Institut für Leichtbau Entwerfen und Konstruieren

What Institut für Leichtbau Entwerfen und Konstruieren does

Institut für Leichtbau Entwerfen und Konstruieren (ILEK) is a public research institute within the University of Stuttgart, Germany, operating at the Pfaffenwaldring 7+14 campus in Stuttgart-Vaihingen. Originally founded in the 1960s as the Institut für Leichte Flächentragwerke by Fritz Leonhardt and later led by Jörg Schlaich, Werner Sobek, and (since 2020) Lucio Blandini, ILEK combines architecture, structural engineering, and material science in an interdisciplinary lightweight construction portfolio. Approximately 20-30 research staff pursue five technical pillars: adaptive building envelopes and structures (the central SFB 1244 program), adaptive facades with integrated sensing and actuation, biomineralization-based bioconcrete, textile/membrane construction, and functionally graded concrete manufactured via robotic additive processes.

ILEK's technical outputs include five full-scale demonstrators (SFB 1244 Demonstrator, Stuttgart SmartShell, Rosenstein Pavilion, TMW Graded Slabs, Marinaressa Coral Tree at Venice Biennale 2023), design studios such as ILEKlab1244 and CircularLab, and seminars including Ultraleichtbau and Digital Design. Core innovations include a microbial bio-concrete process achieving over 60 MPa compressive strength, shape-morphing adaptive structures using integrated fluidic actuators, and cyber-physical fabrication of spatially graded concrete components.

As a non-commercial state-funded entity, ILEK's revenue model relies on public research grants (DFG via SFB 1244, Baden-Württemberg Ministry for Science, Research and Art), university teaching allocations, and contract research with industry partners (MEZeroE consortium, planned Flughafen Stuttgart pilot). Go-to-market is community-led: dissemination through peer-reviewed publications (30+ in top-tier journals), conference keynotes, the IntCDC Constructive Conversations lecture series, and curriculum delivery to architecture and civil engineering students. Primary customer segments are university students, research collaborators, and a smaller set of industry partners seeking technology transfer in sustainable construction.

Name

Institut für Leichtbau Entwerfen und Konstruieren

Legal name

Institut für Leichtbau Entwerfen und Konstruieren

Website

https://ilek.uni-stuttgart.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Institut für Leichtbau Entwerfen und Konstruieren (ILEK) is a University of Stuttgart public research institute combining architecture, structural engineering, and material science to develop adaptive, ultra-lightweight, and bio-based construction technologies, serving students, research collaborators, and industry partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Research and Education in Lightweight Construction

NAICS

Architectural Services (541310)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Technical Universities with Architecture, Built Environment & Design Engineering (EDAHAEAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Engineering & Technology Institutes (Comprehensive) (EDAHAEAA), Geotechnical Design, Engineering & Consulting (Analysis, Design, Peer Review) (IMAFAOAK)

Keywords

• Lightweight construction research
• Adaptive building envelopes
• Bio-concrete material science
• Functionally graded concrete
• Textile membrane architecture

Headquarters

HQ city

Stuttgart

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Public Research Funding: Primary funding from German federal and state government sources including the German Research Foundation (DFG) through Collaborative Research Centers such as SFB 1244, and the Ministry for Science, Research and Art Baden-Württemberg.
2. Industrial Research Collaborations: Contract research and collaborative projects with industry partners such as planned partnerships with Flughafen Stuttgart and other companies. Projects like MEZeroE facilitate industry-research translation.
3. University Education Funding: State-funded higher education institution. Students pay standard university fees; the institute receives institutional funding for teaching and research activities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ILEK conducts interdisciplinary research and teaching in lightweight and adaptive construction, combining architecture, structural engineering, and material science. Its primary outputs are publicly funded research programs (notably the DFG-funded SFB 1244 on adaptive envelopes and structures and the SimBioZe bio-concrete project), full-scale demonstrators such as the SFB 1244 Demonstrator and Stuttgart SmartShell, and accredited university courses for architecture and civil engineering students.

