How MatConnect is positioned within the conveyor system

MatConnect is not a research consortium, but rather a companion research project. What this means becomes clearest when we look at the funding landscape in which we operate (see chart below).

Since 2025, the BMFTR has been consolidating its materials research into the specialized program Mat2Twin. It succeeds the “From Material to Innovation” program (2015–2025), which gave rise to, among other initiatives, the MaterialDigital (PMD) — which will continue to serve as the digital infrastructure for all projects.

Mat2Twin is organized into hub initiatives. The hub MaterialVital focuses on material innovations for a good and safe life; MatConnect supports the “Biohybrids and Living Material Systems” module within this hub. Our mission is to connect the funded consortia, support the transfer of research into practical applications and industry, and make the research visible and understandable. Supporting research projects of this kind are a distinctive feature of German research funding: They do not conduct research on the material itself, but rather on the conditions under which research translates into practical applications.

MaterialVitalDigital (MVD) — the second companion project

MatConnect is not alone in this effort. A second accompanying research project, MaterialVitalDigital (MVD), is driving the digitization of materials research in the field of biohybrid and living materials and establishing a connection to the MaterialDigital platform.

The two projects complement each other: MVD is working on making research data interoperable, while MatConnect is working on bringing people, projects, and fields of application together.