February 18th, 2026
Four funded projects strengthen research infrastructures in production engineering, climate research, battery recycling, and quantum communication.
In the current competition held by the state of Baden-Württemberg for funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) has achieved exceptional success. KIT has secured a total of €5,855,000 for three projects as applicant and one as partner. The funds will be used for the targeted expansion of modern research infrastructures in strategic fields of the future.
As the Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts of Baden-Württemberg announced on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, the state is providing a total of €12.6 million in ERDF funding for new research platforms at state universities. KIT will receive a significant share of this funding, approximately €5.8 million.
“Modern research infrastructures are essential for transforming scientific knowledge into concrete solutions,” says Professor Anke-Susanne Müller, Vice Provost for Research Infrastructures at KIT. “As ‘The University in the Helmholtz Association,’ we combine basic research and application – the ERDF funding strengthens us precisely where we translate excellence into societal and technological impact.”
Overview of the funded projects
At the Innovation Campus Mobility of the Future, KIT and the University of Stuttgart are developing a scalable laser technology platform called ModuLaF (Modular AI-supported Laser Technology Platform for Autonomous, Flexible, and Resilient Manufacturing). The modular systems at both locations are networked into a comprehensive hardware and software system. Integrated sensors and AI algorithms control additive, joining, and separating processes in a self-optimizing, real-time manner. “We are creating a unique research platform for autonomous laser material processing. The cross-site networking with AI-supported process intelligence enables resilient, flexible production systems and strengthens the technological competitiveness of Baden-Württemberg and Europe,” says Professor Frederik Zanger from the wbk Institute of Production Engineering at KIT.
At the Innovation Campus for Sustainability, 4SURE (Smart Sensor System for Sustainable Urban Regions) is being developed as a dense urban measurement network for climate resilience and transformation research. In Karlsruhe, Freiburg, and other municipalities in Baden-Württemberg, high-resolution sensors are recording extreme events such as heat, drought, and heavy rainfall in real time, as well as their impacts on people, trees, and infrastructure. “With 4SURE, we are creating a data foundation for sustainable and equitable urban development in collaboration with the University of Freiburg,” says Professor Jan Cermak from the Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research – Atmospheric Trace Gases and Remote Sensing at KIT.
Another funded project is located at the Center for Electrochemical Energy Storage Ulm & Karlsruhe (CELEST). The CERL project (CELEST Circular Economy Recycling Lab) is developing a research infrastructure for closed-loop material cycles in battery technology. The goal is to develop innovative recycling processes for lithium and post-lithium systems so that materials can be efficiently recovered at the end of their life cycle and reused in batteries. Looking ahead, the insights gained will also be used to explore “Design for Circularity” approaches – that is, battery concepts designed for recyclability from the outset.
Within the QuantumBW Innovation Campus, KIT is also a partner in the QuantumBW.Net project. The goal of this collaboration between the University of Stuttgart, the University of Ulm, and KIT is to enable quantum-safe communication and quantum-specific functionalities in real-world networks – an important step towards a quantum internet. “With the large-scale QuantumBW.Net facility, we are connecting local test sites to form a cross-site quantum network between Karlsruhe, Stuttgart, and Ulm for the first time,” explains Professor David Hunger from the Physics Institute at KIT. “This opens up new development and application scenarios for quantum-safe communication – with the long-term goal of a nationwide network.”
Funding by the European Regional Development Fund
The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) promotes innovation, growth, and employment in Europe. In Baden-Württemberg, the focus is on strategic technologies within the framework of the EU’s Strategic Technologies for Europe (STEP) initiative.
With ERDF funding, the state invests specifically in key technologies and modern large-scale equipment and technology platforms. The new research infrastructures are accessible to the respective innovation ecosystems and thus strengthen the competitiveness of Baden-Württemberg as a science and technology hub.
https://www.kit.edu/kit/pi_2026_012_5-8-millionen-euro-aus-efre-fonds-fur-das-kit.php
Justus Hartlieb
Press Officer
Tel.: +49 721 608-41155
justus.hartlieb@kit.edu