Fraunhofer IGCV emerges from the two Fraunhofer project groups Resource-efficient Mechatronic Processing Machines RMV and Function-integrated Lightweight Construction FIL. At the same time, a third department for casting technology is established in Garching from the Chair of Metal Forming and Casting utg at the Technical University of Munich (TUM). The new research facility will initially employ around 100 people and is expected to grow to around 160 by 2021.

Then Bavaria's Minister of Economic Affairs, Ilse Aigner, said: "The Bavarian state government has funded the establishment of the two research groups with around 43.5 million euros. With the new foundation of Fraunhofer IGCV, we are now further strengthening Bavaria as a research and innovation location. This is a strong signal for Augsburg and Garching, but also for Bavaria as a whole."

A variety of research approaches show that by combining metal and fiber composites, the potential for lightweight construction can be exploited to a greater extent than in singular applications. One promising approach is to use the often competing technological approaches of light metal casting and fiber composite construction in a complementary manner. Focusing on hybrid construction methods and corresponding production systems offers the potential for highly integrated solutions and novel design concepts in lightweight construction. In the case of foundries and CFRP manufacturers and processors, which are strongly characterized by manual work, intelligent automation and digitization of process steps are also necessary. The integration of competencies from Industry 4.0 should therefore be seen as a further building block for competitive production in the future. "Measured in terms of the importance of lightweight construction, there are only a few research locations throughout Germany that focus on the combination of topics of casting, composites and intelligent automation," confirms Fraunhofer President Professor Reimund Neugebauer. "By founding the IGCV, Fraunhofer is also responding to the growing need for interdisciplinary research in Germany's core industries of automotive engineering, aircraft construction, and mechanical and plant engineering."
The new institution is headed by Professors Klaus Drechsler, Gunther Reinhart and Wolfram Volk. All three professors also each head a chair at TU M. This close connection opens up numerous synergies for developing comprehensive research results. "Our cooperation ranges from security in computer science and the chemistry of biogenic raw materials to building physics, silicon technology or intelligent food packaging technology. To develop novel lightweight structures, we are now pooling our materials and manufacturing competencies, where TUM has had leading expertise for years. Together, we are setting new standards in science and industrial application," says Professor Thomas Hofmann, Vice President of the Technical University of Munich. There are also intensive links and joint projects with the University of Augsburg and the Augsburg University of Applied Sciences.
The most important industries for Fraunhofer IGCV are automotive engineering, aircraft construction, and mechanical and plant engineering. The connection to small and medium-sized enterprises is a particular focus. Augsburg's second mayor Eva Weber is also pleased about this, "as this perfectly addresses the location's economic structure." Fraunhofer IGCV is strictly geared to industries' needs and sees itself as a value-creating service provider for manufacturing companies. The foundation process of Fraunhofer IGCV was accompanied by a high-ranking Steering Committee consisting of industry representatives from the relevant sectors (BMW, Airbus Helicopters, Voith, Federal Association of the German Foundry Industry) as well as representatives from politics (Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs) and the TUM. The Chamber of Industry and Commerce in Bavarian Swabia was also an important pioneer for today's foundation. "We are convinced that Fraunhofer IGCV will strengthen the business location of Bavarian Swabia and that Augsburg will thus play a weighty role in the southern technology axis," said Dr. Andreas Kopton, President of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce in Bavarian Swabia.
The new research facility is located at both Augsburg and Garching. The headquarters and administration are located in Augsburg. The casting technology field will move into a technical center with an adjoining office building close to the TUM campus at the Garching site.
So far, the Augsburg locations have been divided between the Augsburg Innovation Park and Martini Park; in the future, everything is to be bundled in the Augsburg Innovation Park. A new, second building within shouting distance of the existing building ist in the planning stage and is scheduled to be occupied in 2019.

With its settlement of companies and research units close to Augsburg University, the Augsburg Innovation Park creates a platform for knowledge and technology transfer for business and science.

Together with its partners, Fraunhofer IGCV is pursuing the common goal of establishing the Augsburg economic region as a European center for resource efficiency.