversität Leoben, where he earned his doctorate in 1981 in the field of dual-phase steels. He then joined ETH Zurich, where he completed his habilitation in 1993 and served as a professor at the Department of Materials from 1996 to 2015. In 2017, he returned to Montanuniversität Leoben, where he was Professor for Alloy Design of Light Metals at the until 2024.
His scientific achievements are both numerous and influential. One of his early milestones was the development of a new family of nickel-free nitrogen austenitic steels, which are now widely used in medical devices as well as in the jewellery and watchmaking industries. Later, his research focus shifted to light metals, particularly aluminium and magnesium. He has published extensively on the aging behavior of Al-Mg-Si alloys and on the development of magnesium alloys, including pioneering work on biodegradable magnesium implants for biomedical applications.
Uggowitzer's contributions to the advancement of aluminium research at Montanuniversität Leoben have been foundational. As Chair of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Board of Austria Metall AG, he played a key role in establishing an endowed professorship for aluminium materials technology at the university.
In 2019, Uggowitzer and co-authors discovered that the phenomenon of ageing of aluminium alloys does not occur at the atomic scale. In late 2020, Uggowitzer and co-authors initiated the research field of radiation-resistant aluminium alloys for future space exploration.
In recognition of his distinguished scientific contributions, Uggowitzer was awarded the Great Decoration of Honor of the State of Styria by Governor Mario Kunasek and Deputy Governor Manuela Khom.
Uggowitzer is married with Esther and the father of three adult children.

Awards