The properties and performance of crystalline materials - such as metals, ceramics and ice - are to a large extent controlled by the state of the material's microstructure. This includes important properties like strength, ductility and damage resistance. The microstructure is not fixed, however, but evolves with time, under in-service conditions and during thermo-mechanical processing.

Recognizing the importance of the microstructure, great possibilities lie in being able to control and take advantage of designed microstructures in practical applications. This include, for example, production of metallic materials of superior strength or formability, materials with excellent energy absorption capacity, improved semi-conductor materials for energy conversion and storage or functionally graded materials, having different properties in different regions. Microstructure evolution is also central in additive manufacturing, by which material and component is built simultaneously. Tailored material properties is further important as it permits lowered component weight while maintaining the appropriate weight-to-strength ratios, paving the way for reduced emissions and and a more sustainable use of raw materials.

At the division, research is conducted related to a range of microstructure phenomena such as recrystallization, grain growth and phase transformations. Numerical simulations tools - spanning from atomistic to continuum length scales - are developed and combined with state of the art experimental characterization techniques. Connections to macroscale materials processing and engineering applications are emphasized and a particular focus lies on the development of efficient simulation codes, utilizing HPC resources and GPU acceleration.