Product overview

The Institut für Leichtbau Entwerfen und Konstruieren (ILEK) is a research institute at the University of Stuttgart combining architecture, civil engineering, and materials science for lightweight construction. The portfolio centers on SFB 1244 Adaptive Shells and Structures Research as the primary research program, supplemented by specialized research areas including Bioconcrete (Biobeton), Adaptive Facades, Textile Construction, Functionally Graded Concrete, and Glass Construction. ILEK develops numerous demonstrator projects including the SFB 1244 Demonstrator, Stuttgart SmartShell, Rosenstein Pavilion, and TMW Graded Slabs that showcase research outcomes in full-scale prototypes. Teaching offerings include design studios (ILEKlab1244, CircularLab, Smart Shade 2.0) and seminars (Digital Design, Ultraleichtbau) that integrate the research findings into educational programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SFB 1244 Adaptive Shells and Structures Research Interdisciplinary research program investigating adaptive building envelopes and structures that respond to environmental conditions using sensors, actuators, and control systems; funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG).
• Biobeton (Bio-concrete) Research Sustainable construction material research using microbial biomineralization that converts sand and human urine into CO2-neutral building components with compressive strength above 60 MPa.
• Adaptive Facades Research Research area developing adaptive building skins that respond to environmental conditions using kinetic components, sensors, and actuators at various scales to optimize energy use, thermal performance, and user comfort.
• Textile Construction (Textilbau) Research Research on textile and foil-based building envelopes, exploring lightweight membrane structures and the FoilTex project for architectural applications.
• Functionally Graded Concrete (Gradientenbeton) Research Research program on functionally graded concrete building systems, optimizing the internal structure of concrete components through mineral porosity to reduce mass, improve material efficiency, and modify physical properties.
• SFB 1244 Adaptive High-Rise Demonstrator Full-scale demonstrator building that integrates the institute's adaptive shells and structures research outcomes into a single, full-scale implementation.
• Stuttgart SmartShell Demonstrator Full-scale prototype demonstrating adaptive structural systems with integrated sensing and actuation technologies for building envelopes.
• Rosenstein Pavilion (Design to Production) Demonstrator Research pavilion demonstrating integrated computational design and digital fabrication workflows for adaptive building structures.
• TMW Graded Slabs Demonstrator Demonstrator showcasing functionally graded concrete slabs with optimized internal structure for reduced mass and improved performance.
• ILEKlab1244 Design Studio Design studio offering students preparation for seminar and design work on adaptive shells and structures, integrating sensors, actuators, microcontrollers, and machine learning.
• CircularLab Design Studio Design studio focused on building pavilions from reclaimed materials, demonstrating that deconstructed materials can be reused in their original form without disposal or downcycling.
• Smart Shade 2.0 Design Studio Design studio focused on Adaptive Kinetic Facades (AKF) that respond to external conditions to maximize energy efficiency and user comfort, reducing energy load for indoor climate control.
• Digital Design Seminar Seminar teaching parametric and algorithmic modeling, computational workflows for design, BIM best practices, and an overview of VR/AR technologies for monitoring in architecture and civil engineering.
• Ultraleichtbau (Ultra-Lightweight Construction) Seminar Master's seminar on adaptive structures and envelopes covering structural adaptation, sensors, actuators, and optimization for ultra-lightweight civil engineering applications.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability7 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Messe StuttgartminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 January 2026Collaboration for SimBioZe urine collection campaign during CMT tourism fair (January 17-25, 2026). Messe Stuttgart provides venue for camper urine donation station on behalf of Biobeton research.
• Arwinger GmbH & Co. KGminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 January 2026Hamburg-based start-up manufacturing cassette separation toilets. Provides collection containers and organizes transport for urine donations during CMT 2026 for the SimBioZe Biobeton research project.
• KompotoiminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 January 2026Swiss/German company developing and renting ecological composting toilets. Provides collection infrastructure and supports urine collection campaign for Biobeton research at CMT 2026.
• Flughafen Stuttgart (Stuttgart Airport)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 January 2026Planned industrial partner for SimBioZe pilot project. Airport locations are ideal for urine collection due to high foot traffic and existing infrastructure for decentralized sanitation systems.
• Institut für Mikrobiologie (IMB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstitute within University of Stuttgart collaborating on SimBioZe project for microbiological aspects of biomineralization process using bacteria for bio-concrete production.
• Institut für Siedlungswasserbau, Wassergüte- und Abfallwirtschaft (ISWA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstitute within University of Stuttgart collaborating on SimBioZe project for wastewater management and resource recovery aspects of urine collection and processing for bio-concrete.
• Zentrum Ökologischer Landbau, Universität HohenheimcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch center at University of Hohenheim collaborating on SimBioZe project phase 2 for simultaneous fertilizer production from urine alongside bio-concrete manufacturing.
• MEZeroE ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFive-year European research and innovation project promoting building envelope solutions. ILEK contributes adaptive facade research; project connects researchers with companies and planners for technology validation and market deployment.
• University of Cape TowncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration through Prof. Dyllon Randall's research on bio-bricks from human urine. Exchange of knowledge on microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP) technology for bio-concrete and bio-tiles.
• SFB 1244 Collaborative Research CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman Research Foundation funded center focusing on Adaptive Envelopes and Structures for the Built Environment of Tomorrow. Multiple ILEK research projects integrated within this framework.
• Institut für Leichtbau und adaptive Systeme (IL)coreOthersPredecessor institute to ILEK that pioneered textile construction and membrane lightweight structures under pioneers like Frei Otto.
• Politecnico di MilanominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration through Prof. Ornella Iuorio's guest lecture on Design for Disassembly and Circularity. Thin Architecture and Structures Lab (AS_Lab) explores computational design and lightweight prefab construction.
• Roger Williams UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration through Prof. Olga Mesa and Prof. Nathan Fash's guest lecture on Performance2 dynamic building skins. Nuvola Studio non-profit focuses on research and architectural innovation.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Institut für Tragwerksentwurf und Konstruktion (ITKE), University of Stuttgart: Sister institute at the same University of Stuttgart focused on structural design and computational engineering for architecture. Directly comparable scope (architecture + civil engineering research), same faculty (Fakultät 02), and overlapping demonstrator/prototype culture.
• Institute for Computational Design and Construction (ICD), University of Stuttgart: Stuttgart-based research institute under the same Excellence Strategy cluster (IntCDC) as ILEK. Both work on computational design, robotic fabrication, and adaptive building systems; jointly run the EXC intCDC research projects including functionally graded concrete RP-1 and RP-2.
• University of Cape Town — Department of Civil Engineering (Randall Lab): Core research partner on the SimBioZe biomineralization and bio-bricks program through Prof. Dyllon Randall. Direct peer in MICP (microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation) research and the only other group with comparable bio-concrete IP.
• Politecnico di Milano — Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering: Active collaborator via Prof. Ornella Iuorio (Thin Architecture and Structures Lab / AS_Lab) and joint computational-design/prefab lightweight research. Same disciplinary mix of architecture and structural engineering research as ILEK.

