TUD has been one of Germany’s eleven Universities of Excellence since 2012 and is among the top-performing research institutions in the country. Excellence has initiated dynamic change at TUD: The university has become even more interdisciplinary and international, attracting outstanding researchers from all over the world. At the same time, this award inspires us to embody Excellence across the entire university.

Robotic arms in the operating theater, in the concert hall, or in the kitchen – the CeTI Cluster of Excellence is working on technological innovations that support people. Researchers from a wide range of disciplines are developing the tactile internet of the future and transferring their findings to practical applications. Fostering the partnership between humans and machines.

Whether smartphones, laptops, or televisions – everyday life would be unthinkable without electronics. Yet, their production consumes enormous resources and generates growing amounts of electronic waste. TUD’s “Responsible Electronics in the Climate Change Era” (REC²) Cluster of Excellence is pursuing a paradigm shift: REC² researchers are developing the electronics of the future – ecologically, economically, and socially sustainable. This includes novel materials, components, and systems.

If we really want to protect the climate and our resources, we need a paradigm shift, especially in construction. Novel digital processes allow buildings and roads to be planned efficiently, saving both energy and materials. Researchers at the Cluster of Excellence Climate-Neutral and Resource-Efficient Construction (CARE) are searching for sustainable alternatives to conventional production methods and developing entirely new construction principles.

Tomorrow's high-tech will require materials with entirely new properties. In the Cluster of Excellence ctd.qmat – Complexity, Topology and Dynamics in Quantum Matter, nearly 400 scientists from over 30 countries are researching and developing novel quantum materials with bespoke properties and investigating their use under real-life conditions. The ctd.qmat Cluster of Excellence brings together leading researchers from around the world and promotes a broad social understanding of quantum technologies.

The “Physics of Life” (PoL) Cluster of Excellence views life from a new perspective. The multidisciplinary team is exploring the importance of physical laws for growth and structure formation in organisms, as well as for the dynamic organization of molecules, cells and tissues. Researchers are examining the physics of cell biology. The aim is to describe living matter more precisely in order to facilitate applications in biotechnology and medicine.