Previous Successes and Plans of the Ruhr Innovation Lab for the Excellence Strategy

Directly to:

• Consortium of Excellence application
• Clusters of Excellence at the Ruhr Innovation Lab
• Previous successes of Ruhr University Bochum in the Excellence Strategy

Consortium of Excellence application “Ruhr Innovation Lab”

Ruhr University Bochum and TU Dortmund university jointly apply to become a University Consortium of Excellence. The two universities, which have been cooperating since 2007 as part of the University Alliance Ruhr, submitted their application to the German Council of Science and Humanities on November 12, 2025. The Bochum-Dortmund alliance called “Ruhr Innovation Lab” outlines the concept of an innovation laboratory for the Ruhr region, in which new forms for cross-university structures in cutting-edge research can be tested. This bilateral experimental space is intended to produce models for cooperation that can be transferred indirectly to the entire University Alliance Ruhr and other partnerships.

Press release

Originally, the University Alliance Ruhr – consisting of Ruhr University Bochum, TU Dortmund University and the University of Duisburg-Essen – had intended to apply as a three-site consortium. Due to the decisions in the Clusters of Excellence funding line, however, the Alliance did not meet the requirements. In order to do so, a consortium needs three approved Clusters of Excellence, whereby each university must be a co-applicant for one of the funded clusters. The rectorates of the three partner universities carefully weighed up all possible options and came to the conclusion that Ruhr University and TU Dortmund should jointly apply in the second funding line. The partners can build on many ideas that the three universities have developed together in the University Alliance Ruhr.

Clusters of Excellence at the Ruhr Innovation Lab

Since January 2026, three Clusters of Excellence are funded in the Ruhr region. In addition to the previously existing RESOLV and CASA clusters, the cluster “Color meets Flavor” hast started in 2026.

• RESOLV: Ruhr Explores Solvation – Understanding and Design of Solvent Controlled Processes
  In this cluster, sientists from Ruhr University Bochum and TU Dortmund University conduct research in order to understand, predict and control solvation processes, with the participation of colleagues from the University of Duisburg-Essen and other partners outside the university context.
• CASA: Securing the Digital Society, IT security
  The CASA Cluster of Excellence has been developing solutions in order to enhance the security that is indispensable in our digital society. The cluster is hosted by Ruhr University Bochum; researchers from the University of Duisburg-Essen are also involved.
• Color meets Flavor
  Scientists from TU Dortmund University strive to discover new phenomena in the interaction between elementary particles, cooperating with the University of Bonn, the University of Siegen and Forschungszentrum Jülich

Previous successes of Ruhr University Bochum in the Excellence Strategy

Ruhr University Bochum has acquired funding in all three previous excellence competitions.

Research School and Clusters of Excellence

Ruhr University Bochum was already successful in the first Excellence Initiative in 2006 with the campus-wide graduate school RUB Research School. In the second round of the Excellence Initiative 2012, the Research School was further promoted as Research School PLUS and has now been consolidated. In 2012, additionally the Cluster of Excellence Ruhr Explores Solvation, or RESOLV for short, successfully competed for funding. RESOLV has continued to receive funding in the Excellence Strategy since 2019, which is when funding also started for the CASA Cluster of Excellence.

University Alliance Ruhr

Collaboration is our strength: Ruhr University Bochum and TU Dortmund University have been working closely together for many years as part of the University Alliance Ruhr, alongside the University of Duisburg-Essen.