The Bergakademie Clausthal was founded in 1775. As the Universities of Brunswick, Göttingen and Heidelberg it is one of the oldest academic establishments in Germany. In 1968 it was renamed Technical University of Clausthal. The Institute of Mechanical Engineering has been a permanent feature of the University since 1928.

The previous directors of the institute:

1. Prof. Süchting from 1929 to 1938
    also deployed at this position from 1912 - 1929 at the
    old main building of the former Bargakademie Clausthal.  

2. Prof. Bechtold from 1938 to 1944
    led the institute until 1948 provisionally.

3. Prof. Engel from 1948 to 1967

4. Prof. Kuske from 1967 to 1980

5. Prof. Dietz from 1980 to 2007

6. Prof. Lohrengel from 2007 

The previous activities of the IMW in the field of design research and product development should be focused on and extended.

The main research effort and vocational training will be on the product development process as well as on the product generating process within an entirely digital environment of development integrated in the operational data processing.