Broad incumbents

• RWTH Aachen — Faculty of Civil Engineering: Major German technical university with structural engineering and lightweight construction research. Same national funding environment as ILEK and comparable scope on construction methods research.
• The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL: Global leader in computational architecture and adaptive structures; hosts Prof. Senatore's prior research group. Strong overlap with ILEK's adaptive-structures and computational-design research agenda.
• ETH Zürich — Department of Architecture (D-ARCH): Premier European technical university architecture department. Larger and broader than ILEK but operates the same combination of architectural design, structural engineering research, and digital fabrication — and competes with ILEK for faculty and grant funding.
• EPFL — Structural Engineering and Architecture laboratories: Swiss technical university hosting structural engineering and architecture research. Comparable faculty mix and lightweight/adaptive structure research; prior institutional home of Prof. Senatore.
• TU Delft — Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment: Large Dutch technical university faculty combining architecture, structural engineering, and building technology. Comparable research portfolio in lightweight structures, adaptive facades, and sustainable construction materials.

Emerging players

• Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC): Barcelona-based emerging research and education center focused on computational design, digital fabrication, and sustainable construction. Smaller and more teaching-focused than ILEK but directly comparable in adaptive/lightweight research themes.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/UniStuttgartTV
• Facebookfacebook.com/Universitaet.Stuttgart
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/institut-f%C3%BCr-leichtbau-entwerfen-und-konstruieren
• Instagraminstagram.com/unistuttgart

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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