About us
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.
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
Five prizewinners from Heilbronn, Schwäbisch Gmünd, Stuttgart and Tübingen receive prize money totaling 250,000 euros. The special prize of 5,000 euros goes to a university group from Karlsruhe, in recognition of the outstanding commitment of the university group Engineers Without Borders.
Press release from the state of Baden-Württemberg
Yesterday, Nov. 19, 2025, we were pleased to welcome many interested pupils at the Study Information Day, who came to the Department of Mechanical Engineering desk in the Audimax to get advice, attend taster lectures and guided tours and marvel at our exhibits.
Thanks to the advisory team, all speakers and participants. We look forward to the next Study Info Day in November 2026.
Heat-resistant, radiation-resistant and industrially producible - this is how the proverbial "first wall" of future fusion power plants should withstand the extreme conditions inside the reactor. KIT researchers are developing new materials and production processes together with partners from science and industry under the coordination of the laser fusion company Focused Energy. The BMFTR is funding the joint project with around 11 million euros.
Damp meadows, steep slopes and loose soils often pose a challenge for agricultural vehicles. Together with an industrial partner, researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have developed a new drive system that safely drives off-road vehicles through difficult terrain. It replaces conventional differentials with individually controllable gears on each wheel. This makes it possible to master terrain that was previously impassable.
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