On May 28th, 2025, the Erwin Schrödinger Institute opened its doors to an insightful panel discussion tackling a question many theoretical physicists face: How to leave academia to start a career in other fields.
The evening started with many scientists at all levels of their careers, from bachelor students to postdocs, keen to learn from the experiences from our panel. The Viennese theoretical physics community had been invited and responded with enthusiasm. We were happy to see many colleagues from the TU Wien joining the event! After the introductory words from the ESI director, Prof. Christoph Dellago, the panel started presenting themselves and the discussion, moderated by Pedro del Real from Physik Alumni.
The panel
Chiara Cardelli (Klima- und Energiefonds)
Chiara Cardelli develops funding programs and initiatives with public funds at the Klima- und Energiefonds in the areas of climate and energy education, climate jobs as well as climate and health. She is also responsible for the organization’s monitoring and evaluation, as well as the integration of gender and diversity aspects across all its activities. During her scientific career, Chiara engaged in student activism, then worked for an NGO focused on sustainability and science education, and also took part in many science communication projects. After the PhD, Chiara chose then to combine these two passions – for societal issues and for science – in a career outside of the confinements and structural issues of research. She first worked in science communication and event management at IQOQI-Vienna, then in Open Innovation in Science at the Ludwig Boltzmann Gesellschaft, which ultimately led her to her current position.
Johannes Lahnsteiner (d-fine)
Johannes works as a consultant in Vienna. Previously, he was a researcher in theoretical physics in the Netherlands and Sweden. His research focused on gravity and quantum field theories. Specifically, he investigated non-Lorentzian structures within string and M theory. Currently, he is engaged in mathematical modeling for credit risk applications.
Max Riegler (qtlabs)
Max Riegler is a senior engineer and consultant at Quantum Technology Laboratories GmbH, where he develops numerical security proofs for quantum key distribution (QKD) systems. He holds a PhD in theoretical high-energy physics from TU Wien, with research focusing on quantum gravity. During his academic career, Max held fellowships from the Austrian Academy of Sciences (DOC), the Austrian Science Fund (Erwin Schrödinger), and the European Commission (Marie Skłodowska-Curie), securing over €450,000 in competitive research funding. He has held postdoctoral positions at Brussels University, Harvard University (in Andy Strominger’s group), the University of Vienna, and TU Wien. His academic honors include the Victor Franz Hess Prize and the Hans und Walter Thirring Prize, and he graduated sub auspiciis praesidentis, the highest academic honor in Austria. In 2023, he transitioned from academia to industry to apply his theoretical expertise to real-world quantum communication technologies.
Lukas Schneiderbauer (Hofer–Aldi)
Lukas Schneiderbauer studied physics at the University of Vienna, completing his Master’s with a thesis on quantum geometry. He went on to earn a PhD in physics from the University of Iceland, focusing on semiclassical aspects of black hole holography. Alongside research, he taught mathematics and physics. Since 2021, he has worked in national supply chain management at Hofer (Aldi), where he develops data-driven models for evaluating supply chain scenarios. In his spare time, he contributes to open-source R packages for optimization problems.
The discussion
The diversity of the careers of the panelists, though three of them had very similar scientific backgrounds, allowed for discovering various perspectives on how to leave academia. The panelists did not always agree on all the issues, however, here we would like to share a sketch of some ideas.
Regarding making the transition easier, there is some work theoreticians can do to help them. They should learn to communicate complex ideas clearly and concisely. In addition, it will be crucial to cultivate soft skills in conjunction with technical proficiency. And don’t forget: Self-confidence is key in job transitions.
The general advice to students can be summarized in three points: 1) to recognize the broad applicability of physics training, 2) to not undervalue your intellectual capabilities, and 3) to explore opportunities where scientific perspective adds unique value.
And don’t forget: Analytical problem-solving is and will be a core strength for physics graduates, that the job market truly needs.
The evening ended with our panelists responding directly to questions from the participants in a relaxed buffet in the beautiful ESI social room. Thanks a lot to all of them!