Plans to reinforce research and transfer
The joint profile locations of Ruhr University Bochum and TU Dortmund University are, as both presidents explain, defined by the overlap between the 3 Clusters of Excellence and the Research Centers: they include solvation science, trustworthy AI, unique materials, and the nature of matter. In the consortium, three more fields with high advancement potential are to be recognized and expanded. In parallel, the objective is to enhance technology and knowledge transfer into the region and beyond. The approval of the BRYCK Start-up Alliance in July 2025 showed that the Ruhr area’s close cooperation in between business and universities has fantastic potential in supporting start-ups. Areas in town hall such as the Dortmunder U and the Haus des Wissens in Bochum likewise bring science into society as part of culture.
A website presenting the consortium is scheduled to go live in mid-October. Members of both universities will then have the ability to learn more about the concrete plans at a digital town hall conference on 13 November, one day after the application deadline. The review of the application will be supplemented next spring by a multi-day on-site visit in Bochum with adventures to Dortmund. A choice is anticipated in early October 2026. The funded ideas will then start in January 2027 with financing of in between 15 and 28 million euros per year. The designated Universities of Excellence and University Consortia of Quality will, for the first time, receive long-term financing, but will be subject to assessment every 7 years.
More details on the Excellence Method