On July 3rd and 4th, 2025, the German Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) and the Fraunhofer Group for Materials and Components - Materials held a joint workshop at the Fraunhofer ISC in Würzburg. Experts from both research institutions and invited external specialists presented and discussed the applications of large language models (LLMs) and related AI technologies in materials science and engineering. Numerous contributions dealt with questions relating to retrieval augmented generation and the reuse of knowledge expressed in natural language in digital processes. The question of the safety and reliability of stochastic AI models was also considered.

In addition to knowledge transfer, the workshop provided a good platform for discussions and exchanges on strategic collaborations that are essential for the digital transformation of materials science. We would like to thank the host institute and all speakers and participants who contributed to an inspiring and successful exchange.