The project develops and investigates processes, machines and materials for the production of goods in small batches (number of pieces: 1-1,000). These are particularly challenging in the production process, and especially with regard to economic considerations, since fixed costs (e.g., development and production of moulds, set-up costs) represent a considerable proportion of the production costs, thereby rendering the products either comparatively expensive or uneconomical. In the face of the ever-increasing demand for individual solutions and products, as well as the increasing demand for prototypes due to ever shorter innovation cycles, there has been a strong trend for several years towards flexible production processes. The project “Smart Production” addresses this challenge with the development of a) intelligent 3D printing techniques for materials that were previously unprintable, b) a flexibly programmable deep-drawing tool, and c) new non-destructive measuring systems for quality control This will make the production of small batches cheaper and more flexible. In addition to employing industrially usable soft materials in additive processes, the project aims to carry out a scale-up that has not yet existed of up to approximately 2 m² for both 3D printing and for the flexible deep-drawing mould. New measuring methods will lead to savings on materials, avoid waste, and create a better quality of products, as well as producing new operational purposes.