Call for Proposals: Research and Education 2025

About the German-French Academy for the Industry of the Future

The German-French Academy for the Industry of the Future (GFA) is an effective accelerator to promote close collaboration between two leading European research institutions, the Technical University of Munich (TUM) in Germany and the Institut Mines-Télécom (IMT) in France, and to strengthen German-French relations. The GFA’s mission is to master the challenges accompanying the growing digitalization of industry processes through joint research, education, and innovation. Industry, start-ups and various institutions are valuable partners contributing to our success.

On a research level, the GFA has funded more than 32 TUM/IMT projects that were highly successful on a research level (3 EU projects) and on a French-German collaboration level.

Context of the Call for Proposals

For this 6th wave of projects, we invite participants to submit proposals aimed at advancing the French-German Industry of the Future. This Call for Proposals encourages innovative approaches across diverse technological domains, such as AI, hydrogen technologies, next-generation networks (5G/6G), and cybersecurity, to revolutionize industrial processes and foster cross-border collaboration.

Research centers in France and Germany are also welcome to collaborate in submitting joint proposals alongside TUM and IMT.

Objectives of the Call for Proposals

This call aims to fund innovative initiatives with a duration of 6 to 9 months, targeting cutting-edge solutions for the Industry of the Future. Two types of projects will be supported under this call:

1. Hybrid Projects

Hybrid projects should integrate two key components:

- A research seed project designed to foster early-stage exploration of promising ideas.
- A collaborative event, such as a workshop, summer school, or hackathon, aligned with the thematic focus of the research.

These projects aim to address critical technological and structural challenges, leveraging interdisciplinary and international collaboration to develop innovative solutions.

The research seed project format is specifically designed to catalyze high-quality submissions to funding bodies such as the European Union, the ANR/DFG, and other international programs. By supporting early collaboration, this format empowers research tandems to create robust proposals for future funding opportunities, ensuring their long-term impact and success.

2. Proposals for Educational Events

This call also invites proposals for a broad range of educational events, such as summer and winter schools, hackathons, and workshops. Researchers are encouraged to design new formats or adapt existing ones to foster collaboration, knowledge exchange, and skill-building in areas aligned with the Industry of the Future. These events may involve participants from academia, industry, and other stakeholders, aiming to enhance interdisciplinary learning and strengthen European innovation ecosystems.

Projects must be led by French-German research teams from IMT and TUM, with the potential to involve additional European research centers and industry partners.

Also, the GFA wishes to promote future young researchers collaborations between our two countries. Project proposals that actively involve young researchers will be particularly encouraged.

This dual-track approach ensures a focus on fostering innovative research through hybrid projects while encouraging dynamic educational initiatives that promote cross-disciplinary collaboration and engagement.

Topics and Collaboration Areas

With the help of our scientific community, we have identified several relevant topics to be addressed, including but not limited to the following:

Smart Manufacturing and Industry 4.0
Sustainable Industry
Artificial Intelligence
Advanced Materials
Cybersecurity
Human-Centric Industry
Industrial Autonomy
Resilient Industries
Digitalization and Connectivity
Sustainable Energy
Quantum Technologies
Data Ecosystems & Sharing

These topics can be addressed with proposals by academic partners and may involve industrial partners.

The projects must include at least one researcher from TUM and one from IMT or an associated institution (e.g., EURECOM). Projects are open to other research centers. If you encounter any difficulties in forming your team, please contact the GFA project managers for assistance.

Funding

The maximum funding allocated per project is 60.000€ in total to be shared among TUM and IMT. The funding should be distributed approximately equally among all two institutions and is subject to each institution’s specific terms and conditions.

The funding has to be used within 6-9 months from the project’s start. It is intended to cover expenses such as travel, workshops, relevant materials and equipment, and human resources.

Framework of the Proposals

The proposals should be submitted in accordance with the TEMPLATE provided on this website.

Proposals must include:

a description of the project including objectives and potential third-party funding,
a detailed project roadmap and time frame,
information about the human resources involved,
a financial plan within the maximal funding allocated.

Time Frame

Deadline for submissions: Friday, February 2, 2025, 24:00

Notification of the selected projects: beginning March 2025

We look forward to receiving your proposals and working together.

Contact

Please contact the GFA project managers if you need further information or assistance in identifying researchers from partner institutions or industry experts: