Sustainable materials

Science & Research

Sustainable materials

The Institute for Sustainable Technical Systems (INATECH) in the Faculty of Technology at the University of Freiburg is the scientific engineering core of Freiburg's sustainability research.

It focuses on three profile lines: Sustainable Materials, Energy Systems and Resilience. Materials, however, are the unifying element of research at INATECH. It integrates across topics and offers points of contact beyond the faculty. Many areas of tech are now about developing steps towards more sustainability. But only a prudent selection of basic materials, their resource-efficient processing and use in the final analysis, and their being re-used make the development step sustainable.

„A solid understanding of material cycles
– of their utilization and their use from raw material to recycling matter – is central to research and teaching at INATECH.“
Prof. Dr. Stefan Hiermaier
Direktor Inatech
The Materials Circles Research Unit investigates life cycles of various materials.
The Materials Circles Research Unit investigates life cycles of various materials.
Prof. Dr. Stefan Hiermaier is director of the INATECH at Freiburg university and Head of Fraunhofer Institute for High-Speed Dynamics, Ernst-Mach-Institut (EMI).
Prof. Dr. Stefan Hiermaier is director of the INATECH at Freiburg university and Head of Fraunhofer Institute for High-Speed Dynamics, Ernst-Mach-Institut (EMI).

The Eva-Mayr-Stihl Foundation funds in parallel, a group of researchers as well as a teaching and further education project in the Master's programme "Sustainable Systems Engineering." The Material Research Unit as part of INATECH sustainability research investigates system-related material life cycles. In addition, it coordinates research and organizes the module "Material Life Cycles" in Sustainable Systems Engineering.