TUD Dresden University of Technology has impressively proven its claim to be a top university for the 21^st century. From the six research projects submitted for full proposal, a high-caliber, international panel of experts selected five as Clusters of Excellence that will receive new or continued funding starting in 2026. This was announced by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the German Science and Humanities Council (WR) on May 22, 2025. TUD manages three of the Clusters entirely on its own, the other two are university consortia, one with Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg and the other with RWTH Aachen University. The five Clusters of Excellence cover the fields of resource-efficient construction, sustainable microelectronics, robotics and tactile internet, quantum physics, as well as physics of life. With three Clusters managed entirely on its own and two in collaborative Clusters, TUD is among the TOP 5 universities in Germany and is the best performing technical university in this competition.

During the DFG's live broadcast to announce their funding decision, TUD's Rector, Prof. Ursula Staudinger, was joined by around one hundred cheering guests - including the members of the Extended University Executive Board and the speakers of the Clusters of Excellence and Cluster of Excellence Initiatives in the ballroom of the Rectorate Building.

Prof. Ursula M. Staudinger, Rector of TUD: “The fact that as a result of this highly competitive process we are entering the new funding phase with five Clusters of Excellence is a tremendous success and clearly demonstrates TUD’s standing as one of Germany’s top universities and the strength of the DRESDEN-concept research alliance. Our university thus demonstrates that it is taking on a leading role in key scientific and social fields of the future. We are living up to our claim of being a top university for the 21^st century by making meaningful contributions to overcoming pressing global challenges. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all involved from both science and the administration who have made this success happen through their extraordinary commitment. We are now heading into the upcoming on-site assessment as a University of Excellence in November with strong momentum!"

Prof. Angela Rösen-Wolff, TUD Vice-Rector Research: “This success confirms the scientific excellence of TUD. Five funded Clusters confirm our position at the most advanced level both with regard to research continuity and innovative approaches. Through the continued funding of the three existing Clusters of Excellence and the approval of two new ones, we can continue with our excellent research in crucial future fields and expand our profile in cutting-edge research. I firmly believe that we will set new standards in all these research fields in the future."

Saxony's Minister of Science, Sebastian Gemkow, joined the guests in the ballroom via live stream from Bonn to congratulate the University of Excellence TUD: "In the competition between the best universities and top research teams in Germany, TU Dresden and, for the first time, Leipzig University have impressed with their outstanding Cluster proposals. I would like to congratulate you both wholeheartedly and at the same time assure you that the Free State of Saxony will continue to support the excellent research at both universities, just as it did during the entire application phase. This is a huge success not only for the universities themselves, but for the entire science hub of Saxony. Over the next seven years, this great success will bring around EUR 200 million in federal funding for the six Clusters to Saxony. Cutting-edge research in future-oriented fields will benefit both the universities and non-university research institutions as well as the companies here in Saxony. It will strengthen our technological development and competitiveness on an international level. The Excellence Commission's decision is a testament to the capabilities, creativity and extraordinary innovative strength of our universities and their partner institutions in research and industry. The Excellence Competition has demanded a great deal from all universities and project teams that have taken part since the first draft proposals were drawn up. In the process, new research approaches were created and can now be advanced, even if they are not earmarked for Cluster funding. I am grateful for the work that has been done at all these institutions."

A total of 70 Clusters received green light from the German Research Foundation and the German Science and Humanities Council today. The new seven-year funding phase will begin on January 1, 2026. The Clusters will receive up to EUR 10 million per year from the Federal and State governments.

Background: TUD's Clusters of Excellence - Statements from the Cluster Speakers

CARE: Climate-Neutral and Resource-Efficient Construction (TU Dresden with RWTH Aachen)

Conventional concrete and cement account for 80 percent of building materials and are responsible for more than 8 percent of global CO₂ emissions during their production. The CARE Cluster of Excellence at TUD (Speaker: Prof. Viktor Mechtcherine) and RWTH Aachen University (Speaker: Prof. Martin Claßen) aims to use climate-friendly building materials, innovative construction principles, manufacturing technologies and circular economy tools to pave the way towards sustainable construction.


Cluster Speaker Prof. Viktor Mechtcherine: "The funding of the CARE Cluster of Excellence is an outstanding signal which recognizes the expertise and state-of-the-art research we have built up at TU Dresden in the field of sustainable construction - in the truest sense of the word. Moreover, this funding is a decisive step towards the transition to a climate-neutral construction sector - one of the greatest levers we have for climate protection. At CARE, we are developing innovative and well-founded solutions for highly productive, resource-conserving construction methods and the sustainable handling of existing buildings alongside our partners at RWTH Aachen University. In addition to implementing our ambitious research program, we are strongly committed to working closely with politics, business and society in order to ensure the rapid transfer of our findings into construction practice."


