Advanced Materials in DER SPIEGEL

The current issue of “Starkes Land Österreich”, a supplement to DER SPIEGEL, contains an article on advanced materials research at Montanuniversität Leoben. It focuses on materials research and industrial logistics, which are connected by the same method: simulation.

Gefügeuntersuchung metallischer Proben im Rasterelektronenmikroskop. ©ÖAW/Pichler

Montage eines Wolframgestänges für Versuche im Vakuum bei bis zu 2000 °C. ©ÖAW/Pichler

The article “Material, das mehr kann” (Material that can do more) shows how Industry 4.0 at Leoben starts with the material. Daniel Kiener, Head of the Department of Materials Science, explains why the Eiffel Tower, if built today, would be three times lighter because of new steels. Using tungsten for the ITER fusion reactor as an example, he also describes how tests on micrometer-scale specimens make it possible to predict wear and failure. Michael Burtscher, Head of the Materials Research Cluster, presents work on silicon carbide for power electronics and on nanoscale coatings.

Manuel Woschank, Deputy Head of the Chair of Industrial Logistics, explains how realistic simulations and real-time data are used to optimize transport, handling and storage processes. The article thus covers the range from the atomic scale to the production floor.

Read more in DER SPIEGEL, Starkes Land Österreich, Oktober 2026, S. 48

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