Metal foams combine high stability with low weight, making them particularly suitable in lightweight construction. A young start-up based in Bremen by the name of Mac Panther Materials has begun producing an open-cell metal foam for use in a number of different applications.
In the few months that have passed since they founded their company in March 2017, the two brothers Andreas and Michael Kleine have achieved a great deal. “It’s a very exciting time for us, and so far our partnership has been working really well,” says Andreas. There’s no trace of sibling rivalry – the two founders of the company even share an office. Together, they manufacture open-cell metal foams.
Although metallic foams have been around for many decades, until now their widespread use has been hindered by the high cost of the material. The lightweight yet sturdy porous structures are used in industries such as automotive engineering, where they can reduce noise and vibration or absorb energy in the event of a crash. Most metal foams used for such purposes are closed-cell, which means that every pore is completely encapsulated in a layer of metal.
The open-cell metal foams manufactured in Bremen are more akin to a sponge. The many advantages of this are explained by Michael Kleine: “Gases and liquids can pass through the open pores, which makes the material suitable for use as a catalyst, filter or heat exchanger. Metal foams can absorb sound waves and are therefore useful as insulation, or they can be filled with another material that’s beneficial for the intended use. And we are making use of this to build lightweight structures that can absorb various forms of energy. As well as providing crash protection, for example, metal foams can provide excellent protection against explosions, shrapnel and projectiles. Last but not least, they are beautiful to look at, and architects can use them to design facade elements that are inherently flame retardant.”
The comparison with the ordinary household sponge goes further: both products are made from similar base material. The porous metal structure manufactured in Bremen is based on polyurethane (PU) foams that are widely used in industry. This synthetic foam is coated with a layer of metal in a galvanic process – nickel, copper, silver, gold or alloys can be used.
This results in a synthetic metal hybrid foam that can be manufactured and reproduced relatively cheaply, since galvanisation is a standard process used in coating technology. Mac Panther Materials can remove the synthetic substance afterwards if desired, but it can also be left in without compromising the stability of the material.
“I’m excited by the many applications and the diversity of the material,” Andreas Kleine enthusiastically admits. “There are a number of different PU foams, with pores that can be large or small, widely distributed or densely packed together. Consequently, we can manufacture bespoke metal foams that meet our customers’ requirements.” The younger of the two brothers by four years, Andreas is a physicist with a doctorate in the field of nanotechnology, which has also proved beneficial in his work with these special synthetic metal hybrid foams. He is responsible for the development, marketing and sales of the new material. To focus on the start-up, he gave up his job as a physicist and head of development in Hamburg and relocated to Bremen with his family. He’s a little sad to have left Hamburg, but he hasn’t regretted his decision for a second. “I said to myself: if I don’t do this now, I’ll never get the chance again. So I had to take it! And life here in Bremen is very good.”
His older brother Michael also plays a key role in his new life. Both have families, and their six children, who are all of similar age, now have more opportunities to play together while the fathers shape their new company. “We have confidence in one another and want to build something together, which keeps us motivated,” says Michael. “But we also know when to make a stand – we're quite open about that.” Mac Panther Materials is an offshoot of the company Mac Panther, of which the brothers are also the managing directors. The original business specialises in the cold forming of long metal parts and is a ‘hidden champion’ within its sector. Based in Bremen Airport-City, it will be celebrating its 25-year anniversary in 2018. The similarly named start-up Mac Panther Materials is an attempt to establish a new pillar for Mac Panther in the form of metal foams.
The idea for the new types of metal foams came from Saarland University, where the researcher Anne Jung, who holds doctorates in natural sciences and engineering, carried out investigations into hybrid foam production techniques. She won the German Thesis Award in 2013 for her work in this area. “The university was looking for a team of entrepreneurs to refine the prototype into an industrial process and then bring it to market. So we applied,” explains Andreas Kleine. With a successful business of their own already in place, the two brothers won the contract to commercialise the technique. “We didn’t have to set up every single structure from scratch – accounting, software, personnel, it was all there already,” Andreas adds. The university and inventors are also involved in the start-up and support the brothers with their expertise.
