Excellence confirmed by international panel: TUD defends its title of University of Excellence

TUD has succeeded in retaining its status as a University of Excellence in the most demanding competition the German academic landscape has to offer. The German Science and Humanities Council and the German Research Foundation came to this decision on March 11, 2026 on the basis of a report by international experts. Boasting five Clusters of Excellence, three of which are operating under the sole responsibility of TUD and two in consortia with a partner university, as well as a conscientious overall strategy, TUD continues to be one of the top German research universities and at the same time is the only University of Excellence in the eastern German states excluding Berlin.

As announced by the German Science and Humanities Council (WR) and the German Research Foundation (DFG) at a press conference on March 11, 2026, TUD Dresden University of Technology will continue to receive funding as a University of Excellence as part of the Excellence Strategy of the German federal and state governments. This makes our university one of the top ten in Germany based on institutional performance, research strength, strategic development and vision for the future, receiving an outstanding rating by international experts – an impressive confirmation of its leading position in the German and international science landscape. The new, seven-year funding phase will begin on January 1, 2027.

Jubilation, pride and gratitude

"TUD shining once again as a University of Excellence is the result of the continuous development of our institution that we have been pursuing for more than a decade. We are one of the best performing universities in Germany and are the strongest university of technology in this competition with three Clusters of Excellence for which we are solely responsible, and two Clusters of Excellence, each with a partner university. My heartfelt appreciation goes out to all members of our TUD community and partners in the DRESDEN-concept research alliance, who have worked hard in pursuit of this goal with outstanding commitment and professionalism, all in accordance with our mission statement as “TUD | The Collaborative University. inventive. transformative. engaged.” “We can and should be proud of this exceptional result that we have achieved together," said Prof. Ursula Staudinger, Rector of TUD.

The Rector celebrated the announcement in the ballroom of the Rectorate building during a live broadcast of the decision by the WR and the DFG with around 150 guests hailing from science, politics and the city of Dresden. These included Saxony's Minister President Michael Kretschmer, Saxony's Minister of Science Sebastian Gemkow, members of the University Executive Board, spokespersons for the Clusters of Excellence and Dresden's Lord Mayor Dirk Hilbert.

“Today's decision marks a tremendous success for both TU Dresden and Saxony as a location for innovation and technology. Not only will the associated funding be put to good use, but TUD is also consolidating its reputation as a world-class university location. This is the result of perseverance and hard work over the past few years and a consistent, interdisciplinary and international focus. My utmost gratitude goes out to all those who made this possible with their unwavering commitment.

It is no secret that outstanding research is a key driver for our federal state. It attracts talent from all over the world, strengthens the innovative capacity of our companies, and acts as a catalyst for new investments and business relocations. Dresden is an impressive testament to how cutting-edge research, strong universities and a powerful economy intertwine perfectly. The region is now one of the leading science locations in Germany and Europe, also owing to the continuous support from the Free State, the federal government and the EU.", emphasized Minister President Michael Kretschmer.

The decision is the result of a highly demanding evaluation process. Universities of Excellence undergo extensive reviews by international experts every seven years. In addition to scientific performance, the evaluation spotlights the results of the self-assessment report from the previous funding period, the university's overall strategy and its future innovative strength.

In recent years, TUD has used the Excellence funding to pave the way to pioneering fields of research, attract top international researchers, reinvent itself as an institution and significantly strengthen technology transfer through TUD I excite. Today, TUD is the university with the most patents in Germany, proudly attested by many successful spin-offs in robotics, microelectronics and biotechnology.

"My sincerest congratulations go out to TU Dresden today. Its Excellence status shines far beyond the university's walls. The entire scientific community in Saxony benefits from this, as the title sheds a bright light on its ecosystem of strong research partners, networks and the unique research infrastructure. In international comparison, the Free State of Saxony is one of the leading players. And this network attracts some of the best scientists from all over the world. A strong University of Excellence like TU Dresden, combined with the best conditions for research and teaching, acts as a magnet for the entire Free State. This has already been impressively demonstrated over the last few years. The investments made by the Free State of Saxony in its universities and research institutions are truly paying off", says State Minister Gemkow.

 “The Collaborative University” as a success factor

A special feature of TUD is its trust-based cooperation at many levels, which is geared towards clear development goals. TUD operates in a unique scientific ecosystem. This includes fruitful, international transCampus partnerships in England and India, as well as locally and regionally in the DRESDEN-concept (DDc) research alliance with all major non-university research institutions, but also Silicon Saxony, the largest semiconductor industry cluster in Europe and the biotech network Biosaxony.

"The cornerstone of our success is our established profile as TUD | The Collaborative University: close cooperation across a number of disciplines, the combination of curiosity-driven, fundamental research with transformation-oriented research working hand in hand with our partners from the DDc Alliance," says TUD Rector Ursula Staudinger. "Our Clusters of Excellence and strategic research fields – from the life sciences, healthcare of tomorrow, new and sustainable materials, microelectronics, all the way to information and data sciences for robotics and artificial intelligence – demonstrate our prowess in setting international standards in important key technologies."

Mission: Excellence! 

Having been endowed with this prestigious University of Excellence status for the third time, TUD will continue to receive federal and state funding to continue developing its strategic goals, expand its leading international position and shine in its role as a pioneering institution.

TUD Rector Staudinger: "The renewed confirmation as a University of Excellence is both a recognition of success and the declaration of a mission. Building on our proven strengths, we are entering a new phase in our development. Our goal is clear: to further expand TUD as an internationally visible, top university, all the while contributing to solving the major challenges of our time, employing excellent research, innovative teaching and social commitment."

Background: TUD as a University of Excellence

TUD has a proven track record in the previous Excellence Initiative programs of the federal and state governments. After acquiring its first Cluster of Excellence in 2006, TUD was named a University of Excellence for the first time in 2012. TUD has been permanently funded as a University of Excellence since 2019. As such, it must undergo an evaluation every seven years.

A total of at least EUR 148M per year is available through the Universities of Excellence funding line. This means that up to 15 Universities of Excellence or consortia can be funded in the future, once the review of new applications has been completed in the fall of 2026. Individual universities can receive between EUR 10 and 15M per year. The decision on new applications will be taken at the beginning of October 2026. The new phase will subsequently begin on January 1, 2027.

Contact:
Press Office of TU Dresden
Tel: +49 351 463 32398
Email: