The European Research Council (ERC) also supports top TUD researchers with its highly renowned and prestigious ERC grants. These can advance basic research and visionary projects at the same time as opening up new interdisciplinary fields of knowledge.

TU Dresden holds the most patents of any university in Germany. The Saxon University of Excellence is currently sitting atop the ranking of the German Economic Institute (IW) by a wide margin. To establish this, the IW analyzed the number of patent applications from 2010 to 2019. According to this, TUD has filed more than 680 patents within ten years - on average, a new patent almost every five days.

The Collaborative Research Centers (German abbreviation: SFB) funded by the German Research Foundation (German abbreviation: DFG) are long-term university research projects in which scientists work together on an interdisciplinary basis. The funding is aimed at accomplishing excellent research, developing priorities and structures at the university, as well as promoting early-career scientists and equal opportunities.

With eleven researchers on the list of "Highly Cited Researchers" (HCR), the TUD is once again one of the most strongly represented institutions in Germany. Nine researchers working directly at TUD and two researchers stating TUD as their second affiliation are among the world's most cited researchers.

The German Center for Astrophysics is helping Lusatia reach for the stars. Astronomical research offers an opportunity for sustainable change in many regions with its combination of research & development in data and materials science as well as sensor technology. On the ground, the CFLab is working on developing the digital construction site of the future with sensor technology, AI, robotics and networked communication.

The "LAB - Living Art of Building" research center initiated by TU Dresden (Prof. Manfred Curbach) will in future provide answers to the pressing questions affecting the construction industry. The construction industry currently accounts for over 25 percent of global CO2 emissions and 40 percent of global energy consumption. The LAB is now set to become the key to climate-neutral and resource-efficient construction.