Center • Institute • Funded Project = ThIMo³

Founded in 2011 at TU Ilmenau, the "Thuringian Innovation Center for Mobility" (ThIMo) is an interdisciplinary, internationally recognized research and development center oriented towards both academia and industry. ThIMo generates ideas and solutions while connecting stakeholders across the mobility and transport sectors. We facilitate knowledge transfer and enable innovation—spanning the journey from scientific and technical fundamentals, through products and processes, to the implementation of practical systems in real-world operation. The innovation center brings together three complementary components under one roof: 

  • The Technology Center for Mobility Research at TU Ilmenau (ZMF-ThIMo) 
  • The cross-faculty Institute for Mobility Research (IMF-ThIMo)
    ⇒ Areas of Expertise
  • The "Digital Mobility Research Initiative" (Forschungsoffensive Digitale Mobilität) R&D project, funded by the Free State of Thuringia (see funding notice).
    ⇒ Advisory Board

ThIMo maintains cooperative relationships with over 320 international and national partners from industry and academia. These partners can leverage the latest research facilities, expertise, and know-how, as well as the extensive international research networks of the member departments. Together with strategic partners—such as the European Digital Innovation Hub at Bauhaus-Universität Weimar—an extensive research and technology transfer network has been established. 

ThIMo is a member of industry associations (including ACOD, automotive thüringen, PolymerMat, and ELMUG) and actively contributes to the regional innovation strategy for smart specialization and economic transformation (RIS Thüringen) under the auspices of the Thuringian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Rural Areas, as well as to the Thuringian Mobility Network (TMN) under the auspices of the Thuringian Ministry for Digital Affairs and Infrastructure. A key current focus for ThIMo and its partners is the initiative to establish the Thuringian AVF/ITF model region for automated and connected driving in public transport.

Funding acknowledgement

Project Name: "Digital Mobility Research Initiative," Innovation Centers Project Number: 2023 IZN 0005 Project Period: 01/2024 – 12/2028 Environmentally friendly, low-emission, safe, and efficient—and digital: during the specified funding period, research at the Thuringian Innovation Center for Mobility (ThIMo) is increasingly focusing on digital methods within the mobility sector. The "Digital Mobility Research Initiative" is funded by the Free State of Thuringia with over 6.4 million euros, supplemented by a 10% contribution from ThIMo and the university. In addition to addressing issues in engineering and the social sciences, the teams from ThIMo’s specialist departments and administrative office are focusing on applications for mobility solutions in rural areas, extending beyond the Ilmenau location. Funding is provided within the framework of the integrated program "Thüringen MOTIVation – move to innovation." 

The project is being implemented across three action areas: the "Research" action area, comprising three main objectives in the domains of "digital transport modes for future mobility," "digital components, materials, products, and processes for future mobility," and "digital dissemination channels, internationalization, and stakeholder networking"; the "Transfer and Transformation" action area, supported by numerous measures and formats covering further education, marketing, and public relations; and the "Networking" action area, involving stakeholders from academia, industry, society, and local government. 

The projects funded by the Free State of Thuringia were co-financed by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

Flyer

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