Horizon Europe cluster 4: Mecánica de fractura y ensayos de materiales metálicos avanzados

A German university with strong expertise in materials engineering and the mechanical characterization of metallic materials is seeking partners to jointly form a research consortium for a proposal under the call HORIZON-CL4-2027-01-MAT-PROD-22 within the Horizon Europe programme.

The university intends to actively participate as a project partner within a collaborative European consortium.

The objective of the call is the development of innovative advanced materials (IAMs) and production technologies that reduce or substitute critical and strategic raw materials while maintaining high levels of performance, safety and sustainability.

The research team contributes expertise in the experimental investigation of fatigue behaviour and fracture mechanics of metallic materials. A particular focus lies on determining crack resistance parameters and analysing crack propagation behaviour, including for highly alloyed steels that may contain strategic alloying elements.
Mechanical testing capabilities range from room temperature down to approximately –60 °C, enabling the assessment of materials under demanding service conditions. The resulting fracture mechanics data support safety assessments and structural integrity evaluations of newly developed materials and components.
The research activities also address the relationship between manufacturing processes, resulting microstructures and material properties. This enables the evaluation of innovative materials as well as components produced by advanced manufacturing processes that may contain internal or surface defects. The research group has access to extensive laboratory infrastructure for mechanical testing, microstructural characterization and non-destructive testing, enabling comprehensive experimental analysis of materials and components.

The university is looking to join a European consortium and is therefore seeking partners with complementary expertise in advanced metallic materials, innovative manufacturing processes, substitution or reduction of critical raw materials, material testing and characterization, or structural integrity assessment. Potential collaborators include universities, research institutes, industrial companies, as well as testing and certification organisations. The team is primarily targeting the HORIZON-CL4-2027-01-MAT-PROD-22 call but remains open to collaboration within other relevant Horizon Europe calls.


- strong expertise in fatigue behaviour of metallic materials
- fracture mechanics testing including crack resistance (KIC, J-integral, CTOD)
- analysis of crack propagation behaviour (threshold and Paris regime)
- testing of materials at temperatures down to approximately –60 °C
- expertise in process–microstructure–property relationships
- combination of mechanical testing, microstructural analysis and non-destructive testing methods
- contribution to safety and structural integrity assessment of newly developed materials and components

Framework program
Horizon Europe
Call title and identifier
HORIZON-CL4-2027-01-MAT-PROD-22 – Innovative advanced materials and new production processes – reducing dependencies on Critical and Strategic Raw Materials (IA)
Submission and evaluation scheme
Anticipated project budget
Coordinator required
Yes
Deadline for EoI 30 Oct 2026
Deadline of the call 2 Feb 2027
Project duration in weeks
Web link to the call
https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/HORIZON-CL4-2027-01-MAT-PROD-22?keywords=%22raw%20materials%22&isExactMatch=true&status=31094501,31094502&frameworkProgramme=43108390&programmePart=&order=DES