REC²: Responsible Electronics in the Climate-Change Era

Cluster Speaker Prof. Yana Vaynzof:

Electronics bring many benefits to our lives, but at a cost of enormous resource and energy consumption as well as the generation of e-waste. The REC² cluster is creating the scientific basis for the electronics of the future: new material platforms, innovative device concepts and integrated systems with which responsible electronics can be realized in an ecologically, economically, and societally sustainable way.

"The entire REC² team is delighted by the decision to fund the Excellence Cluster! We look forward to addressing a timely topic of global importance – the realization of responsible electronics. By combining expertise from nine different disciplines, we will create the scientific basis for the electronics of the future: new material platforms, component concepts, and integrated systems with which responsible electronics can be made, used and disposed of in an ecologically, economically, and socially sustainable way. REC² will place Dresden at the forefront of sustainable electronics at a decisive time in the climate change era and significantly strengthen Saxony's growing microelectronics research and technology hub.“

Renewal Proposals from TUD

CeTI: Centre for Tactile Internet with Human-in-the-Loop 

CeTI advances efficient collaboration between humans and machines. One of its applications is human-machine collaboration involving mutual learning across distances without programming knowledge. This requires the development of innovative technologies for real-time communication as well as robust models of the human body and its ability to react. 

Cluster Speaker Prof. Frank H. P. Fitzek: “We are both delighted and relieved that, after months of intense waiting, it has now been confirmed that our CeTI Cluster of Excellence has been approved for the second funding phase. We are elated that we can continue to work on the exciting and socially important topic of “Humans and Robotics” in an interdisciplinary manner. It is only in a Cluster of Excellence that it is possible to bring together so many different disciplines and conduct joint research at the highest level. Today, we want to relish this special moment—before we throw ourselves into the task of providing significant impetus for research and social engagement over the next seven years.” 

ctd.qmat: Complexity, Topology and Dynamics in Quantum Matter; (TUD with Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg) 

ctd.qmat develops novel quantum materials with customized functionalities that form the indispensable basis for technological progress. The Cluster, which is supported by TUD and the University of Würzburg, combines physics, chemistry and materials science while linking two of the world's leading research locations for condensed matter. It bridges the gap between theoretical and experimental basic research with a strong focus on application.

Cluster Speaker: Prof. Matthias Vojta and Prof. Ralph Claessen (Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg – JMU).

Matthias Vojta (Chair of Theoretical Solid State Physics at TUD): We were on the edge of our seats waiting for the Excellence Commission’s decision! It was a nail-biter right up to the last minute — which makes us all the more thrilled that we can now continue our work alongside our colleagues in Würzburg. Over the last funding period, we made internationally recognized breakthroughs in developing new quantum materials. And we’ve set ambitious goals for the next seven years to push the boundaries of topological quantum physics."

PoL: Physics of Life. The Dynamic Organization of Living Matter 

Understanding life is one of the greatest and most complex challenges in science. The Cluster is transforming our understanding of living matter by revealing how physics controls fundamental processes in cell and developmental biology.

Cluster Speaker Prof. Otger Campàs: The funding of the Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life — PoL for its next phase represents an outstanding opportunity to bring the cutting-edge research at PoL to a new level, with the goal of understanding what brings matter to life. Research at PoL explores the fundamental physical principles underlying the complex organization of living systems, from molecules to cells and tissues. This physical perspective is poised to reshape our understanding of biology—and, consequently, medicine. Going forward, PoL will use its unique perspective and approach to understand key features of living systems, including the emergence of function and robustness. Equally important, PoL will bring innovative teaching strategies to train the next generation of scientists in how to connect the worlds of physics and life sciences. PoL is firmly embedded within the vibrant Dresden research environment, and will continue to strengthen our collaborations with leading partners locally and worldwide."

Background: TUD as a University of Excellence

TUD was already successful in the previous Excellence Initiative of the Federal and State governments. The first Cluster was awarded to TUD in 2006, and it received the title of University of Excellence for the first time in 2012. Since 2019, TUD has been permanently funded as a University of Excellence as part of the Excellence Strategy of the Federal and State governments. As such, it must undergo an evaluation every seven years. The next evaluation by an international Committee of Experts will take place in November 2025.

Background: The new funding phase for Clusters of Excellence

At present, 57 Clusters of Excellence are being funded throughout Germany. For the next funding phase, 41 projects from a total of 143 submitted draft proposals were invited by the Committee of Experts from the German Research Foundation and the German Science and Humanities Council to submit full proposals - in addition to the already funded Clusters. As a result, a total of 98 proposals competed for funding by the time the funding decision was made. In the new funding phase 2026-2032, 70 Clusters will now be funded. The Federal and State governments will provide EUR 539 million to fund the new Clusters of Excellence from 2026. The new funding phase will run for seven years and begin on January 1, 2026.