Ruhr Innovation Lab Selected as a University of Excellence Consortium

TU Dortmund University and Ruhr University Bochum have been selected as a University of Excellence Consortium under the German Excellence Strategy with their joint Ruhr Innovation Lab (RIL). The Excellence Strategy is one of Germany’s most important funding programs for research and supports universities that stand out for the quality of their research and their plans for future development. Being selected as a University of Excellence Consortium therefore recognizes the research achievements of both universities. Starting in 2027, TU Dortmund University and Ruhr University Bochum will receive additional funding to further expand their research and collaboration.

We are particularly pleased that astroparticle physics is a prominent part of the Ruhr Innovation Lab. It is represented in the research area “Matter in Terrestrial & Cosmic Laboratories,” one of only four research areas within the consortium. Here, researchers investigate the fundamental properties and interactions of matter, both through experiments on Earth and through observations of the universe. Our research group contributes its work on cosmic rays, neutrinos, and gamma rays. Using data from various international observatories, we investigate where neutrinos and gamma rays originate and which physical processes are responsible for accelerating cosmic particles.

The Ruhr Innovation Lab builds on existing research collaborations in which our group is involved. Collaborative Research Center 1491 “Cosmic Interacting Matter” brings together researchers from different disciplines to study the interactions of cosmic matter. The Ruhr Astroparticle and Plasma Physics Center (RAPP Center) connects researchers working in astroparticle physics, particle physics, hadron physics, and plasma physics across the Ruhr region. Through our collaboration with the Lamarr Institute, we use artificial intelligence methods to analyze large amounts of data from astrophysical experiments. The Ruhr Innovation Lab combines expertise from these different research fields to investigate fundamental questions in physics, such as the unknown origin of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays.

For the review of the Ruhr Innovation Lab, our research group organized an exhibition showcasing the scientific work of TU Dortmund University and Ruhr University Bochum. The exhibition highlighted several major observatories, including the IceCube Neutrino Observatory at the South Pole, the Radio Neutrino Observatory Greenland (RNO-G), the MAGIC and FACT telescopes and the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTAO), all located on La Palma, and the Pierre Auger Observatory in Argentina. Various models illustrated what the observatories look like and how they work, including a model of the IceCube detector developed jointly with the Lamarr Institute.

We are delighted that the joint application by TU Dortmund University and Ruhr University Bochum was successful and proud that our research is part of the Ruhr Innovation Lab. Starting in 2027, this funding will allow us to strengthen existing collaborations in the Ruhr region and continue working together to address open questions in astroparticle physics.