The German Research Foundation (DFG) announced the funding decision for the new Clusters of Excellence on May 22. From January 1, 2026, the Clusters of Excellence “The Ocean Floor – Earth's Uncharted Interface” and “The Martian Mindset: A Scarcity-Driven Engineering Paradigm” at the University of Bremen will receive funding.
The Martian Mindset – MAPEX Brings New Cluster of Excellence to Bremen
The DFKI Robotics Innovation Center is a partner in the excellence cluster of the MAPEX Center for Materials and Processes. In this cluster, scientists are adopting the "Martian mindset" to rethink the production of materials and components from the ground up. The scarcity of resources and extreme conditions on Mars provide an experimental setting for developing a new sustainability paradigm that enables innovative, energy-efficient processes for extracting and processing materials. Ultimately, this approach will contribute to sustainable space exploration and drive green change on Earth.
To this end, the researchers deliberately simulate scarcity in four key areas: raw materials, energy, labor, and information. Building on this foundation, they pursue three central goals: the development of (bio-)electrochemical methods for extracting essential raw materials without fossil fuels; the demonstration of energy-efficient process chains for manufacturing "good-enough" components ("enough-to-use"); and the design of new operating concepts for production facilities in which small human-robot teams work under conditions of uncertainty.
"This cluster not only contributes to Mars research but, more importantly, to the development of forward-looking technologies for Earth," emphasizes Professor Kirsten Tracht, designated co-spokesperson of the initiative. The aim is to radically rethink sustainability—together with industry partners and in close exchange with educational institutions. The goal is to initiate a transfer of knowledge that empowers future generations to actively shape a sustainable future.
DFKI Contributes Robotics Expertise and Unique Infrastructure
The Robotics Innovation Center brings its expertise in artificial intelligence and robotics to the new Cluster of Excellence. As a scientific partner, the DFKI research department is actively involved in several subprojects. A key focus is supporting robotic processes in a simulated production hall where the processing of regolith—a dust-like rock found on Mars—is tested under extreme conditions. The goal is to extract and process plastics and metals from regolith and to assemble them into functional products of sufficient quality, such as a robot wheel.
To this end, DFKI provides its unique research and testing infrastructure as well as technical and scientific staff. This team supports the development of robotic components and demonstrators within the framework of doctoral projects conducted by the Robotics working group at the University of Bremen, led by Prof. Dr. Frank Kirchner. Among other things, the research explores how modularity and reconfiguration can make robots more resilient, and how they can operate reliably even with imperfect components—such as those that might result from on-site production on Mars.
In this way, DFKI makes a significant contribution to the implementation of robotic and autonomous components within the new Cluster of Excellence. Additionally, the association of Prof. Dr. Elsa Kirchner’s research group from the University of Duisburg-Essen with DFKI Bremen enriches the cluster by advancing innovative concepts for human-robot collaboration under uncertain conditions and limited resources.
In addition to the University of Bremen and DFKI, the following cooperation partners are involved in the cluster: the Leibniz Institute for Materials Engineering – IWT, the German Aerospace Center (DLR), the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM, and the MATENA innovate! center.
Further Information:
• On the University of Bremen’s success in the Excellence Strategy of the Federal and State Governments: University of Bremen press release