Peter Gumbsch (born 21 January 1962 in Pforzheim, Germany) is a German physicist and materials scientist. He is the director of the Fraunhofer-Institut für Werkstoffmechanik IWM, (Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials IWM) in Freiburg, Germany and professor for mechanics of materials at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT).
Gumbsch was elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering in 2016 for multi-scaled modelling techniques that improve fracture and deformation behavior of structural materials.
Peter Gumbsch received his degree in physics (1988) and his doctoral degree (1991) from the University of Stuttgart.After extended visits at the Sandia National Laboratories in Livermore, California, postdoctoral work at the Imperial College, London and the University of Oxford, he returned to the Max-Planck-Institute in Stuttgart as a group leader and established the group “Modeling and Simulation of Thin Film Phenomena”. In 2001 he took the chair for Mechanics of Materials at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology KIT and the position as head of Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials IWM in Freiburg.
Peter Gumbsch is a German materials scientist working in the field of mechanics of materials on questions concerning materials behavior under load. The focus is on a better understanding of the behavior of materials, components and systems at the limits of their load bearing capacity. His aim is safety and reliability in the use of materials and components, as well as the improvement of material and energy efficiency in technical systems.
Peter Gumbsch investigates materials, their internal structure and their properties. His research is directed towards the understanding and the mathematical modeling of deformation and fracture processes with the aim of making materials and components safer, more reliable and more durable. His concepts of multiscale materials modeling, which link mechanisms at the nano, micro and macro scales are internationally recognized. He and his team are pioneering the integration of materials data and materials modeling into the product development process. His current interests are directed towards the investigation of friction and wear processes, where complex interactions of mechanics, physics and chemistry are important.