The ratio of material expenses in Germany‘s manufacturing sector is considerable. Materials, processing and manufacturing techniques are closely intertwined. Coordinated modifications ofmaterial properties, processing and production methods are key to improving the performance of products. Optimized material application on the one hand and the product-ready development of new materials on the other can considerably increase productivity and quality. The modeling and integrated simulation of materials and processing steps together with a continuous flow of material data speed up the innovation process.