Prof. Schaper takes over leadership of the Paderborn Lightweight Construction Institute!

Prof. Schaper takes over leadership of the Paderborn Lightweight Construction Institute!

On October 14, 2025, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Mirko Schaper was unanimously elected as the new chairman of the Paderborn Institute for Lightweight Design with Hybrid Systems (ILH). In his new role, he will lead an interdisciplinary research network that develops innovative lightweight construction solutions for a sustainable future. Prof. Schaper, who is also dean of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Paderborn, succeeds Prof. Dr. Thomas Tröster, who successfully established the institute. Dr. Barbara Flöing-Hering takes over the position of the previous managing director, Dr. Silvia Dohmeier-Fischer.

The ILH currently includes twelve specialist groups and working groups from mechanical engineering as well as the departments of chemistry and physics. These specialist groups deal with a variety of topics, including materials, technologies, processing processes and special examination methods. The institute's focus is on the entire product life cycle of hybrid systems, from material and product development to production, simulation as well as repair and recycling concepts, such as uni-paderborn.de reported.

Lightweight construction as a key technology

Lightweight construction has established itself as a key technology for saving resources. Products that are developed using lightweight construction require less material, which not only offers cost advantages but is also more environmentally friendly. In the automotive industry in particular, lighter vehicles contribute to reduced fuel consumption and greater range for electric vehicles. Applications for lightweight construction technologies can also be found in medical technology as well as in the construction and leisure industries, such as ilh.uni-paderborn.de highlights.

The ILH pursues an interdisciplinary approach and promotes intensive knowledge transfer between engineering and natural sciences. Interdisciplinary project teams work on various research questions in basic and applied research. Particular attention is paid to hybrid lightweight structures that combine different materials to achieve special properties such as stiffness and strength.

Advances in additive manufacturing

An important project in the field of additive manufacturing (AM) is “MADE-3D”. This aims to develop processable, multi-material optimized alloys. In addition, design concepts for multi-material structures will be created with specific simulations for various load cases and topology optimizations. The integration of computational materials development approaches that combine thermodynamics, microstructure and process simulations with machine learning will support alloy and process development.

The project will be funded over three and a half years with around 6.7 million euros as part of the EU's “Horizon Europe 2022” program. A consortium consisting of various research institutions and companies, including the University of Paderborn, SLM Solutions, the Fraunhofer Institute for Foundry, Composite and Processing Technology IGCV as well as numerous international partners, will work on this initiative. The aim is to increase process reliability and promote the spread of multi-material manufacturing in industry uni-paderborn.de notes.