Professor Martin Paul, Rector of Ruhr University Bochum, (left) and Professor Manfred Bayer, Rector of TU Dortmund University
University Strategy
We connect TU Dortmund University and Ruhr University Bochum
With the Ruhr Innovation Lab, Rectors Manfred Bayer and Martin Paul have launched the next phase of cooperation between Ruhr University Bochum and TU Dortmund University.
We combine the strengths of TU Dortmund University and Ruhr University Bochum to foster excellent research in the Ruhr region. Under the name “Ruhr Innovation Lab,” our two universities secured the title “University Consortium of Excellence” in 2026 as part of the federal and state governments’ Excellence Strategy. Over the next seven years, we will receive millions in funding to implement joint initiatives in areas such as research, talent development, and transfer, thereby contributing to a future-proof society. Many members of Ruhr University Bochum and TU Dortmund University have contributed to this tremendous success. As rectors, we are working together to align the strategies of both institutions, aiming at an even closer collaboration than before. Our motto: from cooperation to integration. Successful ideas from the Ruhr Innovation Lab will also be incorporated into the University Alliance Ruhr, in which we have been cooperating closely with the University of Duisburg-Essen since 2007.
