Budi Sastra gathered geniuses in his group at Philips Research (Natlab). It was also home to some of the most headstrong characters. They made inventions that ASML and Philips Healthcare still benefit from today. Bits&Chips visited Sastra in Singapore, where he continues to coach high-tech companies.
He’s lived in Singapore for eighteen years, but the researchers who were part of his research group at the Philips Natuurkundig Laboratorium (Natlab) from 1988 to 1998 still call themselves Sastrians. It’s a tribute to Budiman “Budi” Sastra, who, at the renowned laboratory, brought out the best in its most headstrong characters. He accepted their quirks and made sure their genius could flourish.
Members of Sastra’s group went on to become influential figures, such as professor Maarten Steinbuch and Frank Baaijens, the former rector of Eindhoven University of Technology. But his group was also a refuge for engineers such as Ad Bouwer, the designer of Philips’ very first wafer stepper, whose ego had grown to formidable proportions. Working with Sastra’s people, Bouwer was once again able to unleash his genius. Among other things, he created the first mechanical designs for the EUV machine during that period.
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