The foams themselves are produced in a nearby facility, since the use of galvanic processes at the Airport-City is problematic for environmental reasons. “Nevertheless, we choose to remain at our site here, since it holds many advantages for us,” explains Michael Kleine. “Airport-City is full of potential customers, as these foams are of great interest to the aerospace and defence industries. And we’re not too far away from the automotive engineering companies, either. The EcoMaT research and technology centre is currently under construction here, and hopefully this will open up potential for further synergies.” The brothers now have the task of finding their first customers and ramping up production. And their start-up is already attracting a great deal of interest. “Mac Panther Materials also presents a major opportunity for Bremen as a business location, since we are offering an innovative material that opens up completely new possibilities,” emphasises Andreas. He’s optimistic about the future, and his brother certainly agrees with him.
Further information on Bremen’s start-ups can be found here.
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The construction of the complex new EcoMaT research and technology centre at Airport-Stadt Bremen is at an advanced stage. Prospective tenants include Airbus and Testia, as well as a number of leading medium-sized businesses and scientific institutions. After the topping-out ceremony, work will get under way on the interior of the building.
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Bremen is known in China as one of the world’s major ports. But that’s just one of the factors attracting Chinese companies to our Hanseatic city.
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Bremen Airport-Stadt is an international transport hub and a centre of excellence for the aerospace industry and for research and learning. It occupies a leading position among Germany’s airport locations. Here are ten benefits that Bremen Airport-Stadt offers.
Hard facts take top priority when it comes to the choice of location for international or domestic businesses. But the faster we feel comfortable outside the workplace in the everyday routines and culture of a foreign country, the sooner we feel at home. In addition to trade, science – and of course its port, Bremen has plenty to offer when it comes to quality of life.
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You are or want to become self-employed – but you do not know where to start? In this video, we show you how the Unternehmensservice Bremen helps you to deal with official approval procedures, forms and funding.
When it comes to Brexit it’s not about a hard-fought international contest to attract relocating businesses; it’s about coming together to manage the change, says Andreas Gerber of Bremeninvest in our interview.
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Dr Zareer Dadachanji was not going to wait around for Brexit to happen, and has held a German passport since the beginning of the year. He firmly believes that Brexit has no plus points. He and his wife have chosen to locate their new business – Model Quant Solutions – in Bremen, despite the fact that the company’s customers are mainly based in the UK.
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Space technologies have advanced greatly in recent years, leading to increasing demands from the business and research sectors. To meet these requirements, Bremen University now offers unique master’s degrees in Space Engineering and Space Sciences and Technologies.
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Formula Student is a world-wide competition for self-built racing cars, with the season’s final race held at Hockenheim. A Bremen-based team has been taking part in the competition with an electric racing car since 2013, and their ambitious goal is to break into the top ten.
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Stathis Stasinopoulos was unable to find the perfect folding bicycle for his commute to work across Athens. So he developed his own. The bike, called ‘Folding Project’, is lightweight and comfortable and folds up in five seconds. This has given Stasinopoulos an unexpected new direction in life.
The research alliance ROBEX is sending robots up active volcanoes and down into the deepest and darkest seas. Working across disciplines, the 120 scientists of the 16 institutes involved are breaking new ground on this project. They have been eagerly waiting to find out what has happened to the TRAMPER diving robot, which has been exploring the deep seas around Spitsbergen for a year. Now they are ready to bring it back.
A growing number of companies are becoming more aware of their social and environmental footprint, and are looking for ways to act with greater environmental and social responsibility. Germany’s north-west is set to become the national centre for social entrepreneurship in logistics. A new platform is under development and the first round of events is being planned to achieve this goal.
This new master’s degree at Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences prepares students for the future and offers them excellent job prospects.
As both Airbus and Mercedes already know, when it comes to infrastructure and commercial property, businesses should look to Germany’s north-west. To Bremen, to be more precise. The Hanseatic city boasts the following five locational factors.
BLG Logistics Group is a major player in logistics with 18,000 employees. It established the Digilab in Bremen as a core element of its digitalisation. The company’s premises are reminiscent of start-ups in Silicon Valley, and there are good reasons for that.
