Innovative projects in Bremen: The path to sustainable materials!

Innovative projects in Bremen: The path to sustainable materials!

The Matena innovate! Center, an affiliated institute of the University of Bremen, today announced the start of four new projects. These projects are supported with financing of around 1.5 million euros. The aim of these projects is to translate basic materials science research more quickly into marketable applications in order to meet the increasing demand for sustainable materials. The center was founded in 2024 and receives funding from the Joachim Herz Foundation. It thus closes a gap in knowledge and technology transfer in which many classic innovation chains fail.

The Matena innovate! Center promotes close collaboration between researchers from materials science and experts from transfer and innovation management. There are currently seven research projects underway, including three transfer pilot projects that have been active since the beginning of 2025. The new initiative makes it possible to focus on innovative approaches, including upcycling, AI-supported production and CO2 reduction.

New projects for sustainable solutions

The four new transfer projects include various innovative approaches:

• Use Swarf: Dieses Projekt zielt darauf ab, Schleifschlamm aus der Metallverarbeitung upzucyclen, um Verschleißschutzschichten herzustellen. Koordiniert von Dr. Anastasiya Tönjes, hat es das Potenzial, Abfallprodukte in nützliche Materialien umzuwandeln.
• Twinspace: Hier wird ein Robotersystem entwickelt, das zur Herstellung von Leichtbaukomponenten in der Luftfahrtindustrie eingesetzt werden soll. Professor Michael Beetz leitet dieses zukunftsweisende Projekt.
• Ostenit: Die Entwicklung eines optischen Sensors zur Verbesserung der Qualität und Ressourceneffizienz bei der Oberflächenbehandlung von Stahlprodukten steht im Mittelpunkt dieses Projekts, koordiniert von Professor Andreas Fischer.
• Nachhaltige Gasaufbereitung im Stahlwerk: Dieses Vorhaben fokussiert sich auf die katalytische Umwandlung von CO2-haltigen Gasen zur Herstellung synthetischer Kraftstoffe und wird von Professor Jorg Thöming geleitet.

The projects are part of a broader framework of research into sustainable materials that is funded at the University of Freiburg and the Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space. In particular, work is being done on combining resource-saving material selections and the development of functional systems.

Importance of materials research

Materials research is becoming increasingly important, especially in view of global challenges such as climate change, raw material shortages and industrial change. The Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space has launched the specialist program “Material innovations for the transformation of the economy and society (Mat2Twin)”. It aims to create value networks for innovative, robust materials that can be recycled.

Sustainable materials should not only increase the lifespan of products, but also improve their repairability and environmental friendliness. Areas of application include the development of longer-lasting prostheses and implants as well as 3D bioprinting for tissue and organ replacement. Digital methods, including the use of AI and digital twins, are revolutionizing materials research by increasing efficiency and unleashing new innovative power.

In summary, the new projects of Matena innovate! Center highlights the enormous potential of materials research, which not only benefits industry, but can also make decisive contributions to overcoming the major challenges of our time. Given the enormous material costs, which account for 56% of production costs in the manufacturing sector, a focus on sustainable and innovative solutions is essential.

For more information about sustainable materials and their research, you can read the coverage on the websites of University of Bremen, INATECH and BMFTR see.