As is customary for annual smart³ events, the keynotes were followed by lively discussions on the future of intelligent materials. The message was always the same: collaboration is essential to help these technologies achieve a breakthrough. In the countless bilateral conversations, the focus was also on building, expanding, and maintaining networks. Over the years, many participants have also developed friendships, highlighting the uniqueness of the smart materials community. Contributing to this is, not least, the diversity of the members of smart³ e.V., who played a role in the success of the Summit on both days.

From the beginnings of smart materials to intelligent cooling – smart materials Summit Day 1

On the evening before the actual event, the team from the administrative office invited participants to an informal get-together. In the heart of Saarbrücken’s city center, reunions were celebrated and exchanges maintained over regional specialties, while new contacts were also made. Just a few hours later, the first day of the event began, promising an exciting and full program. The first participants arrived shortly after eight o’clock at the Center for Mechatronics and Automation Technology (ZeMA). Right on time at nine o’clock, Holger Kunze, Chairman of the Board of smart³ e.V., and Prof. Paul Motzki, member of the Board of smart³ e.V. and host at ZeMA, officially opened the smart materials Summit 2024.

A morning full of input on smart materials

The sessions began with Dr. Kenny Pagel (Fraunhofer IWU), who, in his keynote, provided a historical overview of SMA systems developed to date, focusing in particular on problems, pitfalls, and special features. He was followed by Dr. Marcel Gültig (memetis GmbH), who highlighted the relevance of shape memory actuators based on flat-form materials for space applications. A very special presentation, musically underscored to match, was given by Dr. Thorsten Pretsch (Fraunhofer IAP) on the current state of shape memory polymer research. Dr. Markus Laufenberg (ETO Gruppe) delivered an exciting update on magnetic shape memory materials in his keynote. The last speaker before lunch, Prof. Dr. Pascal Nicolay (CiSMAT / FH Kärnten (A)), captivated the audience with his keynote on sensors embedded in concrete.

Well-fortified, the second part of the first day initially focused on caloric materials. MSc. Applied Physics Sabrina Unmüßig (Fraunhofer IPM) dedicated her session to magnetocalorics; Prof. Dr. Stefan Seelecke (University of Saarland) to elastocalorics; and Junior Prof. Dr. Stefan Mönch (University of Stuttgart) to electrocalorics. What all three keynotes had in common: they demonstrated the potential of smart materials for intelligent cooling and heating. In view of climate change and its consequences, this is a field we will certainly hear much more about in the future.

Opening of the smart³ branch office

A special highlight awaited the participants after the well-deserved coffee break. Holger Kunze, Dr. Sophie Nalbach, and Prof. Paul Motzki officially inaugurated the first branch office of smart³ e.V. With the symbolic handover of a magenta-colored and therefore very eye-catching mailbox, the open secret of why the smart materials Summit 2024 was held in Saarbrücken was finally revealed. The location had been deliberately chosen by the board, as it is a hotspot for numerous members of the international smart materials community. From now on, there is an additional point of contact for everyone involved in intelligent materials—or planning to be in the future.

An afternoon dedicated to looking beyond the horizon

The third part of the first day was opened by Dr. Czechowicz (Johnson Electric), who, in his keynote, highlighted requirements, examples, and challenges from an industry perspective. He was followed by Dr. Juliane Thielsch (Fraunhofer IWU), who, in her presentation, demonstrated the potential of additive processing of nickel-titanium alloys using laser powder bed fusion. Her successor, Dr. Max Kaiser (Leibniz Institute IVW), continued seamlessly with applications of form-adaptive hybrid composites with shape memory alloys for the interested audience. The final technical input of the day was provided by Dr. Jannis Nicolas Lemke (BioActiveMetals), who addressed the key technical and economic challenges and obstacles that stand in the way of sustainable production of smart alloys beyond the laboratory scale. A brief exchange in the smart³ topic circles and a guided tour of the ZeMA brought the official part of the first day of the event to a close.

An evening in good company

At Jules Verne, a rustic Saarbrücken restaurant, the official aftershow dinner took place. In the usual relaxed atmosphere, thoughts about the day so far were exchanged and further discussed. Above all, however, it was a celebration of community—which was once again put to the test. All dinner participants had the chance to win a voucher for an “Inhouse Cross Innovation Workshop.” In true pub quiz style, teams had to be formed and, using swarm intelligence, answer ten sometimes tricky questions about smart³. The winner was the team that delivered the most correct answers the fastest. In a thrilling neck-and-neck race, the team from mateligent ultimately came out on top and can now look forward to a special workshop in 2025.

From elastomers to outer space
– smart materials Summit Day 2

The second day of the smart materials Summit 2024 also promised to be exciting. This time, the organizing team chose the Innovation Center on the campus of Saarland University as the venue. Here, in a more or less open lecture hall, participants were once again able to listen to fascinating presentations. The day began with Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jürgen Maas (TU Berlin), who offered an entertaining insight into the topic of “Dielectric Elastomer Transducers.” Andreas Meyer (mateligent iDEAS) then reported on the industrial development of dielectric elastomer sensors and their application in future fields—thus, after just two sessions, the bridge from theory to practice had already been built.

The next thematic block focused entirely on modern spaceflight (NewSpace). It began with Felix Motzki (Reflex Aerospace), who, in his keynote, provided an insight into modern satellite manufacturing and the differences compared to previous approaches. Demonstrating that smart materials have their relevance in NewSpace, Dr. Sven Langbein (Lamb Space Tec) used his presentation not only to trace the journey of his newly founded company so far, but also to give a glimpse into the future. Particularly impressive was the fact that in just a few months, a mission is scheduled to launch that will carry the company’s first products into space.

To conclude the morning, under the moderation of Prof. Paul Motzki, there was a lively panel discussion between Dr. Sven Langbein, Prof. Dr. Stefan Seelecke, Felix Motzki, Dr. Markus Laufenberg, and Holger Kunze. Their conclusion: it remains essential to promote smart materials in order to drive their widespread adoption—not only because there are plenty of potential application areas, but also because the materials themselves have advanced tremendously in recent years. And: successes in the smart materials community are definitely worth celebrating together!

Honoring achievement – the smart³ Community Awards 2024

The best example of this year’s spirit are the recipients of the smart materials Community Awards, presented in the two categories “Innovative Applications with Smart Materials” and “Special Commitment to the Smart Materials Community.” In the Innovative Applications category, the memetis GmbH won over the jury. Their innovative miniature actuators not only help raise awareness of this class of materials, but also lay the foundation for its commercial breakthrough. In addition, they are also being used in space. For establishing the iMSL – intelligent Material Systems Lab at Saarland University, for his many years of international work, and for his valuable support of the smart³ network, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Stefan Seelecke was honored in the “Special Commitment” category.

Thus, the smart materials Summit 2024 ended with applause and the certainty that this event format will also take place in 2025—because in the long term, there is no way around smart materials.