TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAT BERLIN

Their core work

TU Berlin is one of Germany's leading technical universities, delivering applied research across digital technologies, energy systems, transport, and advanced manufacturing. Their teams build intelligent systems — from soft robotics and brain-computer interfaces to wind turbine aerodynamics and hydrogen technologies. They bridge fundamental science and industrial application, frequently translating lab results into pilot-ready solutions through large EU consortia. Their work spans from point-of-care medical diagnostics to smart city infrastructure and circular economy models.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early H2020 period (2015–2018), TU Berlin focused heavily on foundational ICT infrastructure — wireless networking, cloud platforms, security, and smart electronics for biomedical devices. Their recent portfolio (2019–2022) shows a decisive pivot toward energy transition topics: renewable energy, hydrogen, digital twins, and circular economy now dominate, alongside a growing emphasis on machine learning and data-driven approaches. This mirrors Germany's national push toward climate neutrality and Industry 4.0 digitalization.

TU Berlin is converging its digital and energy expertise toward hydrogen technologies, digital twins for industrial systems, and AI-driven decarbonisation — positioning them as a strong partner for Green Deal and Horizon Europe energy calls.

How they like to work

TU Berlin operates as both a consortium leader and a highly sought-after technical partner. They coordinate 26% of their projects (45 of 170), which is high for a university, signaling strong project management capacity and willingness to take on administrative leadership. With 1,378 unique consortium partners across 70 countries, they function as a major network hub rather than a closed-circle collaborator — making them easy to approach and experienced in managing diverse international teams.

TU Berlin has built one of the most extensive collaboration networks in H2020, working with 1,378 distinct partner organizations across 70 countries. Their reach extends well beyond the EU into associated countries and global partners, with particularly dense connections across Western and Central Europe.

What sets them apart

TU Berlin combines the breadth of a full technical university with an unusually strong coordination track record — 45 coordinated projects is rare and signals both scientific credibility and project delivery capability. Their ability to work across digital, energy, and manufacturing domains simultaneously makes them a versatile consortium anchor, especially for cross-disciplinary calls. Located in Berlin, they also tap into one of Europe's strongest startup and innovation ecosystems, bridging academic research and commercial application.

Highlights from their portfolio

• SoMa
  EUR 1.69M coordinated project on soft robotics and embodied intelligence for manipulation — showcases TU Berlin's leadership in advanced robotics research.
• DISTRUCT
  EUR 1.83M ERC-funded project on directed graph theory running 6 years (2015–2021) — their largest single grant, demonstrating fundamental research strength.
• PoC-ID
  EUR 1.32M coordinated project building a point-of-care diagnostics platform for infectious diseases — demonstrates their ability to lead applied health technology development.