We are engaged in pioneering research at the intersection of Mechanics, Materials Science, and Scientific Computing. Our projects, both fundamental and applied, are strengthened by active collaborations with academic and industrial partners across several countries. We focus on developing robust, physics-based numerical methods for High-Performance Computing and share our advancements through the release of diverse open-source software (Molecular Dynamics, Discrete Dislocations, Finite Elements, Direct Multiscale Methods).

Our research spans a wide range of scales, from the nanoscale (nanostructured materials, tribology) to large-scale systems (structural mechanics, earthquake science). A core theme in our group is the study of friction and fracture. Recently, we have embarked on reexamining traditional engineering wear models with fresh perspectives. We are also investigating dynamic fragmentation to better understand and manage the increasing space debris around Earth, in collaboration with ECN, France, and ESA. Additional projects involve data-driven machine learning mechanics, with application to tribology and ASR damage in Swiss dams.

We invite you to explore our website to learn more about our ongoing research projects and teaching activities, which span Bachelor, Master, and Ph.D. levels. Whether you are an academic, an industrial partner seeking collaboration or expertise, or a student interested in research opportunities (Master, Ph.D., or Postdoctoral level), we would love to connect with you.

Sincerely,
Jean-François Molinari
Professor, Director of LSMS

(September, 2024)