Siemens and Mercedes join additive manufacturing project for motors
2 February 2026 
Image: Besim Mazhiqi, Paderborn University
Researchers from Siemens, Mercedes-Benz and other German organisations have embarked on a €11.5m project to develop techniques for manufacturing electric motors using additive manufacturing techniques. The three-year collaborative project, led by Paderborn University and funded by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, aims to develop innovative technologies for producing electric drives that contribute to sustainable mobility and cut CO2 emissions. The motors could also have industrial applications.
“We are using three different processes – laser beam melting, AddCasting and binder jetting – to exploit design freedom and optimise the use of materials,” explains Prof Dr-Ing Balázs Magyar, head of design and drive technology at Paderborn University. “The focus is on further development in terms of process stability, processing new types of high-performance materials in the mono- and multi-material area, simulation-based design and AI-based quality assurance.”
The processes are expected to lead to a reduction in weight – the mass moment of inertia – and improved cooling capabilities to boost the power densities of electric motors. Siemens and Mercedes will develop demonstration industrial motors and evaluate them from a technical and economic perspective, as well as assessing their potential integration into existing systems.
In addition to the optimised e-motors, the project will look at decentralising production to reduce dependence on global supply chains and to strengthen industrial resilience.
“By comparing the manufacturing processes, the mechanical, thermal and magnetic properties of the electric motors will be analysed and validated under real conditions using simulation and experimentation,” explains Prof. Dr-Ing Mirko Schaper, head of the chair of materials science at the University and dean of its faculty of mechanical engineering. “The aim is to carry out both a technical and an economic-ecological evaluation of the processes and e-motors in order to create a production-ready product.”
The AdReMo (use of additive manufacturing technologies to achieve resource-efficient process chains and engine components in the field of e-mobility) project is aiming to achieve more resource-efficient and powerful drive systems for future mobility, as well as improving industrial production sustainably. The project’s leaders predict that its transfer and scaling potential will have an impact not only in the field of e-mobility, but also could increase the efficiency of stationary electric motors in accordance with EU regulations.
As well as Paderborn University, the consortium includes the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and Leibniz Universität Hannover as academic participants. The industrial partners are Siemens, Mercedes-Benz, USU, Nikon SLM Solutions, Additive Drives, Schübel, QASS, Whitecell Eisenhuth, Indutherm Gießereitechnologie and Carbolite Gero. Additive Marking and Advanced Mechanical Engineering are associated partners. TÜV Rheinland’s research and innovation management team is also involved.
