From October 6 to 7, 2021, the new hybrid event for lightweight design, LightCon, will take place for the first time in Hanover. Under the guiding theme of "Sustainability needs Lightweight Design", the two-day event will focus on the global challenges of sustainability, climate and resource protection and the reduction of CO2 emissions. Lightweight design technologies are seen as an enabler for achieving global climate targets.
In addition to the corona pandemic, the public is currently becoming increasingly aware of the pressing international issues surrounding climate and resource protection. Lightweight construction has a key role to play here, as it contributes precisely to these goals. But what are the specific advantages of lightweight construction? Which user industries benefit from lightweight construction solutions? And how can innovative lightweight construction concepts be implemented?
The new cross-material, cross-technology and cross-user conference trade fair LightCon provides answers to these questions - live on site and digitally. The focus is on four core topics: New material solutions, innovative manufacturing technologies, sustainable lightweight engineering and design as well as solutions and use cases from the user's perspective. LightCon is aimed at all those interested in lightweight construction, especially developers, engineers and designers, but also managers and managing directors who deal with the topic of lightweight construction and are looking for innovative solutions and cooperation partners.
Two days of compact knowledge about lightweight construction
High-caliber keynotes from politics and business will kick off the conference on both days. Lower Saxony's Minister President Stephan Weil has already confirmed his participation as a speaker. Prof. Christoph Herrmann, Director of the Fraunhofer IST and Director of the IWF at the Technical University of Braunschweig, will also be a live guest in the plenary session. In his keynote speech, he will shed light on the topic of "Life cycle engineering for lightweight structures in mobility applications". The keynote speech by Dr. Oliver Schauerte, Head of Group Research for Materials and Manufacturing Processes at Volkswagen, will also focus on the mobility of the future. From the road to the air and thus to another highly exciting topic - namely lightweight construction in aircraft construction - will be Isabell Gradert. Gradert is Material Fast Track Leader at Airbus, the world's largest aircraft manufacturer, and reports on the leverage that lightweight construction technologies have in aviation and what innovations can be expected in this area.
Ralf Bucksch, Technical Executive IBM AI Applications and Industry 4.0 EMEA, will reveal how the lightweight construction industry can benefit from state-of-the-art IT technologies such as artificial intelligence, mini PCs and big data.
The opening keynotes will be followed by the main part of the LightCon conference program. This is divided into three themed sessions with parallel specialist presentations and best-practice demonstrations. A total of more than 30 program items await the audience in this part alone. Renowned companies, institutes and universities, including Airbus Helicopters, ArcelorMittal, Bosch Climate Solutions, EDAG, Engel Austria Evonik, Fraunhofer and exciting start-ups such as the "Höhle-der-Löwen" winner Hyconnect and 9T Labs from Zurich, will be actively involved in the program and invite visitors to give presentations.
At the end of each day, there will be a closing keynote and a wrap-up session in which the most exciting points of the event will be summarized once again. The LightCon conference will be held entirely in English and broadcast live on the Internet.
LightCon is sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Economics. The event is also supported by a broad network of partners who want to jointly bundle and strengthen the potential of lightweight construction. In addition to the founding partner Composites United, these include Berlin Partner, C³ carbon concrete composite, the Federal Association of the German Foundry Industry, the Industrial Association for Massive Forming, the International Magnesium Association, the Lightweight Construction Interest Group (igeL), the Landshut Lightweight Construction Cluster, the VDEh Steel Association, Mobility goes Additive, the NanoMikroWerkstoffePhotonik.NRW cluster, Neue Materialien Fürth GmbH and the nanotechnology and new materials clusters (bayern innovativ).
