For the fourth consecutive time, the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has earned the designation "University of Excellence." This was announced by the Science Council (WR), the German Research Foundation (DFG), and the Federal Ministry of Research on Wednesday evening in Bonn. In its new TUM Agenda 2030+, the university places its responsibility as an engine of innovation for the well-being of humanity at the center of its strategy.
Andreas Heddergott / TUM TUM President Prof. Thomas F. Hofmann expressed his delight at this renewed major success in the federal and state Excellence Competition and extended his thanks to members of the TUM community: "The heartbeat of TUM is defined by the diverse talents of our university community - from curious students and ambitious staff to excellent professors, bold founders, and globally impactful alumni, fellows, partners, and friends. We are all united by the pursuit of excellence - not for excellence's own sake, but with the goal of taking responsibility for the well-being of humanity. TUM is more than a University of Excellence - it is an attitude."
Federal Research Minister Dorothee Bär offered her congratulations: "The Universities of Excellence are lighthouses of cutting-edge research in Germany - the evaluation results confirm this. They are and remain flagships of our academic landscape and frequently serve as models for other universities. They have not only increased their international visibility through excellent basic research, but have also achieved significant progress in applied research and technology transfer. They contribute substantially to the innovative strength and competitiveness of our country and thus to the success of the Hightech Agenda Germany. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the Technical University of Munich on this great achievement. It is a pioneer for other universities - with its outstanding transfer capabilities, a forward-looking personnel concept, and an international orientation across all activities of the university. This is, in short, an extraordinarily successful overall strategy. I am confident: TU Munich will continue to grow its worldwide reputation in the coming seven years as well."
Bavaria's Minister of Science Markus Blume said: "Scientific excellence combined with responsibility for the defining questions of our time - the Technical University of Munich has defended its status as a University of Excellence since the very beginning of the funding program in an impressive manner. It demonstrates powerfully what excellence means at its core: Outstanding research and teaching that serve the people. This gives rise to a culture of innovation that connects progress with responsibility. A dynamic organization, state-of-the-art teaching, and impactful transfer make TU Munich a reference university for all of Europe. Heartfelt congratulations and sincere thanks to the researchers as well as the university leadership for their outstanding work and this consistently exceptional performance. TUM is an absolute flagship for Bavaria - for home and hightech."
TUM Agenda 2030+
Inspired by the achievements of the previous Excellence Strategy, the TUM AGENDA 2030+ takes up the rapidly evolving role of academic institutions in an increasingly uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world. TUM strengthens its impact as an adaptive, resilient, and globally competitive learning organization that transcends conventional boundaries, fosters a spirit of experimentation and entrepreneurship, and champions a society-oriented and integrated approach to education, research, and innovation in times of a "new normal." Through new forms of collaboration, TUM will exert an unprecedented impact on regional innovation ecosystems, societal development, and global challenges.
To this end, the TUM AGENDA 2030+ focuses on four priority areas:
- We foster talent in all its diversity
- We shape responsible research and innovation
- We scale solutions for global societal challenges
- We strive for operational excellence
Seven Excellence Clusters form the foundation
As early as May 2025, TUM had laid the groundwork for renewed participation in the Excellence Competition: seven Excellence Clusters of TUM and its cooperation partners are being funded - three more than before.
Four existing clusters proved their merit through international peer review and will receive seven more years of funding with a forward-looking orientation toward energy conversion, quantum technologies, neurological diseases, and the origin of the universe. Joining them are three new Excellence Clusters that were able to convince international review panels with leading research approaches in the areas of nucleic acid research, biosystem design, and societal transformation through technologies.
