Swedish Steel Prize 2025

Volkswagen wins Swedish Steel Prize 2025

Volkswagen has won the prestigious Swedish Steel Prize 2025 for its pioneering work on SIBORA®, a next-generation hot stamping solution for automotive components. COMTES FHT a.s. contributed to this success together with partner Matplus and other innovative companies.

What is the SIBORA® project?

SIBORA® represents a breakthrough in hot stamping technology that combines:

• newly developed, high-performance steel and
• advanced, process-integrated hot stamping to produce automotive components that are lighter, safer and more sustainable.

Project highlights and benefits

• Exceptional ductility and elongation for better energy absorption during impact.
• Tunable strength and ductility in different zones - even within a single component.
• Lightweight and sustainable design: reduced vehicle weight without compromising structural integrity or safety.

Image source: www.steelprize.com

In collaboration with Matplus and Volkswagen, we supported the SIBORA® project with advanced digital and experimental methods:

• Material Design and ICME: Applied Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME) to link processing, structure and performance.
• Simulation and modelling: we performed materials and process simulations to optimise microstructure and mechanical behaviour.

Process Execution and Characterization (COMTES FHT Inc.):

• Steel melting and alloy design
• Forging, hot and cold rolling
• Full microstructural and mechanical characterization
• This combination of simulation and experimental work has enabled rapid and cost-effective materials development.

Project partners
Volkswagen Group Innovation
COMTES FHT a.s.
Metakus
SSAB
GNS Gesellschaft für numerische Simulation
Kirchhoff Automotive