Excellence Strategy
TU Dortmund University was successful in the Excellence Strategy: it is part of two Clusters of Excellence, which will be funded from 2026. Together with Ruhr University Bochum, it is also applying for the title of “University Consortium of Excellence” in the second funding line. As “Ruhr Innovation Lab” Bochum and Dortmund aim to promote cutting-edge research across universities and strengthen the transfer to industry and society.
Clusters of Excellence
On 22 May 2025, the German Research Foundation announced which Clusters of Excellence will be funded for seven years from 2026. Among the 70 selected projects are 45 renewal proposals and 25 new proposals. The Ruhr region was able to improve its position in the tough competition and now has three Clusters of Excellence. TU Dortmund University is part of RESOLV and Color Meets Flavor.
RESOLV - Ruhr Explores Solvation
3rd funding phase
CASA - Securing the Digital Society
2nd funding phase
Color Meets Flavor
New proposal
Universities of Excellence / University Consortia of Excellence
In the second funding line, universities and alliances that have acquired sufficient Clusters of Excellence can apply for the title of “University of Excellence” or “University Consortium of Excellence”. With the acquisition of three Clusters of Excellence, including a joint one, TU Dortmund University and Ruhr University Bochum have qualified for this funding line. In total, ten title holders and eleven new candidates have entered the competition. On 12 November 2025, the two universities submitted their joint application as “Ruhr Innovation Lab”.
About the Ruhr Innovation Lab
TU Dortmund University and Ruhr University Bochum will jointly apply to become a University Consortium of Excellence. As an innovation laboratory for the Ruhr region, the Ruhr Innovation Lab aims to combine the strengths of its partners, create new formats for freedom in cutting-edge research, and intensify connections to society, business, and politics. The Ruhr Innovation Lab builds on the long-lasting cooperation between the two universities within the UA Ruhr.
Latest news
About the Excellence Strategy (ExStra)
Role Model for Cooperation in the Ruhr Region
Founded in 2007, the University Alliance Ruhr is a role model for cooperation between universities in the Ruhr region. TU Dortmund University, Ruhr University Bochum and the University of Duisburg-Essen work together in research, teaching and administration as well as in many cross-cutting topics. Since 2021, the three universities have been expanding their cutting-edge research in four Research Centers and one College. Their Research Academy bundles cross-location offers to promote academic careers. Three liaison offices in Eastern Europe and North and South America support international networks. Funding under the Excellence Strategy is intended to create an experimental space to test further cooperative structures for international top-level research bilaterally, which would benefit the entire Ruhr region as a science hub in the long term.
Contact
The coordinator for the joint proposal is Dr. Gunter Friedrich.