Development, fabrication and characterization of novel lightweight materials and their use in safety-relevant applications is at the heart of Collaborative Research Centre 692 – "Hochfeste aluminiumbasierte Aluminiumwerkstoffe für Sicherheitsbauteile" ("High-strength Aluminium-based Lightweight Materials for Safety Components"). Organized in 18 subprojects the research focuses on the three fields of activity high-strength Al wrought alloys, Al matrix composites and Al-coated magnesium. The objective of subproject "Target Life Cycle Costing an Management" is to design instruments for the appraisal and controlling of new materials‘ profits.

Between 2006 and 2009 the focus of the subproject was on life cycle costing as well as target costing approaches for materials. Significant elements of an appropriate “tool-set” were developed and a variety of general economic and topic-specific insights could be gained. They comprise approaches for the appraisal of profitability from the perspectives of developers, producers and processors/users of new materials including a methodology for life cycle calculations with standard models and principles, a cost driver system, a model-method-system and a gradual modeling approach.
Whereas life cycle costing is used for the appraisal of materials’ profits, target costing aims at its appropriate controlling. New general methodic elements have been developed, such as a dynamic target costing approach, retrograde multi product target costing and target cost breakdown based on marginal cost and utility. Moreover, for basic problems of a material-specific target costing concept significant progress was made.
The combination of life cycle costing and target costing towards a (material-specific) Target Life Cycle Costing as well as the developed concept for a (material-specific) cost management are further contributions to the theory of management accounting and cost management.

In the second funding period (2010–2013) the methodology of material-specific Target Life Cycle Costing is going to be elaborated and broadened, and will be more specified for Al-based materials developed within Collaborative Research Centre 692. Therefore, the research programme includes:

1. enhancement and validation of the methodology for description and analysis of life cycle profits of materials,
2. enhancement and validation of the material-specific target costing concept,
3. development of a concept for the strategic management of development, manufacturing and processing/utilization of specific materials.

Enhancement of the methodology of life cycle calculations and target costing refers to sharpening up the integration of revenue, utility and quality as well as aspects related to ecology and energy consumption.

Linking different perspectives, time frames, target values, cost and revenue drivers, impacts, companies and corporate networks, instruments, and application concepts is expected to lead to theoretically substantiated as well as validated concepts for the management of materials.