Watch it now - Inaugural lecture "Beyond Concrete: Fibers and Polymers for Tomorrow's Buildings" as an online video

On April 16, 2026, Christina Scheffler showed where the journey in the construction industry can take us. Under the title "Beyond Concrete: Fibers and Polymers for Tomorrow's Buildings", she took the audience into a world of research in which materials are being rethought.

Her presentation focused on the question of how building materials can be made more resource-efficient and at the same time more capable. A particular focus here is on fiber-reinforced composite materials, textile reinforcements and the often crucial interfaces between the components. Bio-inspired approaches - based on plant structures, for example - also play an important role in using materials more efficiently.

Another focus is the recycling of fibers and polymers in the construction industry. Instead of linear use, Scheffler is pursuing the goal of reusing materials and thinking in closed cycles - an approach that is becoming increasingly relevant in view of limited resources.

This research is embedded in large collaborative projects such as the Collaborative Research Center TRR 280 and the Research Training Group 2250, in which interdisciplinary work is carried out on sustainable and capable construction methods.