Michael Moseler has been awarded an ERC Advanced Grant
Freiburg, 07/07/2025
Prof. Dr. Michael Moseler, Professor for Simulation of Functional Nanosystems at the University of Freiburg, is receiving €2.5 million in funding from the European Research Council for his work at the Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials IWM. Moseler’s project is dedicated to researching and developing a digital twin for lubricants in highly loaded frictional contacts. The aim is to achieve greater energy efficiency in machines, devices, and vehicles.
Friction is everywhere. Wherever components move against each other, energy is consumed. According to calculations, this accounts for up to 20% of global energy consumption—despite many technological solutions for reducing friction, such as new lubricants and coatings. Prof. Dr. Michael Moseler aims to show how this untapped potential for energy savings and sustainability can be harnessed by developing a digital twin for lubricants in highly loaded frictional contacts. For the implementation of the research project, he has received an ERC Advanced Grant of 2.5 million euros for five years from the European Research Council for his work at the Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials IWM in Freiburg. Moseler is Head of the Tribology Business Unit at Fraunhofer IWM and Professor for Simulation of Functional Nanosystems at the University of Freiburg.