ACCESS e.V.

Their core work

ACCESS e.V. is an Aachen-based research centre specializing in computational materials engineering and advanced manufacturing processes for metals and alloys. They develop and apply materials modelling tools — from multiscale simulation to process control — that help industry predict and optimize how materials behave during casting, sintering, and additive manufacturing. Their work bridges the gap between academic materials science and industrial production, particularly for lightweight alloys and intermetallic compounds designed for extreme environments.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

ACCESS e.V.'s early H2020 work (2016-2019) focused on foundational materials research — manufacturing intermetallic parts for extreme environments (EQUINOX) and contributing to the European Materials Modelling Council (EMMC-CSA). Their later projects (2018-2023) shifted decisively toward digitalisation of materials science: building modelling marketplaces, applying multiscale simulation, and integrating process monitoring into production workflows. The trajectory is clear — from hands-on materials processing toward digital tools and platforms that make materials modelling accessible to industry.

ACCESS is moving toward open innovation ecosystems and digital marketplaces for materials modelling — expect them to seek partners in industrial digitalization and manufacturing simulation.

How they like to work

ACCESS e.V. operates exclusively as a project participant, never as coordinator, which suggests they contribute deep technical expertise rather than driving project management. With 68 unique partners across 21 countries in just 4 projects, they consistently join large, pan-European consortia — averaging 17 partners per project. This makes them a reliable specialist contributor that integrates well into big collaborative frameworks.

Broad European network spanning 68 unique partners across 21 countries from only 4 projects, indicating participation in large, well-connected consortia. No obvious geographic concentration — their partnerships span widely across EU member states.

What sets them apart

ACCESS e.V. sits at a rare intersection: they combine deep expertise in physical metallurgy (casting, sintering, powder processing) with strong capabilities in computational modelling and digital platform development. For consortium builders, this means one partner that can contribute both to experimental materials work and to the digital infrastructure side of a project. Their Aachen location places them at the heart of Germany's engineering and materials research cluster, with RWTH Aachen and Forschungszentrum Jülich nearby.

Highlights from their portfolio

• EQUINOX
  Largest single grant (EUR 850,000) — focused on manufacturing Fe-Al intermetallic parts for extreme environments, showing deep metallurgical capability.
• MarketPlace
  Most strategically significant — building a European digital marketplace for materials modelling, connecting their core expertise to the broader Industry 4.0 digitalisation agenda.
• LightMe
  Most recent and broadest scope — combines casting, additive manufacturing, sintering, simulation, and process monitoring in an open innovation ecosystem for lightweight alloys.