Manfred Bayer (left), President of TU Dortmund University, together with Martin Paul, Rector (President) of Ruhr University Bochum

Ruhr Innovation Lab
Application As Consortium of Excellence Submitted

Ruhr University Bochum and TU Dortmund University have joined forces as “Ruhr Innovation Lab” for the Excellence Strategy.

On November 12, 2025, Ruhr University Bochum and TU Dortmund University submitted their joint application for the title of Consortium of Excellence to the German Science and Humanities Council (WR). The two universities are participating together in the second funding line of the Excellence Strategy as the “Ruhr Innovation Lab.” The concept describes an experimental space that creates freedom in research and develops solutions to pressing future issues. To this end, connections to industry, politics, and civil society are also to be strengthened. In the current round of the competition, 21 universities and consortia nationwide are competing for up to 15 places.

“Our vision is to reshape research in a way that allows new ideas to flourish and secures wealth and values of our society, even in times of global disruption,” explains Professor Martin Paul, Rector of Ruhr University Bochum. “Together with partners in the Ruhr region, in Germany, and worldwide, we aim to establish an ecosystem that will bring this vision to life,” says Professor Manfred Bayer, Rector of TU Dortmund University. The two neighboring universities share a founding purpose: to further drive the structural change of the Ruhr region from the heart of the coal and steel industry to a knowledge hub. The joint application in the Excellence Strategy carries this mission into the future and beyond the borders of the region.

Town hall meeting for university members on November 13

On November 13, 2025, the rectors of Ruhr University Bochum and TU Dortmund University will hold a town hall meeting to provide information on the next steps in the Excellence Strategy. The digital event is open to all university members from Bochum and Dortmund. Further information

In May 2025, the two universities had qualified for the ongoing round of the Excellence Strategy by acquiring three Clusters of Excellence. Thanks to their long-standing cooperation in the University Alliance Ruhr, TU Dortmund University and Ruhr University Bochum have strong inter-university structures in research and transfer to build on in their joint application. These include, in particular, the four Research Centers and the College, which were founded in 2021 together with the University of Duisburg-Essen to strengthen international cutting-edge research in the Ruhr region with 50 new professorships. The closely integrated start-up support provided by the BRYCK Startup Alliance is among the best in Germany, as confirmed in July by its selection as one of Germany’s ten start-up factories.

The two universities have now signed a cooperation agreement for bilateral collaboration in the “Ruhr Innovation Lab,” which defines a new inter-university institution. Together, the two universities have 875 professorships, 6,400 scientists, and 63,000 students. By combining their strengths, the two partners are already particularly strong in areas such as sustainable chemistry, trustworthy IT systems, novel materials, and the nature of matter. Further fields are to be jointly developed and expanded. The reciprocal interaction between ideas from research and societal challenges is guided by the motto “Think. Try. Transform.” The new “Ruhr Innovation Lab” website describes the broad foundation on which the consortium can base its vision.

About the Excellence Strategy

In the second funding line of the Excellence Strategy, universities can apply for funding either individually as a University of Excellence or jointly as a Consortium of Excellence. The precondition is the acquisition of a sufficient number of Clusters of Excellence. In the current round, ten of the eleven defending title holders as well as eleven new applicants are competing, including the “Ruhr Innovation Lab.” Starting in 2027, up to 15 candidates will be funded. For the first time in the history of the Excellence Competition, funding is not limited to a set period but is intended to be permanent, contingent on successful evaluations. The funding amount is up to 28 euros million per year. An overall concept is required for the strategic further development of cutting-edge research that also anchors the institution’s capacity for renewal. Applications will be evaluated in writing and through on-site visits. Decisions will be made in early October 2026.