From hydrogen technology and climate-neutral industrial processes to new teaching frameworks: the range of funded projects demonstrates the university’s growing research strength across many disciplines. Over the past ten years, the volume of third-party funding has thus almost quadrupled: in 2015, it stood at around ten million euros.
“By securing around 40 million euros in third-party funding last year, we have set a new record – proof of our research strength and innovative power, particularly at a time when public funding is being allocated amid fierce scientific competition,” says Prof. Dr Oliver Steffens, Vice-President for Research and International Affairs at OTH Regensburg.
The five largest research projects of the year alone account for funding of around 23.3 million euros.
A flagship project: The Hydrogen Technology Application Centre (WTAZ)
The largest project is the Hydrogen Technology Application Centre WTAZ-ITZ-SUED in Pfeffenhausen, Lower Bavaria. Under the project leadership of Prof. Dr Hans-Peter Rabl, a research infrastructure is being established there to enable the practical testing and further development of hydrogen technologies for mobility and industry.
The focus is on the construction and operation of an H2 internal combustion engine test bench and an H2 injection test bench with associated measurement technology. There, researchers investigate combustion processes, operating strategies, material stresses and system optimisations under realistic conditions. The aim is also to develop standardised test procedures for hydrogen systems, thereby accelerating their transfer to industrial applications.
OTH Regensburg is collaborating in a consortium with the Technical University of Ingolstadt, the University of Applied Sciences Landshut and several industrial partners.
For its part in the project, OTH Regensburg is receiving around 12.5 million euros in funding from the Federal Ministry of Digital and Transport’s programme for the National Hydrogen Innovation and Technology Centre. The project runs until 28 March 2030.
OTHorizont: Teaching research and new ways of studying
With the OTHorizont project, the university is developing a new structure for study and teaching and specifically strengthening what is known as teaching research. The project will investigate and test how students can learn even more effectively in future, work in an interdisciplinary manner and be prepared for a rapidly changing world of work.
Under the project leadership of Vice-President Prof. Dr Birgit Rösel, a teaching architecture is being developed that is more interdisciplinary and project-oriented. Course offerings from different faculties will be more closely networked, and new cross-faculty modules will enable students to look beyond the boundaries of their own discipline.
A central component is the teaching of so-called future skills – such as digital competences, the reflective use of artificial intelligence, critical thinking, innovative thinking, and team and problem-solving skills. Self-organisation, resilience and ethical responsibility also play an important role.
Through new teaching formats and greater scope for experimentation, the aim is to foster a learning culture that not only prepares students for specific professions but also empowers them to actively shape social and technological change. The project is funded with €4.8 million by the Foundation for Innovation in Higher Education as part of the ‘Teaching Architecture’ call for proposals and will initially run for four years, with the possibility of an extension until 2031.
DECIDE: CO₂ capture for the cement industry
As part of the DECIDE collaborative project, a research team is working on technologies to decarbonise cement production, one of the most emission-intensive sectors of industry.
Under the project leadership of Prof. Dr Philipp Keil, OTH Regensburg is investigating methods for capturing CO₂ from flue gases produced during cement manufacturing. As a large proportion of the emissions are process-related, this technology is considered one of the few ways to significantly improve the industry’s carbon footprint.
Together with the Technical University of Munich and Linde GmbH, the team is developing specially adapted adsorbents capable of efficiently filtering CO₂ out of complex flue gas mixtures. A central component of the project is a mobile container-based pilot plant operated directly within a cement plant using real flue gas. During continuous long-term operation, the researchers are investigating, among other things, how trace substances in the flue gas affect the performance and stability of CO₂ capture.
Funding of around 3.3 million euros has been provided by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action. The project will run until 30 November 2028.
AIM-SMEs: AI innovations for SMEs
The European project AIM-SMEs (“Accelerating AI-based Innovations in SMEs”) supports small and medium-sized enterprises in making targeted use of artificial intelligence for innovation. Under the project leadership of Prof. Dr Wolfgang Mauerer, a team of experts supports companies from the initial idea through to the concrete implementation of an AI application. In doing so, the latest methods in AI research are applied to specific industrial challenges.
The focus is on applications that make production processes more efficient, improve product quality or enable new data-driven business models. The solutions developed are intended not only to help individual companies, but also to serve as transferable examples for further AI projects.
The funding amounts to around 2.4 million euros, and the project runs until 30 September 2028.
PROMPT: Detecting methane emissions more quickly
In the PROMPT research project, scientists at OTH Regensburg are developing a mobile sensor system for the detection and localisation of methane and ethane emissions. Methane is one of the most potent greenhouse gases and escapes from gas infrastructure worldwide – for example, through leaky pipelines. Since the European Methane Regulation came into force, operators have been required to monitor such emissions much more closely.
Under the project leadership of Prof. Dr Matthias Ehrnsperger, the research team is combining photoacoustic spectroscopy with AI-supported data analysis to develop a highly sensitive yet cost-effective sensor system. The technology can, for example, be deployed on drones or autonomous robots to locate emission sources quickly and precisely.
Industry partners from the energy and technology sectors – including Bayernwerk Netz GmbH and REWAG Regensburger Energie- und Wasserversorgung AG & Co. KG – are supporting the project with tests under real-world conditions.
The funding amounts to around 1.9 million euros. The funding body is the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space. The project will run until 31 December 2029.
Research strength is also evident in networking
An analysis by the Centre for Higher Education Development also confirms that OTH Regensburg is particularly active in research collaborations. As part of the TDR4HAW project, more than 26,000 federally funded research projects were evaluated.
The study shows that universities of applied sciences are particularly strong in collaborating with partners outside the academic sphere, such as those from industry and society. OTH Regensburg is highlighted as a particularly well-connected player in this regard.
One reason for this lies in the practical orientation of the research: Many professors bring extensive experience from industry and business to the table and are particularly adept at translating scientific findings into practical innovations.
Background: What third-party funding means for research
External funding refers to grants secured from external sources for research projects. These funds do not come from the university’s regular budget, but rather from sources such as government departments, European research programmes, companies or foundations. They are used, for example, to finance research staff, laboratory equipment, software or experimental facilities. The funds are always tied to a specific research project.
Key funding bodies include the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, European Union programmes and the German Research Foundation.
The rise in third-party funding demonstrates that OTH Regensburg’s practice-oriented research is increasingly in demand both nationally and internationally.
You can find all current funded projects at OTH Regensburg on this overview page.
