Bainitic steels represent technologically important materials whose fatigue properties are strongly dependent on the microstructure, which in turn is highly sensitive to the manufacturing process. Bainitic microstructures are hierarchically multi-scale and exhibit structural properties down to the nanoscale. Therefore, already the experimental characterization is highly complex and strongly dependent on the subjective experience of the experimenter. Consequently, bainitic steels represent an optimal case study for materials integration, i.e., the combination of experimental research, data driven approaches and direct microstructure simulation. We combine: 
· A systematic approach to the characterization of microstructures.  
· Reduction of the "human factor".  
· Uncovering unknown relationships beyond the canon of classical metallurgy.  
· Correlation of process microstructure material properties – service lifetime.  
· Creating the conditions for intelligent data-driven process design.  
A short-term added value for the industry is the automated workflow management system, which will be applicable to own material process systems even without in-depth expert knowledge, thus adding significant value to existing and future data collections. A long-term added value in the significant reduction of development times of new processes and materials.  
The presentation will show first results of a new project iBain, conducted within the German research initiative Material Digital [https://www.materialdigital.de/].