From October 6 to 7, 2021, the new hybrid event for lightweight design, LightCon, will be launched in Hannover for the first time. Under the guiding theme "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 technologies are enablers for achieving global climate targets. In addition to a series of showcases and live demonstrations, LightCon offers a wide-ranging conference program. The first highlights have already been confirmed.

Hannover. In addition to the Corona pandemic, the public is currently becoming increasingly aware of the urgent international issues surrounding climate protection and resource conservation. Lightweight construction plays a key role in this context, as it contributes precisely to these goals. However, what are the concrete advantages of lightweight construction? Which user industries benefit from lightweight solutions? How can innovative lightweight construction concepts be implemented?

The new cross material, cross technology and cross user conference 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, and 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 CEOs who are concerned with the topic of lightweight construction and are looking for innovative solutions and cooperation partners.

Two days of compact knowledge on lightweight construction

To kick off the conference, the audience can expect top-class keynotes from politics and business on both days. Stephan Weil has already confirmed his attendance as speaker.

In addition, Prof. Christoph Herrmann, Director of the Fraunhofer IST and Director of the IWF Institute at the Technical University of Braunschweig, will be a live guest in the plenary session. In his keynote he will highlight the topic of "Life Cycle Engineering for lightweight structures in mobility applications". The speech by Dr. Oliver Schauerte, Head of Group Research for Materials and Manufacturing Processes at Volkswagen, will also revolve around the mobility of the future. From the road into the air and thus to another highly exciting topic - namely lightweight design 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 advantage that lightweight technologies have in aviation and what innovations can be expected in this area.

Ralf Bucksch, Technical Executive IBM AI Applications and Industrie 4.0 EMEA, will reveal how the lightweight construction industry can benefit from state-of-the-art IT technologies such as artificial intelligence, mini-PC 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 each, with specialist presentations and best-practice demonstrations taking place in parallel. In total, the audience can expect more than 30 program points in this part alone. Well-known companies, institutes and universities, including Airbus Helicopters, ArcelorMittal, Bosch Climate Solutions, EDAG, Engel Austria Evonik, Fraunhofer as well as exciting startups such as Hyconnect or 9T Labs from Zurich, are actively involved in the program and invite participants to give presentations.

At the end of each day, there will be a closing keynote as well as a wrap-up session in which the most exciting points of the event will be summarized once again. The LightCon conference will be conducted entirely in English and broadcast live on the Internet.

LightCon is under the patronage of the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology. In addition, the event is supported by a broad network of partners who want to bundle and strengthen the potential of lightweight construction together. 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 Solid Forming, the International Magnesium Association, the Interessengemeinschaft Leichtbau (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).