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The Department of Mechanical Engineering is part of KIT's Area 3 "Mechanical and Electrical Engineering" together with the Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, four Helmholtz programs, and eight institutes of the large-scale research area. The department consists of more than 20 institutes with about 1,000 employees, including about 45 professors, 460 scientific employees, and 200 employees in administration and technology. In addition, there are several hundred tutors and scientific assistants.
The honorary award recognizes individuals who have made a special contribution to engineering, scientific and technological progress, and community work within the VDI. Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dr. h. c. Albert Albers, head of IPEK (KIT), was honored for his services in research, teaching, and voluntary work. With excellence, practical relevance, and commitment, he has shaped product development worldwide and contributed his expertise to many VDI committees. His work on methodical product development continues to shape engineering education to this day. VDI News
KIT contributes key competencies to fusion alliance
Baden-Württemberg will participate in the cross-state alliance for fusion research, in which several federal states are pooling their activities for the development of fusion reactors. The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) will make a significant scientific contribution to this alliance. The main focus will be on identifying and removing technological obstacles to the practical use of fusion energy. KIT News BW press release
With the new investment company BW-Capital GmbH, the state aims to strengthen start-ups and accelerate innovation. At its meeting on December 9, 2025, the Council of Ministers paved the way for the new investment company of the state of Baden-Württemberg, BW-Capital GmbH. This will enable the establishment of a central instrument for promoting young, innovative companies. In the future, BW-Capital GmbH will provide targeted venture capital for technology-oriented start-ups, scale-ups, and innovative medium-sized companies. BW press release
The RIRO Excellence University Project transfers the unique strengths of KIT into teaching. As part of the Helmholtz Association, KIT operates numerous infrastructures for large-scale research tasks that are unique in the German higher education and science system. In order to specifically incorporate this strength into teaching, KIT launched the RIRO – Research Infrastructures in Research-Oriented Teaching excellence university project seven years ago. A unique opportunity for students – and researchers.
On November 24, 2025, Prof. Martin Heilmaier held a Distinguished Scholar Seminar on the development of novel ultra-high-temperature alloys based on refractory metals at Monash University in Clayton, Victoria, Australia. The Distinguished Scholar award, part of the Monash program led by Prof. Aijun Huang, recognizes Prof. Heilmaier's outstanding contributions to materials research.
The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) is once again one of the leading technical universities in Europe in the third edition of EngiRank. Among around 250 evaluated universities from 36 countries, it once again took twelfth place, making it the third best technical university in Germany. KIT performs particularly well in three subject areas: In materials science and materials engineering (DE rank 1, EU rank 6), in environmental engineering (DE rank 2, EU rank 7), and in medical technology (DE rank 2, EU rank 9). KIT-News
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