The IVW received the composite innovation award in the category ‘automation’ for the development of a flexible welding technique for joining 3D fibre polymer composites for the automotive industry. The award was won together with project partners KUKA, Bond Laminates, Jacob Composite, and the Department of Production Engineering and Plant Organization - FBK of the University of Kaiserslautern.

In the category ‘process’, IVW won an award for the development of a fully automated tape placement head to process continuously fibre reinforced thermoplastic tapes, operated at a six-axle articulated robot, together with project partner Airbus. The technology could be applied to aircraft consisting predominantly of carbon fibre reinforced polymers.