Today, to be successful, we need an open culture of innovation and supportive structures in which universities are no longer just at the beginning of a value chain, but are players in an innovation ecosystem of research institutions, commercial enterprises, technology companies, incubators, and start-ups. With inventions and collaborations, our researchers and students drive technological change. We support them with tailor-made offers so that knowledge can be turned into innovation. In this radius of action, the TUM School of Engineering and Design (ED) activates the renewal potential of society and secures the future viability of our country.
Whether globally active commercial enterprises, small and medium-sized companies, or start-ups: Powerful partnerships between technology-based companies and the ED exchange knowledge from professional practice and new research questions, cooperations accelerate the transfer of knowledge and technology Students learn to understand new practical contexts, apply them, and deepen their knowledge in a valuable way, while companies benefit from the young talents and their creativity, thus gaining competitive advantages. Such a symbiosis requires a longer-term, strategic, intimate, and trusting cooperation between university and companies. How your company can collaborate with the TUM School of Engineering & Design? From advising to student project work, there are many ways to collaborate with us in our engineering and design departments.
The departments of ED maintain intensive contacts with large and small companies in Bavaria and beyond. These cooperations are of mutual benefit: The university benefits from the practical relevance, the economy from a highly innovative partner.
Student research projects (semester, bachelor's, and master's theses), as well as doctorates, can generally be carried out in cooperation with companies. These are examination services provided by the university. The scientific qualification of the candidates is always in the foreground. Therefore, the theses can only be assigned by the chairs and departments and not by companies.
If you think that you can offer an interesting topic of your company, we ask you to contact the corresponding chair or department yourself and not to leave this to the candidates. Only in this way, any necessary corrections to the topic can be discussed in mutual agreement. Please note that as a rule, these must be published as scientific work. Professional supervision that meets our quality standards can only be ensured if the topic of the thesis is embedded in the research portfolio of the chair or department.
In the case of doctorates, a presence at TUM of at least 20% of the regular working time is also generally necessary to ensure an embedding in an academic environment appropriate for a doctorate.
About half of all industry cooperation projects at the faculty are carried out within the framework of public national or international research funding. In particular, promotion by the European Commission, federal ministries, and programs of the state government as well as promotion by foundations (e.g. Bavarian Research Foundation) or within the framework of Industrial Cooperative Research (IGF) of the German Federation of Industrial Research Associations (AiF) come into question.
About half of the industry cooperation projects are carried out within the framework of bilateral research agreements. Both partners are free to choose the format of the cooperation and the subject of the research. The TUM has laid down the basic rules for research and economic cooperation in terms of costing and transparancy rules that apply to a project based on partnership.
TUM ForTe - Office for Research and Innovation - provides scientists with professional and comprehensive advice on research funding and technology transfer. Information and advice services include patents and licenses, start-ups and entrepreneurship, and research funding.
The Technical University of Munich is one of the most successful start-up universities in Europe. TUMentrepreneurship offers founders the best support for starting technology companies. A key to our success is the development of an entrepreneurial mindset among our researchers and students. Thinking outside the box, being creative and innovative, taking risks and learning from failures, and tackling problems proactively are important for any career in today's dynamic and technology-driven world.
The TUM Venture Labs support scientists and students at TUM on their entrepreneurial journey in numerous technology-based domains. They are new entrepreneurial innovation hubs re-enforcing in a unique way tech-based business creation at the interfaces of engineering, natural, life and data sciences and medicine. The joint initiative of TUM and UnternehmerTUM supports entrepreneurial talents in tech-based business translation from science, offering an entire ecosystem with the necessary development environments. Our offers range from technical and social infrastructure to entrepreneurship training and support through our top-class industry and investor networks.
Discover and strengthen your entrepreneurial qualities and develop a business idea into a successful enterprise at TUM Venture Labs.
A team of 240 employees supports young founders at UnternehmerTUM. It accompanies start-ups from the initial idea to the IPO, helps with expertise in building up their company, entering the market, and financing.
Graduates of the TUM School of Engineering and Design have enjoyed an excellent education at one of the best engineering faculties worldwide. Companies can get in touch with our graduates in various ways.