Mission and USP

Our mission: the intelligent use of materials

The intelligent use of materials is the key to future success and investments: our research work enables our customers to produce innovative and reliable products. We contribute to a society that strives for an efficient and sustainable use of energy and resources.

Making intelligent use of materials means:

• We make the mechanisms and processes in materials and material systems manageable by first assessing and describing them as models. This makes it possible to extract more of the potential performance and efficiency from technical systems.
• We measure materials down to their atomic structures and influence the interactions. This enables us to modify material properties to meet requirements and achieve new functionalities.
• We scrutinize material systems and manufacturing processes and transfer this knowledge into reliable products and technologies. Together with our partners from the fields of science and business, we develop innovations with a competitive edge.

The Fraunhofer IWM has achieved its unique position thanks to three methods established many years ago for dealing with questions concerning materials mechanics 

• The Fraunhofer IWM characterizes and evaluates the properties of materials in components and manufacturing processes and the behavior of components on many scales. It examines the development, manufacture and use of materials and components integrally and thus helps new functions and manufacturing steps to be realized.
• To derive the properties of materials from their internal structure, the Fraunhofer IWM develops and uses mechanism-based materials models. Similarly, such structure-property relationships can be used to exert influence on structure development during manufacture and when in use.
• The established interplay between experiment and simulation offers an outstanding level of solution expertise for materials-related questions in almost all industry sectors.

These approaches are put to use in all major research and development projects carried out by the Fraunhofer IWM and form the basis for sustainable solutions and project outcomes.

With its competence-based position in business fields, the Fraunhofer IWM is in a position to respond flexibly to market changes, independently of specific materials or industries as a cross-sectional institution, to capture relevant future markets and to work with industry partners to develop solutions for economic and social challenges.

to top