Introducing FAIR Principles in Materials Science and Engineering: The NFDI-MatWerk infrastructure is designed to make all materials data FAIR, meaning that the data is easy to find, access, and use across different platforms and by various stakeholders. Concrete Benefits are:

Benefit for MSE community: A materials engineer can quickly access past experimental/simulation data from various techniques (e.g. SEM images, mechanical test data, etc.), allowing them to build on previous work without repeating experiments, thus saving time and resources.

Example: Mr. Mueller, during his PhD research on silicon clusters, stores his data systematically using the Electronic Lab Notebook (superELN) and SiDataStore. Years later, Ms. Baumann, joining the same group, easily accesses and interprets his data thanks to NFDI-MatWerk's standardized system. This allows her to build on his work without repeating experiments, saving time and resources.

Benefit for MSE community: A MatWerk engineer can seamlessly share standardized data (e.g. on coating properties) with a project cooperation partner from another institution, leading to innovative materials with improved performance characteristics.

Example: Ms. Meyer, Mr. Gruber, and Dr. Becker-Schmidt are collaborating across three different institutions to develop a new coating material, based on the quaternary system In_x​​Ga_1−xAs_y​P_1−y​. The material's composition is influenced by two key parameters, X and Y, which can vary. Previously, without a standardized system, it was difficult for the researchers to coordinate their efforts, leading to confusion over data handling and potential duplication of experiments. With NFDI-MatWerk’s standardized data framework, they can now divide the research efficiently. Each researcher focuses on exploring different combinations of X and Y, ensuring that their work complements, rather than duplicates, each other’s. As all data is stored in a consistent format, they can easily combine their findings into a comprehensive dataset, significantly accelerating the development of the coating material.

Benefit for MSE community: A MatWerk engineer can seamlessly combine atomic-level data with macroscopic data (e.g. from a stress test results) to predict the material’s behavior accurately and reliably for specific applications, leading to better material designs.

Example: Dr. Martin, Dr. Stephan, and Dr. Ripp are developing a high-performance composite material. Dr. Martin uses molecular dynamics simulations to study atomic interactions, while Dr. Stephan performs mesoscopic simulations to analyze how these interactions influence the material’s structure. Dr. Ripp conducts macroscopic stress tests to measure mechanical properties under real-world conditions. With NFDI-MatWerk’s integrated data platform, they can combine all these datasets—from atomic to macroscopic levels—into a single model that predicts the material’s performance. This streamlined approach allows them to optimize the material's design without redundant experiments.