Dr.-Ing. Kai Hilgenberg
Source: BAM
Dr. Kai Hilgenberg has been head of the Component Safety department at BAM since August 2025. In this interview, he explains the impetus he would like to provide and the challenges he sees for the future.
As the new head of the Component Safety department, what new ideas would you like to introduce?
It is important to me to maintain continuity while at the same time positioning the department for the future. Our work must be relevant to BAM's mission – safety in technology and chemistry – and have an impact. I would therefore like to further increase the transfer of research results into application – through cooperation projects with partners from industry, spin-offs, and participation in standardization.
Within the department, it is important to me to strengthen open and trusting cooperation, communicate management processes transparently, create space for innovation, and develop a shared vision. I am convinced that if we act as a team, we will also achieve the best scientific results.
The field of component safety is complex and relevant for the future. What do you see as the biggest challenges—and what is your long-term vision?
Manufacturing processes and materials are constantly evolving. New applications can put new types of stresses on components. For example, using new energy carriers like hydrogen can lead to unique material-related challenges. At the same time, product development cycles are becoming shorter, partly due to the increasing use of AI. To ensure the safety of components under these conditions, we must keep pace with these developments.
Digitalization plays a vital role here: How can we use data collected during the manufacturing process of a component to identify deviations that could compromise safety in later use? How can we use models to better understand which deviations can be tolerated in an application and which cannot? And how can we use suitable testing technology in laboratories to reproduce stresses in applications to gain insights for optimizing manufacturing processes? All of this requires the ongoing development of expertise and methods.
How long have you been with BAM and what positions have you held so far? What has had a particular impact on you?
After completing my doctorate in laser material processing at the University of Kassel at the end of 2014, I came to Berlin for a joint junior professorship between the Technical University of Berlin and BAM. At that time, I set up a working group on laser material processing in the Component Safety department.
Starting in 2017, I was involved in additive manufacturing at BAM from the very beginning and made it the focus of my working group. This led to the creation of the new Additive Manufacturing of Metallic Components department, which I have been heading since 2021. Throughout my scientific career, I have always worked in the transition area between manufacturing technology and materials engineering. I have always found it enriching to learn about and utilize perspectives from the other discipline and to develop new approaches together.
What inspires you outside of your professional life?
My passion is electronic music, which I pursue both by listening—Berlin is not the worst place for that—and by producing my own music. The latter perhaps with limited talent, but it is still a lot of fun. I also love to travel and explore new countries, preferably with a view from the window of a camper van.