Alexander Sauer

Professor Alexander Sauer is affiliated with the Westphalian University, where he has been based since September 2012. He serves as the Head of the B.Sc. Bionics program and is associated with the Department of Mechanical Engineering Bocholt (FB 6) and the Westphalian Institute for Bionics.

His research focuses on lightweight construction, structural optimization, and biomechanics. He applies bionics to develop resource-efficient engineering solutions, with expertise in finite element methods (FEM), computer-aided design (CAD), and structural simulation. His work bridges interdisciplinary concepts from nature-inspired design to mechanical engineering applications.

At the university, he teaches courses such as Lightweight Construction I and II, Construction Technology 1, and Lightweight Construction for Mechanical Engineering. He has authored a practical handbook on bionic optimization for lightweight construction (Vogel-Fachbuchverlag, 2018).

Education and Career:

• Doctorate: "Investigations into the simplification of biomechanically inspired structural optimization"
• Research Associate at Karlsruhe Research Center, Institute of Materials Research II (Biomechanics)
• R&D Engineer at Voith Hydro Ocean Current Technologies, specializing in structural mechanics for tidal power plants