TUM, Lufthansa Group, and Munich Airport Plan Joint Research Initiative
New TUM Location at Munich Airport
The new TUM Convergence Center will create a unique ecosystem where students, scientific talents, start-up teams, industry partners, and citizens can collaborate on pioneering projects in an integrative and innovative manner. The research focus areas of the TUM Convergence Center include key sectors such as aviation, mobility, robotics, and security. One of the initiatives to be established is the TUM Sustainable and Future Aviation Center, which will be developed in partnership with the Lufthansa Group and Munich Airport to create sustainable and efficient solutions for the aviation industry. A Letter of Intent between the three partners was also signed during the event.
The Munich Airport location will also host the headquarters of the federally funded Robotics Institute Germany and the TUM Institute for LifeLong Learning, which will expand its professional and executive education programs in this international setting. With pop-up labs at the TUM Convergence Center, the TUM THINK TANK will enhance the university’s public engagement strategy by addressing current questions at the intersection of technology and society.
The TUM Convergence Center will also provide much-needed development space where students can engage in interdisciplinary collaboration, such as in the TUM Student Clubs, enabling them to continue their successes in prestigious international competitions. Additionally, innovation competitions and the TUM Project Weeks introduced under Germany’s Excellence Strategy—such as the TUM Student Collider of the EuroTeQ Engineering University—will have room to scale at the TUM Convergence Center.
Broad alliance of science, business and politics
TUM President Prof. Thomas F. Hofmann said: “A global hub. Countless talents. Boundless creativity. With the TUM Convergence Center, we are creating an inspiring collision space where students and pioneers from academia, industry, and the public can collaborate on research, teaching, and learning, and bring innovations from Munich Airport to the world. I am excited about the new partnership with the Lufthansa Group and Munich Airport, as we strengthen aviation mobility as a driver of innovation in Bavaria and make it more accessible to the global public."
Bavarian Minister of Science, Markus Blume, added: “We are opening a new chapter in Bavarian aviation history. With the new TUM location at LabCampus, we are making the airport a university site. Today’s event would undoubtedly have had the blessing of Franz Josef Strauß, who knew that aviation is a key industry for growth, prosperity, and progress. Thanks to Strauß, Bavaria remains a global leader in aerospace, and we intend to keep it that way! The opening of the TUM Convergence Center and the establishment of the TUM Sustainable and Future Aviation Center create a unique innovation cluster in Germany, linking research, science, and practice at one of Europe’s most important hubs. With the strong partnership of TUM, the Lufthansa Group, and Munich Airport, we are laying the groundwork for aerospace excellence made in Bavaria!”
Bavarian Finance Minister and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Munich Airport, Albert Füracker, emphasized: “Today marks another milestone for progress and innovation at Munich Airport. The LabCampus provides a creative space and is an ideal location for developing forward-looking solutions for aviation. With the opening of the TUM Convergence Center and the establishment of the TUM Sustainable and Future Aviation Center, Munich Airport is forming an outstanding partnership with the airlines of the Lufthansa Group and the internationally recognized TUM. This brings together top-tier innovation, benefiting not only Munich Airport but the entire Bavarian economy.”
Jost Lammers, CEO of Munich Airport, stated: “One of our strategic goals is to develop Munich Airport into a premium innovation hub. By expanding LabCampus into a university site and partnering with TUM and the Lufthansa Group, we are bringing together three institutions that will not only contribute to the future success of the region but also play a key role in advancing the sustainability of air travel.”
Joerg Eberhart, Executive Vice President Strategy & Organizational Development of the Lufthansa Group, remarked: “To shape the future of aviation efficiently and sustainably, we are establishing a unique collaborative platform between Munich Airport and TUM, with support from the Bavarian Ministry of Science and the Arts at the Munich location.”
Technical University of Munich
Corporate Communications Center
- Ulrich Meyer
- presse@tum.de
- Teamwebsite
