Research Report 2023
FOREWORD
Our country is often accused of taking decisions only in small steps and of being rather slow. Critics complain that the major guidelines are barely recognisable in the politically and socially necessary compromises. The year 2023 proved us wrong.
At the beginning of the year, Germany’s entire energy supply was still on the brink, but today we know that we have managed to diversify our supply in record while at the same time giving a decisive boost to the necessary expansion of renewable energies. It was ultimately foreseeable that the enormous financial efforts associated with these measures would also leave their mark on the federal budget. The Cabinet's decision to discontinue the Lightweight Construction Technology Transfer Program (TTP LB) of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK) seems incomprehensible against the background of the specific demand for the program and the generally increasing importance of lightweight engineering for the energy and resource transition.
Despite this challenging background, the ILK can look back on a successful year. Back in January, we welcomed over 500 guests to the LEIV as part of the 12th Saxon Transfer Roadshow. At both JEC World 2023 and the Hannover Messe, we experienced enormous demand for our latest developments – especially in the field of software-based lightweight engineering solutions. As part of the 26th International Dresden Lightweight Engineering Symposium and the 5th Saxon-Polish Innovation Day, we discussed innovative approaches to sustainable mobility and stronger cross-border cooperation with numerous experts from science and industry. As part of the TryING program “Leichtbau leicht gemacht”, we also had the opportunity to share practical experience with students in an age-appropriate way.
Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Maik Gude – Chair of Lightweight Systems Engineering and MultiMaterial Design and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Niels Modler Chair of Function-integrative Lightweight Engineering
In addition to these events, it is of course the large and small research projects that form the core of our work. The successful continuation of SFB/TRR 285 " Method development for mechanical joinability in versatile process chains" into the second phase, the initiation of RTG 2868 "D³ – Data-driven Design of Resilient Metamaterials" and the launch of the DiDe4Rec project (Digital design process for the recycling of fiber-reinforced lightweight structures) and the syntralT!Raum project are just a few examples. The latter deliberately emphasises technology transfer at eye level for sustainable structural change in Lusatia. Since June 2023, we have also been able to focus on an intensive partnership with Citrine Informatics Inc. for AI-supported clarification of the process parameter-structure-property relationship. This will be helpful, for example, for the ElViS project, in which we will produce structurally integrated batteries based on modified carbon fibers in the future. With a practical approach, our colleagues demonstrated completely new ways of producing sustainable theater sculptures using large-scale 3D printers. On the Science and Innovation Campus of the DRESDEN-concept, research, application and culture are always particularly close to each other!
The visit of the Indian ambassador to discuss existing and future collaborations, such as the ILK project COMPOLL, marked the perfect beginning of a new era in research cooperation with Indian research partners. Meetings with the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU Singapore) as well as the ILK Summer School for highly talented Korean youth underline the international networking and reputation of the ILK.
All of these successes in 2023 can only be achieved through outstanding dedication, for which we, the Executive Board, would like to thank all staff and students, and hope for their continued unwavering support as we face the challenges ahead!