Irina Lucke has been at the helm of WAB since December 2016. We talked about her role in the german-wide trade association and the challenges that an ever-changing business and regulatory environment poses for the international wind energy industry.
In June 2016, the UK voted in favour of Brexit, and the exit negotiations are currently in progress. Which industry sectors in Bremen will be particularly hit, and what effect will Brexit have on the Hanseatic city?
FabLab Bremen invites visitors to learn about new manufacturing technologies and try their hand at everything from laser cutters to printing and programming. Digital technology enthusiasts of all ages and programmers of all abilities are welcome here. And it is not long before they can put what they have learnt to good use.
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The digital revolution has reached every branch of industry. Many of the technological trends associated with the Industrial Internet of Things originated in Silicon Valley. Rene van den Hoevel, managing director of the German American Chamber of Commerce in San Francisco, and Christoph Ranze, managing director of encoway GmbH and executive board member of the association bremen digitalmedia, explain why it is not only large corporations who should be looking closely at the epicentre of technological advancement.
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GeoSea, a subsidiary of the Belgian DEME group, is helping to construct of some of the largest offshore wind farms in the German North Sea – and in Bremen, the company has found the ideal location to carry out its work.
Art, design and people with disabilities make up the fascinating focus of the work of two young designers from Bremen. Working together with employees from community-based workshops, they develop and improve on designs for handmade products – and are continually thrilled by the potential they see in their co-designers.
Companies wishing to access the European market should be careful about their choice of location. Brexit could result in significantly higher financial and tax burdens for UK-based companies. Under these circumstances, setting up a base on the continent might be a better option. Find out what challenges companies will be facing.
Environmentally friendly manufacturing and ethical standards are the principles on which the fair trade clothing sector is based. Leela Cotton, a successful German-Turkish textile company, produces clothes for children and adults that are not only stylish, but also make a positive contribution to the environment in the way they are manufactured.
Why have so many IT companies chosen to establish themselves in Bremen? We asked five key business figures and researchers from various organisations to tell us what makes the city such an attractive location for the IT sector.
3D imaging with millimetre accuracy for underwater industrial activities and deep sea exploration – company founder Jakob Schwendner has a very clear goal. The first prototype of a camera with brand new sensor technology was built in Canada and presented to industry professionals at the Ocean Business conference in Southampton, United Kingdom, in April.
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Of all the states in Germany, Bremen has the highest density of major research institutions in relation to its population – a fact that also benefits those who study there. It offers a range of international education opportunities for prospective academics with strong practical relevance and research activities that span a diverse range of fields.
Weatherproof displays for transport services, and screens that don’t produce glare in bright sunlight – these are just some of the devices provided by AlfaNet Computer und Electronic Handels GmbH, a Bremen-based company founded nearly 25 years ago by Thomas Lie.
They came, they saw, they marvelled – Chinese business people in Bremen visited the Mercedes-Benz plant and were surprised to find that an automotive manufacturer with a vast robot workforce was also Bremen’s largest employer, with just under 13,000 (human) employees. But where do they all work?
Three continents, four countries, and Bremen at the centre of it all – a start-up could hardly be more international. The young entrepreneurs Ahmed Cheema and Stefan Kuzmanovski want to make sustainable manufacturing and the use of ethically sourced materials standard practice.
Lighter, more bespoke and more intricate: for companies open to new ideas in manufacturing and construction, metal parts produced by 3D printers present an economic alternative to conventional die cutting, rolling and milling. Leading the way is Materialise, a company with its own metal printing plant in Bremen.
Bremen has been twinned with the city of Dalian in north-eastern China since 1985. Find out more about the similarities and connections that the two port cities share.
Up to now, cricket has been very much a niche sport in Germany. But that is changing. In Bremen, a woman is calling the shots in this male-dominated sport – with great success. Her men’s team are the 2016 German cricket champions.
Wearables and smart glasses provide hands-free digital information. A visit at the headquarter of the global market leader for Industrial Wearable Computing, Ubimax in Bremen.
