Research Activities
The annual proportion of sustainable research projects and sustainability-related publications provides an indication of the extent to which sustainability is embedded in TU Dortmund University’s research profile.
Research Projects
Sustainability is central to numerous ongoing research projects at TU Dortmund University - both as an explicit research goal and as an overarching theme. The projects address ecological, social, and economic transformation challenges and are often characterized by interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches. The scope of topics ranges from the development of sustainable energy systems and resource-efficient materials, through resilient infrastructures and urban transformation processes, to issues of social justice, educational equity, and governance.
About a quarter of the research projects at TU Dortmund University are related to sustainability. This estimate is based on the application and project database for externally funded projects, which has been tracking TU Dortmund University’s research projects since January 1, 2024; however, there is currently no fixed categorization or classification with regard to the topic of sustainability. To determine the proportion of sustainability-related research projects, all projects listed in the project database were therefore searched using defined keywords. The resulting list of results was then checked for plausibility on a random sample basis. In addition, projects classified under the research field “Globalization and Sustainability” in the State Research Report were included. The following projects represent successful examples of sustainability research at TU Dortmund University:
The Collaborative Research Center/Transregion "Spatio-temporal Statistics for the Transition of Energy and Transport" is a joint project of TU Dortmund University and Ruhr University Bochum. Funded by the German Research Foundation since 2024, the TRR 391 develops statistical methods to model and forecast reliable data in economic and technical applications. The results will support decision-making in transport logistics, enable precise forecasting of wind and solar power generation and yield a better understanding of the impact of environmental policies on energy prices.
Coordinated by the TU Dortmund University's Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, the Horizon Europe project HealingBat, develops self-repairing battery technologies. Funded with €5.8 million, the research consortium designs smart lithium-sulfur batteries with integrated sensing and self-healing mechanisms - making future energy storage systems more durable, efficient, and sustainable.
Led by TU Dortmund University's Department of Spatial Planning, the EU-funded project LAND4Climate explores how nature-based solutions can systematically strengthen Europe's climate resilience. With €13 million in funding and 16 partners across six countries, the consortium investigates how private land can be used for adaptive measures that reduce climate risks aiming to enhance the resilience of urban and rural areas.
Collaborating with partners across Europe, the Social Research Centre Dortmund (sfs) contributes its experise in social innovation and industrial transormation to the research project “SUPER - Sustainable Future Steel Production and People Recruiting and Skilling”. The EU-funded project addresses key challenges on the steel industry's path to climate neutrality and promotes an integrated approach to decarbonization by linking technological progress with workforce development.
Opened in 2018, TU Dortmund University's High-Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) test center advances Germany's energy transition by developing components for the safe and efficient transmission of renewable electricity across long distances. Led by Prof. Frank Jenau from the Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, researchers test innovative insulators and design measuring systems to be used under extreme conditions. They also collaborate with industry partners to turn cutting-edge research into practical solutions for sustainable power networks.
The TU Dortmund University's research magazine "mundo" provides further insights, in particular the issue mundo 36/2025 "Transformation" (German only):
Scientific Publications
To systematically assess the relevance of research to sustainability, a bibliometric analysis was conducted using the OpenAlex database. A search in OpenAlex based on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) reveals that between 2020 and 2023, approximately 50% of TU Dortmund University’s publications can be linked to at least one SDG (see chart below). In 2024, the SDG share drops to 42%. In addition, there are other publications from TU Dortmund University that are not included in OpenAlex.
The proportion of open-access publications (regardless of the type of open access) is rising slightly from 55% in 2020 to approximately 60% in 2024, with only a minor difference between publications with and without an SDG assignment.
The interactive chart above shows the number of publications relating to SDGs as a bar chart. It is divided into "Publication related to at least one SDG" and "Not related to any SDG".
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
| related to the SDGs (assigned to at least 1 SDG) | 1226 | 1294 | 1365 | 1553 | 1213 |
| not related to the SDGs | 1082 | 1126 | 1180 | 1267 | 1664 |
| sum | 2308 | 2420 | 2545 | 2820 | 2877 |
The chart below shows TU Dortmund University’s relative activity index for the year 2024—that is, the proportion of TU Dortmund University’s scientific publications in a given SDG relative to the global proportion of scientific publications in the same SDG—as well as the relative activity index for Germany. This normalization results in a value of 1 for each SDG worldwide. From 2020 to 2024, the thematic focus on specific SDGs remains stable. Particularly well-represented, in line with TU Dortmund University’s research priorities, are:
- SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure,
- SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy,
- SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities,
- SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, and
- SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation.
The graph shows the relative activity of TU Dortmund University, Germany and the world in relation to the SDGs. The Y-axis lists the SDGs (from SDG 1 to SDG 16), while the X-axis shows the relative activity (0.0 to 2.0). Exact data can be found in the table below:
| SDG | Number of publications TU Dortmund University | relative activity TU Dortmund University | Number of publications Germany | relative activity Germany |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SDG 9 | 125 | 1,75 | 7045 | 1,11 |
| SDG 4 | 55 | 1,61 | 2257 | 0,75 |
| SDG 11 | 74 | 1,34 | 3448 | 0,71 |
| SDG 1 | 13 | 1,14 | 929 | 0,92 |
| SDG 10 | 38 | 1,06 | 2537 | 0,80 |
| SDG 12 | 31 | 0,82 | 3037 | 0,90 |
| SDG 13 | 34 | 0,76 | 4920 | 0,82 |
| SDG 8 | 32 | 0,76 | 3074 | 1,24 |
| SDG 5 | 13 | 0,64 | 1302 | 0,73 |
| SDG 16 | 18 | 0,58 | 2315 | 0,85 |
| SDG 7 | 61 | 0,52 | 9179 | 0,88 |
| SDG 3 | 163 | 0,41 | 32370 | 0,92 |
| SDG 6 | 9 | 0,21 | 2130 | 0,57 |
| SDG 15 | 4 | 0,14 | 2709 | 1,06 |
| SDG 2 | 4 | 0,12 | 2567 | 0,90 |
| SDG 14 | 1 | 0,04 | 1622 | 0,82 |