In April 2026, a representative of the Ukrainian Cluster Alliance participated in a study visit and partner meeting of the Lightweight EU project in Dresden, organised by our project partner RKW Sachsen e.V. Three packed days — three different dimensions of how Saxony is building its lightweight materials ecosystem.

The first day was dedicated to consortium work and stakeholder networking at Saxony Trade & Invest. Partners from Austria, Slovakia, Spain, Ukraine, and Germany discussed the progress of the project, and after lunch were joined by regional business representatives and organisations for an exchange of experience and exploration of common ground.

The second day was a deep dive into Saxon innovation. We visited the LEIV — Centre for Lightweight Material Validation, where modern material solutions are tested and validated; the research laboratories of Fraunhofer IKTS, specialising in ceramics technology; and the Volkswagen Transparent Manufacture — one of Germany’s most iconic production facilities. Each stop was a concrete example of how science transitions into production, and production into the market.

The third day was devoted to strategic thinking: participants took part in a scenario-development workshop exploring the future of the lightweight materials sector across different European regions. For Ukraine, this was an opportunity to see its own potential in a broader context and to identify the steps that could accelerate the formation of a domestic ecosystem.

Lightweight EU is a project under the Interreg Europe programme, bringing together partners from six countries to exchange experience in lightweight materials policy development.