Strategy Activities (Photo: Alfred-Wegener-Institut)

The process took a considerable amount of time. In 2003, only one person was employed in the field of bionic lightweight construction. The number of employees increased to 16 by 2019.

It is clearly visible that contract research has increased very strongly in recent years. This ultimately led to the successful spin-off of a start-up company, Elise GmbH.

Due to the intensive cooperation with industry, a high demand for software for the development of lightweight structures was identified. As a result, Elise GmbH's business model is so attractive that investments of more than € 3 million have been raised.

As a result of the spin-off of the GmbH, research in the areas of functional morphology and bionic lightweight construction can now be intensified at AWI from 2020.

The new research should above all enable the understanding of complex natural structures and advance the development of sustainable multifunctional lightweight construction solutions.