Stuttgart Cluster of Excellence IntCDC receives funding for a further seven years

Scientists from the University of Stuttgart and the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems (MPI-IS) are leveraging digital technologies to make design and construction more future-proof and climate-positive. This research takes place within the interdisciplinary Cluster of Excellence IntCDC. As announced today by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the German Science and Humanities Council, the federal and state governments will continue funding the cluster, including the participating institutions MPI-IS and Bauhaus Earth, for another seven years as part of the Excellence Strategy. The Cluster of Excellence “Integrative Computational Design and Construction for Transformative Architecture (IntCDC)” will enable the university to further strengthen its position as a leader in international cutting-edge research in architecture and civil engineering.

"I congratulate the researchers and all partners involved in our successful Cluster of Excellence IntCDC and extend my gratitude to everyone who worked tirelessly, both center stage and behind the scenes, to ensure the success of our cluster applications," says Professor Peter Middendorf, Rector at the University of Stuttgart. "We are proud of these initiatives. They demonstrate that, with its outstanding scientists and as a driving force within a dynamic research and innovation ecosystem, the University of Stuttgart is well-positioned to develop forward-thinking solutions to pressing societal challenges across various fields. My congratulations also go to all our university and non-university partners who have achieved success with their cluster initiatives today. The Excellence Strategy is a demanding, highly competitive process guided by scientific evaluation from international experts. While we hoped for even better outcomes for our three other cluster applications, we remain proud of our achievements. We will now analyze the relevant reports and continue advancing our strategic development as a research- and transfer-oriented university, providing young people with an ideal environment for their studies and academic careers."

The construction sector consumes more than 50% of global resources, causes 40% of all CO₂ emissions and 50% of waste. At the same time, the considerable need for construction and renovation cannot be met due to stagnating productivity. Since 2019, the Cluster of Excellence IntCDC has been working on new methodological foundations for transforming the building sector. The researchers take a unique interdisciplinary approach. The nine IntCDC building demonstrators, developed in collaboration with industry partners, integrate computational design and engineering methods, cyber-physical fabrication and construction processes, and sustainable material and building systems. "Interdisciplinary Co-Design enabled us to develop innovative construction methods that greatly reduce resource consumption and CO₂ emissions. We have significantly increased productivity through robotic construction and new forms of human-machine interaction and created new architectural possibilities,” says IntCDC spokesperson and Leibniz Prize winner Professor Achim Menges. In the second funding phase, the University of Stuttgart, in collaboration with the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems and Bauhaus Earth, aims to evolve Co-Design into a Co-Agency approach. The focus will be on advancing bio-based building materials, AI technologies, and efficient, circular computational design and construction. The Stuttgart Center of Integrative Computational Design and Construction is being established to anchor a leading international research center at the University of Stuttgart in the long term.

The IntCDC cluster not only represents excellent, internationally oriented and interdisciplinary basic research in a societal relevant field. It is also part of a regional ecosystem comprising university and non-university research institutions, established companies, strong SMEs, and innovative start-ups. IntCDC and its partners are committed to promoting talent at all career levels, public engagement and knowledge transfer and a diverse research culture.

The Excellence Strategy of the federal and state governments provides long-term funding for top-level research at German universities and strengthens their international competitiveness. It comprises two funding lines: Clusters of Excellence and Universities of Excellence. Clusters of Excellence are international research alliances that pursue groundbreaking approaches and bring together outstanding scientists from different disciplines. In this round, 98 funding applications for Clusters of Excellence were submitted. Of these, 70 will be funded over the next seven years. Universities with at least two clusters or university alliances with at least three clusters between them can apply for the status of University of Excellence. The decision is expected by the end of September 2026. The Excellence Strategy aims to strengthen Germany as a hub of scientific research and enhance the international competitiveness of its universities.