Fraunhofer LBF realignment bolsters end-to-end, single-source R&D services
Structural durability, smart structures and plastics expertise is being shifted into a unified, interdisciplinary structure to more efficiently support customers along the entire value chain.
Researchers at Fraunhofer LBF offer comprehensive solutions for a wide range of requirements. Source } Fraunhofer LBF, Raapke
The Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF (Fraunhofer, LBF, Darmstadt, Germany) enters 2026 with a comprehensive internal realignment. The organization’s aim is to offer end-to-end R&D services from a single source — from material selection and component evaluation to system integration, validation and operational monitoring. It is a direct response to the growing demand from industry for recyclable, reliable, high-tech products that must be developed and validated economically despite high functional and safety requirements.
Fraunhofer LBF supports research on the interactions between materials, components and systems (MCS). It aligns its services and research offerings along six fields:
- Digital Twins and Simulation
- Dynamics and Vibration Engineering
- Reliability Assessment and Lifetime Prediction
- Validation, Prototyping, Sustainability and Circularity
- Consulting and Training.
Through its realignment, the institute’s aim is interlinking scientific methods, research capacities and transfer paths in such a way that will enable companies to make reliable decisions at an early stage of product development and bring reliable, recyclable solutions into application more quickly.
To this end, the institute is combining material, structural and system expertise with digital methods, AI and digital twins, as well as strategies for circularity throughout the product life cycle.
Fraunhofer LBF is strengthening its R&D division — comprising six research departments that systematically develops the institute’s key scientific expertise and translates it into transfer-oriented, application-oriented services — with its Innovation, Transfer and Cooperation (ITC) division. ITC observes needs and trends, identifies opportunities, initiates and coordinates cross-competence projects, and supports rapid transfer into industrial applications.
The Test Bench Design, Implementation and Operation (TIO) department bundles together the institute’s test infrastructure and ensures the efficient, professional execution of experimental tests and validations.
Overall, the new orientation creates a dynamic system with future viability that promotes innovation and strengthens the competitiveness of Fraunhofer LBF’s partners in the long term. Large companies and SMEs alike benefit from a comprehensive range of services that combines classic engineering disciplines with state-of-the-art digital methods, regardless of the industry.
