The Saxon state government made a decision in March 2007 to promote top-level research in its four universities up to 2013 with an additional 110 million Euros from the European Regional Development Fund.

After TUD had already been successful with a cluster of excellence and a graduate school in the excellence initiative of the federal and the Länder governments, two other research projects won funding under the Saxon excellence initiative on 27 August 2008:

• European Centre for Emerging Materials and Processes Dresden (ECEMP): multicomponent materials with extended application range for high-tech applications in machine and process plant construction  and vehicle construction
• Gemeinsames Zentrum für Strahlenforschung in der Onkologie 

The then rector of TUD, Hermann Kokenge, thanked all participating scientists: "The fact that two of three project applications could compete with tough competitors underlines our university’s strength in research. The Saxon excellence initiative is our chance to distinguish ourselves in certain fields such that we will be well prepared for future federal excellence initiatives."
TUD’s rector is convinced that this success can be attributed to the incorporation of  the university’s research projects in a holistic strategy. The establishment of a transfer centre is the next step planned to function as a unifying element.

What is more, these clusters of excellence have in common that they both build a bridge to cross the gap between basic and applied research. Both projects promise a close reference to training programmes, they will include graduate schools and specific Master programmes.
The promoted key research areas illustrate that TU Dresden consequently maintains its strategy to further define its research competence in interdisciplinary networked structures.