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THE LÄND - where excellent universities are driving research forward

Baden-Württemberg is one of Germany’s top locations for science, and its excellent research environment is giving it the edge in an international comparison. No wonder, then, that with a total of 13 clusters of excellence, the state is once again among the leaders in German research.

THE LÄND is and remains an outstanding science location with international appeal. Since 2019, this leading position has been strengthened by the joint Excellence Strategy of the state and the federal governments. As part of the strategy, Clusters of Excellence - collaborative research projects at universities or in university alliances - are selected and funded for seven years. The state and federal governments currently provide 385 million euros annually for this funding line, which will rise to 539 million euros from 2026.

This year, the Baden-Württemberg universities of Freiburg, Heidelberg, Hohenheim, Konstanz, Stuttgart, Tübingen and Ulm as well as the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) were successful in the highly competitive competition for Clusters of Excellence. With 13 clusters of excellence acquired, the German Southwest has not only improved on the last funding round but has also repositioned itself in the leading group behind North Rhine-Westphalia and ahead of Bavaria.

This result underlines Baden-Württemberg's innovative strength and outstanding research performance, which is based on the promotion and freedom of research and education. Convince yourself of THE LÄND as a centre of science in the following descriptions of the clusters in different fields of research.

 

Biology and Medicine

  • Centre for Integrative Biological Signalling Studies

Scientists at the Cluster of Excellence ‘Centre for Integrative Biological Signalling Studies’ (University of Freiburg) are researching how our cells communicate with each other and how we can make use of this ‘language of life’. A deeper understanding can contribute to the development of new pharmaceuticals and therapies. Read more about the research project here.

  • SynthImmune – Engineering immune function with synthetic biology

Some people have a better immune defence than others, but the reasons for this are not exactly known. The ‘SynthImmune‘ Cluster of Excellence at the University of Heidelberg wants to find out how such elite immunity works and how it can be reproduced to develop new therapies. Computer modelling, synthetic biology and nanotechnology are being used for this purpose. Find out more here.

  • Controlling Microbes to Fight Infections

Certain microorganisms help the human body to stay healthy. However, antibiotic-resistant bacteria in particular can also make us very ill. The Cluster of Excellence ‘Controlling Microbes to Fight Infections‘ (CMFI) at the University of Tübingen, together with the Max Planck Institute of Biology, is therefore researching the principles of competition and fitness of bacteria that are beneficial or harmful to humans and working out how microorganisms in the body can be controlled to prevent diseases and treat infections effectively. Click here for more insights.

  • Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies

The Cluster of Excellence ‘Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumour Therapies‘ (University of Tübingen) combines three areas of cancer research: immunology, functional identification of therapeutic target structures and molecular imaging. The research objective of the world's leading scientists from these fields is to gain a better understanding of cancer and develop effective therapies. Find out more about the Cluster of Excellence and the participating institutions.

 

Forestry, Agriculture and Geosciences

  • Future Forests – The adaptation of complex socio-ecological forest systems to global change

How can forests adapt to climate change? This question is at the centre of the ‘Future Forests’ Cluster of Excellence at the University of Freiburg due to the essential ecosystem services provided by forests. The researchers are analysing risks and possible ways of adapting. The aim is to preserve the biodiversity of our forests and provide healthy living conditions. Read more about Future Forests.

  • Green Robust: Understanding Robustness of Plant Systems from Molecules to Ecosystems

The robustness of plants is an important factor for their survival and their ability to adapt to changing environmental conditions. In the ‘GreenRobust‘ Cluster of Excellence, the universities of Tübingen, Heidelberg and Hohenheim are researching strategies to preserve plant ecosystems and ensure agricultural productivity. You can find out how AI is being used in this context here.

  • TERRA: Interactions between geosphere and biosphere in a changing world

Vital resources such as the air we breathe and our drinking water are the result of interactions between the geosphere and the biosphere. Keeping this in mind, researchers in the ‘TERRA' Cluster of Excellence at the University of Tübingen are investigating how the interactions between the geosphere and biosphere react to environmental changes. The focus is therefore on rocks, soils, water, the atmosphere, plants and animals. Based on a deeper understanding of these processes, adaptation and countermeasures will be evaluated. Click here for TERRA.

 

Battery Research and Artificial Intelligence  

  • Post-Lithium Energy Storage (POLiS)

The Cluster of Excellence ‘Post-Lithium Energy Storage (POLiS)' is developing powerful and sustainable batteries for the future - without finite materials such as lithium. With this concept, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), the University of Ulm, the Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg (ZSW) and the University of Giessen have succeeded in the Excellence Strategy of the German federal and state governments - as the only German cluster of excellence for battery research. Visit the cluster's website for more information.

  • Machine Learning: new perspectives for the sciences

The aim of the Cluster of Excellence ‘Machine Learning: New Perspectives for Science' at the University of Tübingen is to improve the application of machine learning in science. This opens up new opportunities in various scientific disciplines. You can read about these opportunities here.

 

Humanities

  • The Politics of Inequality

In the Cluster of Excellence ‘The Politics of Inequality’ at the University of Konstanz, the political causes and consequences of social inequality are researched from the perspectives of political science, sociology, economics, linguistics, psychology and empirical educational research. The researchers want to know how inequality is perceived, how it is linked to political participation and how it influences political decisions. Click here for the cluster’s website.

  • HUMAN ORIGINS: A paradigm shift in the study of human evolution

Where are our human origins? How did we become what we are today? How did it come about that we, Homo sapiens, are the only hominin species still around today? Researchers at the Cluster of Excellence ‘HUMAN ORIGINS‘ (University of Tübingen) are investigating these questions about the development of humans. If you are interested in the answers, keep updated via the cluster's website.

 

Architecture and Material Sciences

  • Integrative Computational Design and Construction for Transformative Architecture

Architecture is of central ecological, economic, social and cultural importance. People spend 87% of their lives in buildings, which is precisely why the Cluster of Excellence ‘Integrative Computer-aided Design and Construction‘ (IntCDC) at the University of Stuttgart is pursuing the goal of utilising the full potential of digital technologies to rethink design and construction in an integrative and interdisciplinary approach and thus enable groundbreaking innovations for sustainable construction. Get an overview of the current state of research here.

  • 3D Matter Made to Order

The Cluster of Excellence ‘3D Matter Made to Order’ (3DMM2O), led by KIT and Heidelberg, aims to improve 3D printing technology. Scalable digital 3D additive manufacturing techniques - from the molecular, micrometre and nanometre scale to macroscopic dimensions - enable innovations in medicine and technology. You can find more information about the cluster here.

 

You want to join one of these Clusters of Excellence and pursue your academic career in the German Southwest? If so, you could find all helpful information for international researchers in THE LÄND here.

 

Author: Isabelle Dobratz

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