In 2016, companies invested a combined total of €229 million in the federal state of Bremen. Where do these investors hail from, how many jobs have they created, and what is their line of business? Our infographics provide an overview.
The right investor provides much more than just money. They are someone to talk to, someone who can open doors and build bridges. Important advice for technology start-ups in search of an investor.
How do you feel about setting up your own business at the age of 20? At Jacobs University in Bremen, students like Julius Schneider are groomed for their careers as entrepreneurs. And Bremen itself offers them the ideal conditions to turn their ideas into reality.
How will the UK’s impending exit from the EU affect the logistics sector? Günther Hörbst, Managing Director of the Via Bremen Foundation, on the economic links between the United Kingdom and the EU
The Chinese designer Haoyu Li combines his German design degree with Chinese business acumen. Now he is opening a design office in Bremen, with the aim of making it easier for Chinese products to enter the German market, and to bring German brands to China.
Keen to remain in Bremen? Then why not combine residency status with self-employment? Manuel Kühn from Bremeninvest’s welcome service knows all about how a start-up could allow British citizens to beat Brexit and kill two birds with one stone.
From initial idea to successful move. Andreas Gerber, who heads up the international relocation team at Bremeninvest, knows what international companies need to do to set up a business in Bremen. Here he tells us about the most important steps on the ...
BLG LOGISTICS GROUP AG & Co. KG’s AutoTerminal in Bremerhaven is a record-breaking automotive hub. Every year, the terminal handles some 2.3 million vehicles. But that’s not all.
Going it alone is rarely an easy option. Co-working enables entrepreneurs to work in a shared space and experience the benefits and synergies that come with this. There are nine co-working spaces in Bremen – which one is right for you?
Permits and authorisations, a mountain of applications and a language barrier too. These are just some of the difficulties you face when starting a business abroad. Luckily, an advice centre opened in Bremen in early 2015 that can help you through the jungle: Bremeninvest’s welcome service.
Geographical distance and cultural differences make it hard to relocate or start up a company in another country. Luckily, help is at hand from the team at the World Trade Center (WTC) in Bremen. They'll do all they can to make your international business a success.
In December 2016 ministers from the European Space Agency (ESA) member states met to determine the roadmap for the European space sector for the years ahead. Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria and Bremen submitted joint recommendations. In the following interview Dr Peter Vits, Bremen's State Coordinator for the Space Sector, talks about Bremen's strengths and opportunities.
The sky is not the limit, at least not in Bremen. All parts of the aerospace sector are represented in the city, from R&D to production. Aeroplane wings, Ariane rockets and Galileo satellites – Bremen is one of the leading locations in the international aerospace industry. Here are five factors behind Bremen’s story of success.
In 2015 Bremen won the right to host the International Astronautical Congress for the second time, after having successfully held the event in 2003. Its bid was the result of a collaboration between the Bremen regional government and Bremen’s space industry and space research sector. Event partners include the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and the German Aerospace Centre.
Bremen knows how to make cars: the Mercedes-Benz plant by the Weser river has been in operation for almost 40 years, is the focal point of the city’s automotive industry and automotive clusters, and is now the company’s biggest global facility in terms of vehicle production numbers. Reason enough for an ever-growing number of suppliers and logistics firms to base themselves in Bremen.
For 30 years, the Cargo Distribution Centre in Bremen has delivered excellence – as an investment location and a logistics hub. Today more than 150 companies employing approximately 8,000 people are based at the site. It offers direct links to the ports, the autobahn and has a close proximity to Bremen City Airport.
Language barriers, unfamiliar legal and fiscal systems, qualifications that need to be recognised. There are many additional hurdles that entrepreneurs have to overcome when setting up a new branch or a new company in a different country. Bremeninvest is committed to offering you advice and support from the outset.
You might expect a Bremen-based company specialising in innovative instruments and implants for spinal surgery to be located at the Technology Park. But you'd be wrong. NuVasive Germany GmbH has its head office at the heart of the city centre next to Wallanlagen Park. Now employing a team of 44 people, the company generates annual revenue of more than €10 million – a figure that looks set to rise.
