Fibre composite and multi-material lightweight construction is undoubtedly one of the most dynamic and technologically demanding sectors in the economy today. The partnership with the industry association Composites United opens up new opportunities for us to support companies and institutions in this innovative and forward-looking sector in various key aspects of their business.
Modern materials are in demand thanks to their advantages
Fibre composites such as GRP (glass fibre reinforced plastic) and CFRP (carbon fibre reinforced plastic) are robust, can be processed with precision and are lighter than conventional materials.
Material manufacturers serve many industries with a wide range of material types. From shipbuilding and automotive to aerospace – the successful realisation of today’s mobility and transport requirements would be inconceivable without innovative materials. Composites are also indispensable in the fields of mechanical engineering, wind energy, construction, medicine and the sports and leisure industry.
About Composites United
Together with its members from industry and science, Composites United promotes the development of fibre composite and multi-material lightweight construction on a national and international level through a wide range of activities. We aim to accompany and support this endeavour with our expertise in knowledge transfer, dealing with legal framework conditions, business management and tax issues. This is because the development and protection of new materials and technologies, economic issues and compliance with complex legal regulations also pose major challenges for companies in this area.
Further training programmes in cooperation with Composites United
The first presentation by patent attorney Dr Leopold Gruner (white ip | Patent & Legal), who dealt with the legal aspects of protecting technologies and products in composite materials technology, took place at the end of October as part of the CU Wednesday web seminar. Topics discussed included how legal best practices and practical solutions can be harmonised, with a focus on the tension between open innovation and the protection of intellectual property. In addition, strategies for protecting innovations were presented and practical advice was given on the licensing of composite technologies. Particular attention was paid to potential pitfalls in cooperation agreements.
Further seminars are already planned for the future, including training by Marko Fischer (white ip | Tax) and Sebastian Mähler (white ip | Business Solutions) on analysing key figures, balance sheets and setting up successful controlling.
Projects and activities
In addition to the many activities for networking, further training and active support for CU members, there are numerous working groups and specialist projects in the areas of product innovation, such as the new and further development of materials, or process innovation, which can optimise the value creation process, for example through the use of machine learning and AI.
Regional knowledge transfer programmes are also supported, for example in Lusatia. As part of the T!Raum initiative, the Institute of Lightweight Engineering and Polymer Technology at TU Dresden (ILK), Composites United Ost and 16 other initial project partners from research facilities, universities, institutes and business partners will be promoting a sustainable transfer of ideas, knowledge and technology over the next nine years.
In the region, which is characterised by small and micro-enterprises, a supra-regionally visible industry cluster for resource-saving lightweight system construction is to be established, which will enable the transfer of existing local innovations and research results to plastics and metal processing companies.
The close exchange of knowledge and experience between science and industry, regional and supra-regional cooperation, addressing the shortage of skilled labour through training and further education and the expansion of international markets offer SMEs in Lusatia a great opportunity to develop a stable and resilient future.
We look forward to working with the members of the industry association by providing our expertise and resources to support their goals and together shape the future of fibre composite and multi-material lightweight construction together.