Funding

Our
Fundings

Current research at Composites United focuses on fiber-based multi-material lightweight design, fiber composite applications in civil engineering, and ceramic matrix composites (CMC). We address all topics along the value chain, such as production systems, efficiency & sustainability, design & engineering, digitalization & automation as well as knowledge, business models and networks.

Composites United provides support in initiating and coordinating projects and partnering, in opening up new fields of knowledge and technology across industries, in identifying topics with great market potential, and in reducing bureaucracy and accelerating technology transfer.

Are you also interested in research funding for composites and lightweight design?
You would like to actively shape the content of CU research funding?
You would like to select the CU projects to be funded?
You would like to decide on the use of funds or be funded yourself?
You would like to have exclusive access to the results of completed, ongoing and future projects?

Then join us and become a research member of Composites United.

Dr. Thomas Heber (thomas.heber@composites-united.com) will be pleased to tell you how it works.

Success Stories

MAI Carbon Leading-Edge Cluster Funding: Between 2012 and 2017, the German Leading-Edge Cluster MAI Carbon had €80 million at its disposal to successfully transfer CFRP to mass production. Production costs were successfully reduced by up to 80% and offcuts and rejects by up to 90%. Sustainability concepts were developed, completely new construction methods established and small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) strengthened. 36 successfully implemented joint projects have contributed to the fact that CFRP has now become established in automotive engineering, aerospace technology and mechanical and plant engineering.

Campus Carbon 4.0: The joint initiative of the University of Augsburg and MAI Carbon started in 2017. Nine research projects have already been launched with a project budget of approx. 30 million €. The strategic directions of Campus Carbon 4.0 are, on the one hand, the digitalization of CFRP production and the advancement of hybrid materials.

International research: Intercontinental research projects were also successfully launched for the first time in 2019. In the MAI iSpan project, German companies and research institutions are working together with US companies and universities to investigate far-reaching issues in the finishing of CFRP. New applications of recycled CFRP in South Korea and Germany are being analyzed as part of the MAI ScrapSeroproject. This international research will be further expanded in 2020. Together with partners from Japan, the projects ThermoPros and HiPeR will start in April. These projects deal with the issues of thermoplastic profile production and CFRP recycling

Preliminary research: Since 2018, universities and SME dealing with CMC related issues have been financially supported. The so-called pre-research projects are intended to carry out initial preliminary tests for project proposals, and project consortia are also to be supported in the project initiation phase. Since 2018, ten preliminary research projects have already been carried out successfully.

Joint industrial research: Since 2017, Composites United Leichtbau-Forschung gGmbH has been a member of the German Federation of Industrial Research Associations and is therefore eligible to apply for BMWi funding for joint industrial research. This is intended to benefit above all SME that cannot afford to commission research services themselves. IGF funding is intended to enable research institutions to conduct research and development on behalf of SME. The results are always exploited by the SME. Since 2018, three projects have already been successfully launched. We are constantly working on bringing new ideas for funding.

Educational projects: Education is also in the focus of Composites United. Starting with the youngest, our children, up to doctoral students. We take care of continuous education chains, whether on an academic level or in the form of dual vocational training. We regularly launch projects and initiatives to ensure that you too will have enough young people available in the future.