Hilti Scholarship

Hilti is one of the worlds leading companies specializing in the field of fastening and demolition systems in the construction industry. Hilti's leading position in the market is heavily dependent on leadership in innovation which, in turn, calls for leading-edge technical and scientific know-how.

The Hilti research in Computational Mechanics of Materials and Structures contributes significantly to increase and strengthen Hilti specific know-how. It includes the development and application of in-house and commercial finite element codes as well as the simulation of multi-body systems. The complexity of the various strongly nonlinear phenomena (impact, material modelling of concrete, steel ...) and the extreme situations (large deformations, high stresses, ...) relevant for fastening and demolition requires advanced modelling including the latest results of current research. In order to answer the complex questions, the Hilti research engineers collaborate with leading experts in the respective fields.

For each COMMAS class Hilti offers two scholarships, which include a grant of EUR 1.500 for the last semester. In addition, the thesis of the 'Hilti scholars' will be embedded into current scientific activities of Hilti and are carried out at Hilti in the Principality of Liechtenstein or in Kaufering. The master thesis can be combined with an (6 month) internship.

You will be paid a monthly salary during the time in Liechtenstein or Kaufering which is far enough for covering the living costs. The only prerequisite for being eligible for a Hilti scholarship is successful completion of the first two COMMAS semesters. The 'Hilti scholars' are chosen by a mixed Hilti and COMMAS board based on the application and the examination results.

Detailed information about the company Hilti, the scholarship and possible master thesis topics will be given in a onsite meeting in October 2023:

The Hilti scholarship provides not only a financial support to students but also offers an opportunity for students to collaborate with the Hilti company on practical problems. The scholarship will be based on the following conditions:

• It will be paid at the beginning of the master thesis.
• The thesis will be embedded into current scientific activities of Hilti and should be partly ore completely carried out at Hilti in the Principality of Liechtenstein or in Kaufering.

The selected students will have the opportunity to carry out their thesis work within the department of Numerical Simulation. The thesis topic will be coordinated with the respective student and the respective advisor from the COMMAS side (University of Stuttgart).

The application deadline for master theses in summer term 2024 is

The application shall contain:

• covering letter with your motivation for the Hilti scholarship
• your curriculum vitae (if software packages are mentioned specify hours and purpose (training/research project/industrial application)
• recent transcript with all your grades (you can download it from C@MPUS)
• please state whether you are interested in an (additional) internship

Please send these documents as pdf files by email to  Dr. Malte von Scheven.

The selection interviews will be held on November 23rd, 2023 live in Schaan/Liechtenstein. Please prepare a 3-5 minutes presentation (max. 3 slides) about a project (linked to simulation) you did.

For students who cannot come to Liechtenstein, there will be the possibility of online interviews. Date and time will be determined later. If the impression is the same, preference will be given to students who have participated in the interviews in person.

The selected students will receive an offer to complete their master thesis at Hilti no later than November 24th, 2023.