The IPEK - Institute of Product Engineering is a research institute at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). We see ourselves as a center of scientific product engineering and innovation. The research of the IPEK is divided into ten research fields. The research activities focus on drive systems and mobility, as well as methods and processes of product engineering. This research portfolio encompasses two central frameworks based on the system theory: the integrated product engineering model (iPeM) and the X-in-the-Loop approach (XiL) for validating mechatronic systems.