Departement Materiaalkunde - KU Leuven

05/06/2026

Onze studenten uit de 2e bachelor met P&O-optie materiaalkunde wonnen de alumniprijs 🥇 voor het vak Probleemoplossen en Ontwerpen 2, waarin zo’n 60 teams deelnamen. Met hun indrukwekkend project ontwikkelden ze een volledig geautomatiseerde katapult die uitblonk in nauwkeurigheid en consistentie. 🎯

Gedurende één semester werkten ze intens samen aan het volledige ontwikkeltraject:

🔹 ontwerp en materiaalkeuzes
🔹 simulaties en trajectberekeningen
🔹 testen, analyses en optimalisaties
🔹 elektrische automatisering en aansturing
🔹 een overtuigende eindpitch voor een breed publiek

Het resultaat is een innovatief en technisch sterk project waarin engineering, creativiteit en teamwork perfect samenkomen.
👏 Proficiat aan Laute Wuyts, Warden Alenteyns, Charles-Antoine Buelens, Jonas Christiaen en Oscar Hens!



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Our second-year Bachelor’s students in the Materials Engineering P&O track won the Alumni Prize 🥇 for the course Problem Solving and Design 2, which featured around 60 competing teams.

With their impressive project, they developed a fully automated catapult that stood out for its accuracy and consistency. 🎯

Over the course of one semester, they worked intensively on the entire development process:

🔹 design and material selection
🔹 simulations and trajectory calculations
🔹 testing, analysis, and optimization
🔹 electrical automation and control
🔹 a compelling final pitch for a broad audience

The result is an innovative and technically strong project in which engineering, creativity, and teamwork come together perfectly.
👏 Congratulations to Laute Wuyts, Warden Alenteyns, Charles-Antoine Buelens, Jonas Christiaen, and Oscar Hens!

05/03/2026

17/07/2025

A fitting throwback to the Climate Fresk earlier this year, in light of the upcoming new edition on the 12th of August!

Last April the SAM research group completed the first-ever Climate Fresk session at our department.

Climate Fresk is a global initiative that aims to spread scientific knowledge about climate change in an interactive way and help people transform their insights into action. Since sustainability is at the core of the SAM research group, the researchers had to try this workshop for themselves and join the efforts to educate the public about the pressing climate crisis and its solutions that are in everyone's hands.

Since Mariana Ochodková has officially become a Climate Fresk workshop facilitator, she can help spread the message further within the university, while highlighting the many ways in which SAM research group contributes to solutions for climate change and other sustainability issues.

Up to the next edition, coming very soon!

15/07/2025

Recently, the FMolina-Lopez research group welcomed 50 enthusiastic first-year bachelor students from the KU Leuven Faculty of Engineering Science into the fascinating world of thermoelectrics.

As part of a hands-on workshop, student teams competed to build the most efficient thermoelectric generator. They explored the properties of several 'mysterious' materials by measuring their resistance and Seebeck coefficient, then selected their top candidate for device integration. The result? A range of innovative and creative designs.

Through this activity, they aimed to show that materials science is not only exciting and highly multidisciplinary, but also key to shaping a more sustainable and technologically advanced future!

08/07/2025

03/07/2025

While we all bring an impressive amount of dedication to research and progress within Materials Engineering at our department, we believe it’s just as important to blow off steam now and then, and enjoy the other good moments in life as well.

This is why, here at MTM, we believe in and are equally dedicated to spending quality time together, just like at our annual 'Summer Event,' which celebrates the (this year, very, very warm) start of summer.

12/06/2025

It may sound like we're repeating ourselves, but what a fantastic day the second edition of our 'PhD Day' turned out to be!

It never ceases to impress, seeing the passion and dedication so many people bring to the field of Materials Engineering. So much emerging and already established talent! The many great conversations, posters, and compelling presentations were once again a clear testament to this.

We would like to congratulate Wantong Chen and Mrinal Gaurav Srivastava for winning the Best Poster Award and Best Presentation Award, respectively.

A big thank you to all participants, and especially to Isidro Florenciano Cano, Susana Garcia Mayo, and Professor David Seveno, without whom this PhD Day would not have been the success it was.

Like always, see you for a next edition!

30/04/2025

A successful info moment for our Bachelor students!

Today, we participated in the engaging and lively info market organized by the faculty to showcase the many opportunities within our Bachelor programme.

It was great to see so many students exploring the track of Materials Engineering, asking insightful questions, and getting inspired for the next steps in their studies.

A big thank you to all the colleagues, students, and staff who helped organize the event and enthusiastically shared their knowledge and experiences. Your energy and dedication made this event a real success!

06/02/2025

We are also participating in KU Leuven Inside! On February 15 and 16, in addition to a wide range of activities and lectures on and around our campuses. You can also visit MTM to join us for an extraordinary behind-the-scenes exploration!

What to Expect:
- 4 exclusive Materials Science activities
- Insider perspectives on intriguing research
- Engaging demonstrations and presentations

Event Details
📅 Date: February 15-16
⏰ Time: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM (Materials Engineering activities)
📍 Location: Kasteelpark Arenberg 44 & 46, 3001 Leuven

Whether you're a student, researcher, or industry professional, this is your chance to dive deep into the world of Materials Science. Discover innovative research, meet our expert teams, and get an unprecedented glimpse into our work. Don't miss this opportunity!

Discover the whole programme here:
https://www.kuleuven.be/600years/schedule/ku-leuven-inside -ku-leuven-inside-complete-version

Or download the app for an interactive experience here:
https://www.kuleuven.be/600years/schedule/ku-leuven-inside -the-ku-leuven-app

30/11/2024

On Sunday, the Department of Materials Engineering made a significant contribution to Science Day (Dag van de Wetenschap). Much like our academic meeting last Friday, we can only be grateful of how succesful it went. We welcomed over 350 curious attendees eager to explore the inner workings of MTM and experience the life of a Materials Engineer. Participants engaged in 14 diverse activities led by our dedicated researchers and professors, showcasing the exciting developments in our field.

Again, we would like to sincerely thank everybody who put in the hard work to make moments like these reality.