New CZS KRAFt center launched to drive resource-efficient AM
The €12 million initiative is funded by the Carl Zeiss Foundation
The newly established CZS Center for Circular Economy and Resource Efficiency using Additive Manufacturing Technologies (KRAFt Center) aims to make additive manufacturing process chains more sustainable. A joint initiative by the Environmental Campus Birkenfeld at Trier University of Applied Sciences, Aalen University of Applied Sciences, and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), the project is funded with €12 million from the Carl Zeiss Foundation.
Under the guiding vision, “We are laying the foundations for a sustainable and resource-efficient future using innovative additive manufacturing technologies,” the center was officially inaugurated on May 15, 2025.
The KRAFt Center is focused on addressing one of today’s most urgent global challenges: the responsible use of limited resources such as raw materials and energy. By leveraging the unique capabilities of AM, the center’s research teams aim to develop highly functional components using specially processed secondary materials in plastic, metal, and technical ceramic AM processes. These innovations are designed to reduce resource consumption not only in the final products but also throughout the manufacturing workflow.
Ten interdisciplinary working groups within the center will examine the entire AM value chain – from materials characterization and energy/data analytics to process optimization and product development. This comprehensive approach spans polymers, metals, and ceramics.
“A more efficient use of resources is essential for sustainable economic and social growth. As an interdisciplinary research network, the CZS KRAFt Center pools expertise across locations and focuses on the entire additive manufacturing process from various perspectives. We hope this will lead to new solutions for the circular economy,” said Dr. Felix Streiter, Managing Director of the Carl Zeiss Foundation.
“Given the limited availability of resources, we urgently need to rethink how we use them, bearing future generations in mind,” said Professor Thomas Hirth, Vice President Transfer and International Affairs at KIT. “Only sustainable innovations and resource-efficient technologies can guarantee a future worth living in for everyone. The new center will help us do just that.”
“We can meet the challenges posed by scarce resources using sustainable production methods. Alongside innovative ideas, we need an open, interdisciplinary cooperation based on trust,” said Professor Joachim Knebel, Head of Division III – Mechanical and Electrical Engineering at KIT. “We can achieve this by combining the innovative ideas of young people with responsibility and creative freedom.”
The KRAFt Center’s overarching goal is to develop resource-efficient, high-quality AM processes while reducing dependency on primary raw materials. The initiative includes extensive life cycle assessments to demonstrate how integrating secondary materials can meaningfully lower environmental impact. Additionally, the center aims to analyze and optimize energy consumption across the AM workflow to further promote sustainable production.
Collaboration is central to the KRAFt Center’s mission. The project involves 24 external partners, predominantly from industry, to ensure that research outcomes translate into practical, scalable applications across sectors.
