LEONHARD KURZ at the IAA Summit 2025: Design visions that rethink technology and sustainability

Fürth/Germany, August 7, 2025: Tomorrow's mobility requires new perspectives - and not just in the field of drive technology. Innovative approaches and new perspectives are also needed in surface design. From September 9 to 12, 2025, LEONHARD KURZ will be demonstrating how advanced decorative and functional technologies are enabling a new understanding of design at the IAA Summit, as part of IAA Mobility. The focus of the trade fair presentation will be on groundbreaking exhibits from the fields of exterior and interior design, including smart lighting solutions, functionalized surfaces, sustainable materials, and visionary display concepts with integrated sensor technology.

“Good design comes about when function, aesthetics, and responsibility work together. Our solutions at the IAA Summit show that series production readiness, cost-effectiveness, and future viability can be combined in a single product,” says Luitpold Haarländer, Head of Business Area Plastic Decoration Automotive at LEONHARD KURZ. “We open up new design possibilities without compromising on sustainability, performance, or aesthetics.”

Exterior design: Brand presentation with light, structure, and surface

A central highlight is the FrontIQ Light Concept, a demonstrator developed in collaboration with Swarovski Mobility and SP3, the specialist for lighting system development and functional integration. Swarovski crystals are integrated into the brand-specific light signature as design elements. Fine carbon structures with a holographic effect on the inner edge of the headlight lend the design depth and a clearly recognizable look.

The combination of transparent and opaque plastic types with a PUR coating creates a resistant, self-healing surface that can be precisely adapted to the brand-specific design language, efficiently combining functional lighting architecture with creative expressiveness in near-series production. The integration of heating elements for potential radar sensors is also possible. If you would like to learn more about the process and the machine technologies involved, visit the LEONHARD KURZ booth at K 2025 in Düsseldorf from October 8 to 15. There, the component will be manufactured in a live production process - in a single step.

The rear light concept developed in collaboration with ams OSRAM is equally visionary. The hidden-til-lit decorative surface remains invisible when switched off and only reveals a striking light signature when activated. The integration of rear ALIYOS^™ LED foils using the FFB Adhesive process developed by KURZ and the use of highly efficient In-Mold Decoration technology (IMD) enable customized designs with text and image messages for C2X communication as well as complex light graphics – even on three-dimensional geometries. The mini LED technology from ams OSRAM used here allows for particularly compact light integration and opens up new design possibilities, not only in the rear of the vehicle.

Interior design: Space for interaction and new material ideas

KURZ also focuses on designs that combine unique styling and smart functionality in vehicle interiors. 3D spatial effects create impressive visual depth on flat surfaces. These holographic effects can be seamlessly integrated into trim strips, touch panels, or control elements, creating entirely new accents.

Deep Black Surfaces offer another example of functional design. Deep black, low-reflection surfaces improve the readability of digital displays while creating a calm, high-quality appearance that, with its high-contrast presentation, is hardly distinguishable from the passe-partout color of a glass display. The invisible, seamless combination of glass and plastic components opens up new possibilities for designing continuous, homogeneous, and functional surfaces. Reflections and light reflections are minimized to bring focus and clarity to the forefront. The concept scores with a successful combination of cost-effectiveness, robustness, and visionary design.

Sustainable design reimagined

One focus of the trade fair presentation is on materials that combine design standards with environmental responsibility. The Smart Display Center Console Design features a technical solution made from recycled PET (rPET), which is produced using KURZ's own take-back and recycling system, KURZ RECOSYS^®. The thin-film specialist thus closes the loop and offers the prospect of a recyclate manufactured in Europe for use in the production of technical textiles for automotive interiors. The project was implemented in collaboration with partner companies Farplas, Topp Textil, and Technofibres. At the IAA Summit, visitors can also experience how the touch-sensitive user interface of the trackpad reacts to movement, with an integrated multi-touch sensor from KURZ subsidiary PolyIC and dynamic lighting. The result is a solution that is both functional and intuitive.

Another highlight in terms of material innovation is EcoLayer FX. These new decorative solutions enable high-quality design effects on bio-based plastic materials. Whether polypropylene (PP) with cellulose content, limestone-PP composite, or talc-reinforced PP compound: KURZ demonstrates that even sophisticated surface designs can be realized on resource-saving substrates without compromising on quality or appearance.

At the IAA Summit, KURZ will present different designs for various substrates to demonstrate the full range of surface effects. In terms of processing and specifications, EcoLayer FX meets the standard of conventional plastic solutions while significantly reducing the use of new materials and the CO₂ footprint.

Making the future tangible

With its appearance at the IAA Summit 2025, LEONHARD KURZ will demonstrate how visionary ideas become production-ready solutions. The interplay of design, technology, and sustainability is creating new perspectives for the mobility of tomorrow.

At a glance

IAA Summit 2025 from September 9 to 12, 2025, in Munich
LEONHARD KURZ Stiftung & Co. KG: Hall A1, Booth C21
Focus of the trade fair presentation: Exterior Design, Interior Design, Visionary Design, Sustainability