Novel lightweight materials and structures for the automotive and aeronautics sectors can help reduce CO2 emissions. What is particularly challenging in their development is to create highly productive and energy-saving processes that reduce the weight of components while at the same time ensure safety. Depending on the manufacturing process, a material’s microstructure can vary widely within components, which ultimately determines its safety and its susceptibility to repairs. The Institute of Materials Mechanics studies these processes in detail. The spectrum includes joining technologies, additive processes, such as 3D printing, and structural monitoring. We develop methods for process simulation and provide digital twins that bridge multiple scales. These provide detailed insights into how a material behaves during manufacturing and under load in operation, thereby supporting the process development as well as testing practical demonstrator components.