Chair for Computational Analysis of Technical Systems at RWTH Aachen University

What Chair for Computational Analysis of Technical Systems at RWTH Aachen University does

The Chair for Computational Analysis of Technical Systems (CATS) is an academic research and teaching institute within RWTH Aachen University's Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, founded in October 2004 by Professor Marek Behr and currently co-chaired with Prof. Dr.-Ing. Stefanie Elgeti. It is housed on the second floor of the Rogowski building at Schinkelstraße 2 in Aachen, co-located with other institutes of the Center for Computational Engineering Science (CCES). The institute's research is organized into three work groups: fluid-structure interaction, production engineering (including twin-screw extrusion and profile extrusion die optimization), and INTERESST.

The chair's core technology stack spans computational mechanics, numerical simulation methods, and finite element analysis, with proprietary differentiation in fluid-structure interaction methods, isogeometric analysis (IGA) combining CAD with FEM geometry, parallel computing for high-performance simulation, and Physics-Informed Neural Networks (PINNs) for fast parametric simulation. More recent work has extended into quantum computing methods for computational engineering, including quantum annealing applied to polymer microstructure search and truss structure optimization. Outputs are delivered through peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, structured doctoral training, and recurring international workshops.

The institute is not a commercial entity. It is publicly funded as part of a German public university (Körperschaft des öffentlichen Rechts) and operates within the German higher education system under the TV-L collective bargaining framework. Doctoral positions are compensated at TV-L 13 (~€4,000/month gross rising to ~€4,300 after one year) and postdocs at TV-L 13-15. There is no commercial revenue, no external ownership, no funding rounds, and no pricing model aimed at external customers; outputs are disseminated through academic channels to the research community in computational mechanics, applied mathematics, and engineering sciences.

Name

Chair for Computational Analysis of Technical Systems at RWTH Aachen University

Legal name

Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule (RWTH) Aachen

Website

https://cats.rwth-aachen.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CATS is an academic research and teaching chair at RWTH Aachen University (founded 2004) conducting computational mechanics research in fluid-structure interaction, production engineering, isogeometric analysis, and Physics-Informed Neural Networks, training doctoral researchers and serving the global computational mechanics community through publications and conferences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Research and Education in Computational Mechanics

NAICS

Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) (541715), Engineering Services (541330)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Simulation-Based Learning & Virtual Labs (EDAGAEAG)

Keywords

• Computational mechanics research
• Finite element analysis
• Fluid-structure interaction
• Isogeometric analysis
• Engineering simulation methods

Headquarters

HQ city

Aachen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Chair for Computational Analysis of Technical Systems (CATS) at RWTH Aachen University conducts academic research and graduate-level teaching in computational mechanics, including numerical simulation methods, finite element analysis, fluid-structure interaction, isogeometric analysis, and physics-informed neural networks for technical systems. The institute offers structured doctoral training, publishes peer-reviewed research, and organizes international conferences and workshops in computational engineering.

Product overview

The Chair for Computational Analysis of Technical Systems (CATS) at RWTH Aachen University is an academic research and teaching institute, not a commercial product company. It conducts fundamental research in computational mechanics and provides graduate-level education. The institute does not offer commercial software products or services. Research areas include Fluid-Structure Interaction, Production Engineering, and the INTERESST work group, focusing on numerical methods for engineering applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Computational Mechanics Research and Doctoral Education

