Lightweight components made of carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) are becoming increasingly important in many areas of everyday life. In the past, the main industries for the use of CFRP in Europe were mainly aerospace and automotive. But for several years now, carbon fiber reinforced structures have also been found in the wind, construction, marine and mechanical and plant engineering sectors. The use of CFRP seems to make particular sense in the latter, because wherever larger masses have to be accelerated, various advantages of the material CFRP can come into play. For example, the reduced weight means that the energy required for propulsion can be reduced. At the same time, the outstanding strength and stiffness properties mean that significant material savings can be made. New types of function integration are also conceivable, starting from sensors or actuators to online process monitoring and Internet of Things, the material CFRP opens up new possibilities in mechanical and plant engineering. Through the use of new and adapted technologies, the aim is to expand the range of possibilities of plants and machines and at the same time to strengthen the participants in international competition due to possible cost saving potentials. The CFRP in Mechanical Engineering working group, headed by André Baeten, research professor for lightweight construction and fiber composite technology at the Faculty of Mechanical and Process Engineering at Augsburg University of Applied Sciences, is pursuing the goal of further establishing CFRP as a material in mechanical engineering and finding new fields of application. Representatives from industry and science meet regularly to jointly identify challenges and develop solutions. Both an intensive exchange on the state of the art and the derivation of collaborative research projects are core tasks of the working group. The experts from Augsburg University of Applied Sciences and CU are always on hand to help.