The TUD's Clusters of Excellence as part of the Excellence Strategy

In August 2024, TUD submitted a total of six full proposals for funding as a Cluster of Excellence as part of the Excellence Strategy. Three applications for the new Cluster of Excellence initiatives and the continuation applications for the continued funding of the three existing Clusters of Excellence. An impressive five out of six submitted research projects were selected as Clusters of Excellence in May 2025. The three existing clusters CeTI, ctd.qmat and PoL will continue to receive funding from 2026, and two new clusters will be added: CARE and REC².

Spotlight on Speakers

Portrait Prof. Fitzek, siegessicher lächelnd vor einer dunklen Fotowand

Prof. Frank H.P. Fitzek - CeTI

As of 2014 Frank Fitzek holds the Deutsche Telekom Chair of Communication Networks at TU Dresden and is at the forefront of German telecommunications research. As the Speaker for the CeTI Cluster of Excellence and the 6G-life research hub, his contributions have shaped the field of communication networks. Brimming with entrepreneurial spirit, he has co-founded more than ten start-ups since 1999. Learn more

Prof. Matthias Vojta - ct.qmat

Prof. Matthias Vojta is Chair of Theoretical Solid State Physics and since 2019, he has been Dresden's Speaker for the ct.qmat – Complexity and Topology in Quantum Matter Cluster of Excellence, a joint cluster between TU Dresden and Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg. Learn more

Prof. Otger Campàs - PoL

Prof. Otger Campàs has been Chair of Tissue Dynamics since 2019 and is both Speaker and Managing Director of the PoL - Physics of Life Cluster of Excellence, which works closely with 39 research groups, in particular MPI-CBG. Learn more

Prof. Victor Mechtcherine - CARE

Prof. Viktor Mechtcherine is Director of the Institute of Construction Materials at TU Dresden and Speaker of the CARE – Climate-Neutral and Resource-Efficient Construction Cluster of Excellence Initiative. To the video

Prof. Yana Vaynzof - REC²

Prof. Yana Vaynzof is Chair of Emerging Electronic Technologies at TU Dresden, Director at the Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden, and Speaker of the REC2 – Responsible Electronics in the Climate Change Era Cluster of Excellence Initiative. To the video

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

Speaker: Prof. Frank Fitzek
The Centre for Tactile Internet with Human-in-the-Loop Interaction is a Cluster of Excellence at TU Dresden.

further information on CeTI

ct.qmat: Complexity and topology in quantum materials

Speaker at the Dresden site: Prof. Matthias Vojta
The global competition for quantum technologies is in full swing. Materials that exhibit exotic phenomena play a decisive role in this. Right at the forefront: the Cluster of Excellence ct.qmat - Complexity and Topology in Quantum Materials.

further information on ct.qmat

PoL: Physics of Life

Speaker: Prof. Otger Campàs
Understanding life down to its smallest components is one of the great challenges of our time. Why does the heart beat on the left side and how do the laws of physics influence our DNA?

further information on PoL

CARE: Climate-Neutral and Resource-Efficient Construction

Grün bewachsene Gebäude ragen in den Himmel

Speaker: Prof. Dr. Viktor Mechtcherine (TUD) and Prof. Dr. Martin Claßen (RWTH Aachen University)
The Cluster of Excellence CARE of TU Dresden and RWTH Aachen University aims to use climate-friendly building materials, construction principles and production technologies to show ways towards sustainable construction in every respect.

further information on CARE

REC²: Responsible Electronics in the Climate Change Era

Speaker: Prof. Dr. Yana Vaynzof
The REC² cluster creates the scientific basis for the electronics of the future: new material platforms, component concepts and integrated systems with which responsible electronics can be realized in an ecologically, economically and socially sustainable way.

more information about REC²

Further information

Funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Free State of Saxony as part of the Excellence Strategy of the Federal and State governments

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