Quantifiable outcome

• Prediction accuracy comparable to traditional simulation methods using PINNs for stirred-tank bioreactors
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Modeling and Simulation Sciences (MSS) Profile AreacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 October 2025RWTH Aachen profile area supporting the AQMCSE conference. Provides institutional backing for interdisciplinary research in computational methods.
• European Research Community ECCOMAScoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 October 2025European computational mechanics research consortium supporting the AQMCSE conference. Major organizing body for computational methods conferences.
• TU DelftmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 October 2025Co-organizer of AQMCSE conference with Prof. Matthias Möller as initiator. Represents international collaboration in quantum computing applications for computational engineering.
• German Association for Computational Mechanics (GACM)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 December 2023Prof. Marek Behr serves as President (2021-2024) and Dr. Norbert Hosters as Secretary General of GACM. The chair co-organizes GACM Colloquium events and workshops.
• Japan Society for Computational Engineering and Science (JSCES)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 December 2023Co-organizer of German-Japanese Workshop on Computational Mechanics bringing together 30 experts from both countries for knowledge exchange and collaboration.
• Forschungszentrum Jülich - Jülich Supercomputing Center (JSC)coreTechnology or Integration · 4 December 2023Collaboration includes tours to high-performance computing systems JUWELS and quantum annealing computer JUPSI at JUNIQ facility. The chair has organized visits to JSC for workshop participants.
• Italian Group of Computational Mechanics (GIMC-AIMETA)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 September 2023Co-organizer of German-Italian Workshop on Computational Mechanics bringing together 35 experts from both countries for collaboration on common research interests.
• Graduate School AICEScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvanced Investigation Center for Engineering Sciences - Graduate school partnership providing structured doctoral programs and funding opportunities for research at the chair. AICES offered stipends of €2000 for doctoral researchers.
• CCES Institutes (Center for Computational Engineering Science)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-located with other CCES institutes in Rogowski building for interdisciplinary computational engineering research collaboration.
• RWTH Aachen University - Faculty of Mechanical EngineeringcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary faculty affiliation through which the chair operates. Provides academic framework and institutional support.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ESI Group: ESI provides virtual prototyping simulation for manufacturing and mechanical engineering (including forming and casting) that parallels CATS' production-engineering work group on twin-screw extrusion and profile extrusion die optimization.
• Dassault Systèmes (SIMULIA): Dassault's SIMULIA brand (Abaqus, XFlow) provides finite element and CFD simulation tools used in structural and fluid-structure interaction problems — the same core methodological areas as CATS' research.
• ANSYS: ANSYS develops commercial simulation software (Fluent, Mechanical) covering fluid dynamics, structural analysis, and FSI that closely overlap with CATS' fluid-structure interaction and computational mechanics research areas, serving the same industrial design and engineering customer base.
• ADINA R&D: ADINA specializes in nonlinear structural and fluid-structure interaction simulation — a direct methodological peer for CATS' FSI methods validated on wing and pump cases.
• COMSOL: COMSOL's multiphysics simulation platform addresses coupled physics (FSI, structural, production engineering) that intersect with CATS' IGA, FSI, and PINN-based surrogate simulation research.

Others

• Forschungszentrum Jülich: Forschungszentrum Jülich operates the Jülich Supercomputing Center (JSC) — a core strategic partner of CATS for HPC and quantum computing access (JUWELS, JUPSI/CoE RAISE) — and serves as a comparable publicly-funded research organization for computational methods.
• Sandia National Laboratories: Sandia is a publicly-funded national laboratory that conducts parallel computational mechanics, FSI, and advanced simulation research, comparable to CATS in mission and methodological scope as a non-commercial research environment.

Broad incumbents

• Siemens Digital Industries Software (Simcenter): Siemens' Simcenter portfolio addresses CAE and multiphysics simulation including FSI and structural mechanics — directly adjacent to CATS' research scope — while operating as part of a much broader PLM/CAE portfolio serving large industrial customers.
• Altair Engineering: Altair provides CAE simulation (OptiStruct, HyperWorks) covering structural and multiphysics simulation relevant to CATS' IGA, structural mechanics, and production engineering work.

Regional players

• TU Delft: TU Delft is a co-organizer of AQMCSE 2025 (Prof. Matthias Möller as initiator) and operates a peer academic computational mechanics / engineering research group directly comparable to CATS in scope and stature within European computational engineering.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rwth-cats

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Chair for Computational Analysis of Technical Systems at RWTH Aachen University