Technische Universität Ilmenau is a strong research university with campus flair, intercultural diversity and a welcoming environment.

Students, scientists and employees find a strong and cosmopolitan campus community with numerous opportunities for participation, involvement and personal development.

 

Interdisciplinary Cutting-edge Research

In around 100 subject areas at five departments of the TU Ilmenau, scientists conduct both innovative basic and applied research in engineering, information technologies, economic sciences and media, mathematics and natural sciences at the highest level. To this end, they bundle their expertise in three profile lines:

Functional Materials and Technologies

Intelligent Sensing and Precision Metrology

Complex Systems and Data-intensive Engineering

Innovations for socially relevant topics of the future

Together, the experts work on innovative solutions for socially relevant future topics such as Green ElectronicsSustainable Energy Supply,Artificial Intelligenceor Digital Mobility. For example, TU Ilmenau has held an internationally recognized leading position in the field of nanopositioning and nanometrology for many years. Research in neuromorphic electronics, supported by the unique infrastructure in Germany of the Research Laboratory Microelectronics Ilmenau for Neuromorphic Electronics (ForLab NSME), and Ilmenau's work on fundamentals of energy materials have been top research areas at the university for years.

The application and technology fields of the research work include energy systems engineering, micro- and nanosystems engineering, mobile communications, assistance systems, life science technologies, mobile autonomous and networked systems, production engineering and automation, and the fields of media, people & society.

Knowledge and technology transfer to society

The traditionally strong interdisciplinary cooperation in six inter-departmental institutes and with renowned national and international partners from science and industry makes the TU Ilmenau the innovation driver for the region and promotes the transfer of knowledge and technology to society. We offer our partners in business, politics and culture not only our knowledge, but also highly trained personnel, binding property rights and an excellent technological infrastructure in four technological centers: theCenter for Micro- and Nanotechnologies, the Center for Mobility Research - ThIMO, the Center for Energy Technology, and the I3TC - Ilmenau Interactive Immersive Technologies Center. Furthermore, since 1990, more than 250 spin-offs have emerged from TU Ilmenau. According to a recent study by the German Economic Institute (IW), the TU Ilmenau is one of the most patent-rich German universities.

Strong in third party funds

The private sector and public funding agencies are aware of the innovative strength of Thuringia's only technical university and support research with significant funds: According to the German Research Foundation, TU Ilmenau, despite being one of the smaller universities in Germany, is among the 20 universities with the highest volume of third-party funding in the engineering sciences. In terms of the third-party funding that the professors raise on average per capita, the TU Ilmenau even ranks among the top universities nationwide with 450,000 euros per year.

Individual Career Advancement

In order to sustainably secure its research competence, innovative ability and educational quality, the TU Ilmenau especially supports young scientists in their individual career planning. The central point of contact for all doctoral students, postdocs, junior and tenure-track professors is the Graduate Center, which offers excellent framework conditions, personal advice and an interdisciplinary qualification program. 

Well-founded Studies with Practical Relevance and Best Career Prospects

Exciting future topics such as autonomous mobility, bio-inspired technology, networked communication or sustainable economic models also characterize TU Ilmenau's traditionally strongly engineering-oriented range of courses: With a total of 44 bachelor's and master's programs, the university offers a wide selection of courses in engineering, information technology, economic sciences and media as well as mathematics and natural sciences. Modern equipment and personal support enable high-quality, interdisciplinary education with a high degree of practical relevance. Students are involved in teaching and research projects at an early stage, complete internships in industry and subsequently have excellent career prospects as specialists and managers, both nationally and internationally.

High Quality of Education

Independent rankings confirm the high quality of education at TU Ilmenau, and in surveys of students and graduates, TU Ilmenau is regularly rated particularly highly for the quality of its support, the excellent career prospects for graduates, and its attractive campus with a diverse student club life. The TU Ilmenau has been consistently system-accredited since 2012. 

Open-minded Study Environment and Cultural Diversity

Students from over 100 nations study together at the TU Ilmenau on an equal footing and actively shape the lively university campus with its unique cultural and club scene. In addition to four volunteer-run student clubs, Germany's oldest student radio, auniversity film club, astudent tv station and numerous professional initiatives, the TU Ilmenau is enriched by an academic orchestra, a big band and a chamber choir.
The high quality of education and the cosmopolitan environment make the TU Ilmenau extremely attractive for students from all over the world: regularly, more than one third of all first semester students come from abroad.
In addition, TU Ilmenau also promotes the international mobility of local students through numerous exchange and double degree programs with selected partner universities, which lead to both national university degrees after completing studies at two locations.

Excellent Study Conditions

At the TU Ilmenau, students benefit from very good support from the first to the last day. The offers range from getting to know each other at the "Erstiwoche", to the support by first semester tutors and mentors, creative work in student workshops to the final thesis and finally the graduation ceremony.

The TU Ilmenau relies on the Common Basic Engineering Studies (GIG) for the entry into the demanding courses of study. In the first four semesters, students acquire important scientific, technical and business fundamentals that are common to all engineering courses. In addition, the TU Ilmenau is working on concepts to adapt the entry into studies to the needs of the target group and offers flexible and practical entry models and orientation programs.

In order to meet the requirements of current developments, the university is also developing its degree programs digitally and establishing new online study offerings.

Research and Entrepreneurial Spirit

All degree programs have a strong research focus. Together with partners from industry, students work independently on project tasks at an early stage and complete basic and specialized internships in companies in Germany and abroad. The Ilmkubator service sensitizes students to the topic of entrepreneurship and offers those interested in founding a company an intensive individual coaching and training program, at the end of which there may be a concrete business plan or the prototype of a product.

With around 1,500 employees, the university in Ilmenau, a city of 38,000, is the largest employer in the region - and a highly respectable one at that: The campus was voted one of the top 10 most attractive university campuses in Germany by the student portal UNICUM.