Circular economy for the future Wolfsburg OHLF research campus enters new funding phase in March

Joint press release

The Open Hybrid LabFactory (OHLF) in Wolfsburg has reached an important milestone: at the beginning of March 2025, the research campus funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) entered its third funding period. At the OHLF, Volkswagen, TU Braunschweig, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences and 35 other partners combine their expertise under one roof. This unique collaboration is developing innovative projects aimed at establishing practical and efficient solutions for a sustainable circular economy in the automotive industry. The focus here is on developing new technologies that conserve resources, optimise recycling processes and improve the reuse of materials.

Following a thorough review of the research and future strategy by a high-calibre panel of experts, the BMBF has granted the OHLF ten million euros in funding over a five-year period. The use of the funds is linked to three major projects in the funding phase and is part of the “Research Campus – Public-Private Partnership for Innovation” initiative, which was launched in 2011. The aim of this initiative is to promote innovative research at the interface between science and industry in a shared infrastructure. In addition to the OHLF, there are eight other such special research facilities in Germany.

“The continuation of the funding is a great confirmation of the excellent work that has been done at the OHLF in recent years. It enables us to strategically further develop the research campus and to set new impulses for the mobility of the future,” explains Prof. Dr. Klaus Dilger, Chairman of the OHLF e.V. Board.

Three new projects in the funding phase on recycling:

“SaReSa” project

Researchers are developing methods and technologies that enable the efficient and sustainable recycling of end-of-life products such as old vehicles. The material composition is automatically identified and the possibility of further use or reuse is determined at the same time. Using digital, intelligent disassembly planning, industrial robots can then react quickly and individually to each end-of-life product and its condition. A large number of valuable materials can be recovered from an end-of-life vehicle during dismantling. The intelligent dismantling process ensures that the original quality and purity of the materials is maintained. The project focuses on digital methods and tools to support dismantling planning and its environmental and economic efficiency.

“CirProTech” project

The main objective of the project is the technological development and implementation of sustainable, closed-loop reuse processes for plastic components and carbon fibre reinforced materials (CFRP). The researchers are focusing on two use cases: the recycling of plastics for the construction of new automotive components and the recycling of CFRP structures for use in the aerospace industry. One of the biggest challenges is the availability of sufficient quantities of high quality recycled materials, which are often fused, glued or pressed with other materials in the manufacturing process, making it usually impossible to separate them by type. The new processes examine each step from material analysis, sorting and preparation to reprocessing. Switching to production processes that can reuse materials will reduce the use of raw materials such as carbon or oil, as well as energy. What is still industrial waste today can be recycled in the future. In this way, companies can improve their environmental performance in the long term and take advantage of new economic opportunities for sustainability.

“conCErt” project

This project is developing a best practice model for cooperation and knowledge sharing within public-private partnerships for a circular economy. OHLF is organised in such a model and provides the real-world framework for practical research and application of the results. Issues such as meetings, diversity and women’s empowerment, and leadership development also play an important role. The knowledge gained will help the researchers to develop policies and guidelines to make public-private partnerships more effective. All measures developed will be evaluated from an occupational and organisational psychology perspective and made available to regional and supra-regional networks at the end of the project.