Welcome to the IIP 
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Deputy Director DFIU
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Institute for Industrial Production (IIP)
Campus West, building 06.33 Phone: Fax: +49 721 608-44682 |
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Chairs at the IIP
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The InnoBeton research project has been nominated for the 2026 NEO Innovation Award of the Karlsruhe Technology Region. Under this year's theme of "Smart and Sustainable Building," the innovation award recognizes projects and ideas that provide new impetus for construction and renovation and contribute to a sustainable future. We are delighted about this nomination and the recognition of our research!
On October 9, 2026, the event titled “Climate Protection through Digitalization – Rethinking Material Flows” was held at Heidelberg Materials in Heidelberg. The event focused on the potential of digital technologies to promote a resource-efficient circular economy. During this gathering, three flagship projects associated with BioCyclesRN—an initiative co-developed by the IIP—were showcased by the companies Fibryx, FRENVI, and RecovLabs. Additionally, the event provided valuable opportunities for professional exchange and networking between members of the scientific community and the business sector.
The IIP congratulates Simon Steffl, who successfully completed his doctoral examination on "Composites in a Circular Economy“ on October 9th, 2026.
On Thursday, September 17, 2026, the IIP went on an institute outing in beautiful, sunny weather. Sustainably, the group cycled along the Alb River from the central station to the Karlsruhe-Rappenwörth Nature Conservation Center, where they enjoyed a several-hour tour that provided extensive information on nature conservation. The trip concluded at the "Gasthaus zum Ritter", where hearty pizzas served as a well-earned reward.
In the latest ASIMUTE interview, Dr. Max Kleinebrahm, Head of the Energy Demand & Mobility research group at KIT’s Institute for Industrial Production (IIP), discusses his path into energy research and his work on the project. He reflects on the earlier projects that shaped his career and explains why he is particularly interested in how technological possibilities, economic decisions, and human behavior interact.
In Work Package 9, which he coordinates, we develop methods to optimize the operation of energy systems in residential buildings. These methods consider energy costs, greenhouse gas emissions, peak electrical loads, and thermal comfort. The aim is to identify suitable compromises between these sometimes conflicting requirements.
ASIMUTE investigates how energy demand, renewable generation, and storage can be better coordinated. Partners from Germany, France, and Switzerland examine technical solutions as well as household expectations and the legal frameworks in the Upper Rhine region. We contribute to Work Packages 3, 4, and 9.
The full interview with Max Kleinebrahm and earlier interviews with other project members are available on the ASIMUTE project website.
Further information about the project ASIMUTE.
We would like to draw your attention to the newsletters published by the “Bioeconomy Baden-Württemberg” network regarding the BioCyclesRN project, which provide regular updates on the project's progress.
On July 30, the IIP-Bridge association held its annual event, during which the IIP-Bridge Sustainability Awards for Bachelor’s and Master’s theses in the fields of production and energy economics were presented. Awards were given to Mr. Patrick Schneider (Bachelor’s thesis) for "Techno-economic system optimization of utility-scale PV-BESS plants to quantify the divergence between yield maximization and market profitability" (small image) and to Mr. Niklas Spachmann (Master’s thesis) for "From newspaper articles to knowledge graph—LLM-supported extraction and analysis of climate-related connections from regional reporting in the Black Forest." The award ceremony took place as part of a public event hosted by the association and was complemented by a keynote lecture from Dr. Emil Kraft titled "On the Art and the Science of Battery Evaluation (at EnBW)." To conclude the event, participants had the opportunity to discuss current issues in production and energy economics over cold drinks and a barbecue.
The third network meeting of the projects in the funding program “Initiatives for the Further Development of the Baden-Württemberg Leading Region for Sustainable Bioeconomy” was held in Stuttgart on July 28, 2026. The focus was on cross-project exchange and progress to date. The BioCyclesRN project, in which KIT/IIP is participating together with the City of Mannheim, presented its two flagship projects for the first time. These projects focus on regional natural fibers for industrial lightweight construction applications and on bio-based heat storage panels for the construction industry. The meeting also provided an opportunity to share experiences, identify synergies, and strengthen further collaboration among the funded projects.
The LandWandel research project, which focused on developing practical approaches to help rural regions adapt to the impacts of climate change, has been successfully completed. A key outcome of the project is the digital “AnLand” catalogue, which supports municipalities in identifying climate risks, assessing their impacts, and deriving suitable adaptation measures. The IIP contributed its expertise particularly in impact analysis as well as the evaluation and prioritisation of adaptation measures. The project results are now available online.
The heat wave in June 2026 demonstrated the significant impact of extreme temperatures on meteorology, water levels, energy, and health. A new CEDIM report provides precise analyses and graphics on this topic. Both IIP chairs contributed to the report.
Go to the CEDIM overview page:
https://www.cedim.kit.edu/2926.php
Directly to the full report:
https://www.cedim.kit.edu/download/CEDIM-FDA-Report_HeatWaveJune2026.pdf
As part of the Circular Economy lecture series, a field trip was held on June 23, 2026, to Heinrich Feeß GmbH & Co. KG in Kirchheim unter Teck.
On site, participants gained practical insights into the circular economy of mineral building materials, the processing of construction waste, and the production of high-quality recycled building materials. The field trip vividly complemented the lecture content and highlighted the technical, economic, and regulatory challenges involved in returning building materials to the economic cycle.
The IIP would like to thank Heinrich Feeß GmbH & Co. KG for the informative tour and the engaging discussions.
The IIP congratulates Thorben Sandmeier, who successfully completed his doctoral examination on "Transmission Grid Operation and Congestion Management in Future Renewable-Dominated Power Systems“ on June 15th, 2026.
On 22 May 2026, the IIP welcomed Dr Jason Harold from the University of Galway to an institute colloquium entitled “Consumer Acceptance of Time-of-Use Tariffs: The Role of Information and Price Salience”.
The interesting presentation was followed by a lively and engaged discussion.