For almost three decades, the International Dresden Lightweight Symposium has served as a central platform for interdisciplinary exchange between science, industry, and policy. In keeping with this tradition, the 29th edition once again brings together excellent fundamental research and practical application in key industrial sectors, ranging from automotive engineering to the energy industry.

Inspired by this year’s partner region in the Baltic Sea area, the symposium adopts the guiding concept of a modern “Technology Hanse.” Unlike historical trade alliances focused on the exchange of goods, this initiative centers on the creation of specialized value creation networks. Digitalization and secure data spaces are essential enablers, yet the foundation of this alliance remains engineering excellence: the ability to realize highly complex physical products through cross-material collaboration that would not be achievable by individual actors alone.

This year’s symposium focuses on three technological core areas that we consider decisive for the future viability of the industrial SME sector.

Sustainability requires a technological transformation toward a circular economy and recyclable material systems in order to strengthen Europe’s material independence. This transformation is not driven solely by environmental regulation, but by the need for resource efficiency and resilience in response to volatile raw material markets. Modern lightweight engineering provides the key strategies to decouple economic growth from resource consumption and to design products for long service life and efficient recycling.

Systemic approaches integrate material, design, and manufacturing into a holistic optimum that goes far beyond simple material substitution. At the core are functionally integrated multi-material designs combined with robust, digitally supported process chains. Only through this comprehensive perspective can the complexity of modern hybrid structures be managed and product variety implemented economically in industrial series production.

Competitiveness arises from the rapid transfer of excellent research into scalable industrial applications. Within a modern “Technology Hanse,” we secure our market position by occupying technological niches through highly specialized manufacturing expertise. Open technology platforms and cooperative development help distribute entrepreneurial risk and significantly shorten innovation cycles in lightweight engineering.