Founded as a new initiative emerging from the RTC under the leadership of Univ.-Prof. Dr. Florian Eibl, the Manufacturing Research & Transfer Center (MRTC) is setting new directions and expanding the existing profile with additional research priorities. Our ambition is not merely to apply Additive Manufacturing, but to understand, monitor, adapt and scale it to successfully transfer it into real-world process chains and products.

The MRTC stands for modern, application-oriented research and development in Additive Manufacturing. We combine scientific excellence with industrial feasibility, creating an environment in which new processes, robust methods and concrete applications are developed together with our partners.

Our motivation at the MRTC is to shape Additive Manufacturing as a key technology for future-proof and responsible value creation. Our goal is not only to manufacture new components, but to further develop the technology in a way that creates solid impact in industrial practice - technically, economically and societally. We therefore align our research and services with key transformation objectives:

Technological Sovereignty, Resilience & Robust Supply Chains:
We aim to strengthen production systems that remain reliable even under uncertain conditions. Additive Manufacturing enables flexible, decentralized production and rapid responsiveness, for example in the manufacture of spare parts, small series or critical components. In this way, we help reduce dependencies, increase strategic flexibility and make supply chains more resilient.

Circular Economy & Sustainable Value Creation:
Our ambition is to approach value creation from a consistently circular perspective. Additive Manufacturing opens up new opportunities for function-oriented, repairable and material-efficient components, as well as for reuse and remanufacturing. At the MRTC, we develop methods that systematically integrate sustainability across design, manufacturing processes and complete process chains and transfer these approaches into industrial practice.

Climate Neutrality & Resource Efficiency:
We aim to demonstrate how additive processes can make a measurable contribution to more efficient production. Material- and energy-efficient manufacturing strategies, reduced scrap rates and component-optimized designs can help lower emissions across the product life cycle. To achieve this, we develop robust process windows and holistic process chains that reliably combine efficiency with high quality.

Digitalization & Artificial Intelligence:
Additive Manufacturing is inherently data-driven and this provides a major lever for improving quality and scalability. We systematically use process and sensor data for smart monitoring, data-driven quality assurance and AI-supported models for anomaly detection and process optimization. Our goal is to enable transparent, adaptive and qualifiable processes that provide industrial partners with a high degree of reliability and confidence.

In this way, the MRTC combines scientific depth with practical implementation and turns Additive Manufacturing into a tangible contribution to resilience, sustainability and digital transformation.

Additive Manufacturing delivers the greatest value when expertise, infrastructure and shared objectives come together. For this reason, the MRTC works closely and continuously with:

• Industry partners (application development, process stability, scaling, qualification)

• Research partners (joint development of methods, data models, fundamental research)

• Policymakers & public administration (innovation and regional development, standards, qualification)

• Stakeholders from society (transparency, talent development, education, open innovation formats)

This collaboration creates solutions that are both technologically compelling and viable in practice with a clear focus on economic efficiency, sustainability and long-term capability development.

We support companies, research partners and public-sector stakeholders throughout the entire innovation cycle:

• Feasibility Studies & Technology Consulting (component assessment, material and process selection, Design for Additive Manufacturing)

• Process & Parameter Development (stable, reproducible and suitable for qualification)

• Monitoring & Quality Concepts (data strategies, inspection plans, inline and in-situ approaches)

• Prototyping & Small-Series Production, including component optimization and post-processing concepts

• Transfer & Implementation (pilot projects, training and integration into existing production environments)

• Collaborative Projects & Funded Research together with industry, academia and public-sector partners

We always consider Additive Manufacturing as part of the entire value chain from materials and processes to quality assurance and final application.