ICCCM 2025: International top researchers on campus of UniBw M

The University of the Bundeswehr Munich (UniBw M) hosted the 8th International Conference on Computational Contact Mechanics (ICCCM 2025) from July 2 to 4, 2025. This year's edition of the renowned conference set a record with more than 100 participants from all over the world. ICCCM 2025 thus set a strong signal for the international visibility of UniBw M in the research field of computer-aided simulation.

The ICCCM is the most important international conference in the field of computational contact mechanics, a research field with high relevance for the numerical simulation of complex contact phenomena in engineering and natural sciences. This year's conference was organized by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Popp and Dr.-Ing. Ivo Steinbrecher from our institute. The venue was the University Casino. The event was supported by the European Community on Computational Methods in Applied Sciences (ECCOMAS) and the German Association for Computational Mechanics (GACM).

Plenty of room for exchange and discussion

A special highlight this year was that the ICCCM took place in Munich for the first time - and thus at a highly dynamic scientific location that is known for its interdisciplinary research and innovative infrastructure. ICCCM 2025 also featured several innovations in terms of content: With 79 scientific papers and over 100 registered participants, the conference was more comprehensive than ever before. For the first time in the history of the ICCCM, two parallel lecture tracks were therefore set up - a measure that made it possible to structure the extensive program and provide sufficient space for discussion and exchange.

^{Over 100 registered participants set a record for the ICCCM (© University of the Bundeswehr Munich/Siebold)}

High-profile keynotes

Another milestone was the Industry Keynote Lectures, which complemented the conference program for the first time alongside the established academic keynote lectures. With Dr. Yongyi Zhu (Ansys, Inc.) and Dr. Hans-Peter Hackenberg (MTU Aero Engines), two leading industry representatives provided insights into current developments and challenges at the interface between research and application. This was complemented by four high-profile academic keynotes covering the entire range of topics in computational contact mechanics.

2025 Munich - 2027 Torino

The event was rounded off by an attractive supporting program, which included a guided tour of the city and a visit to the Hofbräuhaus, providing cultural and culinary highlights. The conference ended with a look into the future: the next edition of the ICCCM will take place in Torino, Italy, in 2027 - the ICCCM is expected to return to Munich in 2029.

^{Cover picture: Prof. Alexander Popp welcomes the international guests to the UniBw M campus (© University of the Bundeswehr Munich/Siebold)}