Impulses for sustainable mobility, circular economy and material innovations
On 24 February 2026, the "WerkstoffPlus Auto" symposium took place at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in Stuttgart. The established event organised by the DLR Institute of Vehicle Concepts once again brought together experts and managers from the automotive industry, the supplier sector, mechanical engineering and research.
The focus was on current developments relating to sustainable mobility, the circular economy, innovative materials, lightweight construction, battery and cooling technologies, the digitalisation of value chains and strategies for decarbonising the automotive industry. Renowned speakers from industry and research provided insights into technological advances, new material solutions and publicly funded transformation projects.
The conference was opened by Prof Dr Tjarks Siefkes and Dr Elmar Beeh from the DLR Institute of Vehicle Concepts. The speakers included experts from Volkswagen AG, BMW Group, Robert Bosch GmbH, ExxonMobil and the International Magnesium Association.
The topics ranged from "Design for Circularity" and wood-based composite materials to customised battery cooling and high-performance copper die-casting through to non-destructive testing methods in accordance with ASTM standards. Other contributions highlighted digital process routes along the automotive value chain and global trends in the use of magnesium in vehicle construction.
A tour of the institute offered practical insights into current research work at DLR. At the subsequent get-together, participants took the opportunity to engage in intensive professional dialogue and networking.
In recent years, WerkstoffPlus Auto has established itself as an important annual meeting place for vehicle and material innovations. From 2027, the event format will be fundamentally further developed and reorganised in order to create even more targeted added value for industry and research in the future.
We would like to thank all the speakers who made a significant contribution to the success of the event, as well as all the participants for their committed professional dialogue.
