Updating our social, political, and technological operating systems

About the TUM Think Tank

A home for ideas.
A driver for change. 

The TUM Think Tank is a university-based research to action platform that brings science, technology, and society into dialogue. We connect researchers, decision-makers, and change agents to turn knowledge into action, advancing a responsible digital future through cross-sector collaboration, critical insight, and public engagement.

Latest

Research Journal

Thoughts and questions on agents, agency and institutions

A Research Journal by Nicklas Lundblad

22. Sep 2025

Ethical Data Initiative Virtual Townhall

Join the Ethical Data Initiative’s first virtual Town Hall Workshop on the 28th of November, 14:30 - 17:30 CET. This new biannual format builds on the momentum of past events, creating a flexible and accessible forum for global stakeholders to come together to shape the future of ethical data.

Online
28. — 28. Nov 2025
Opinion

Thriving in Disruption: Lessons from the European Resilience Summit

26. Sep 2025
Policy Brief

Inverting the Brussels Effect: What the EU Can Learn from Latin America in Digital Governance

This policy brief offers insights into what the EU can learn from its counterparts in LAC. Authored by the HEMISPHERES project members – a three year collaboration funded under the Erasmus+ Jean Monnet 2024 Networks Program, which aims to foster cooperation between European and Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) academic and research centers, policymakers, private sector and civil society.

15. Sep 2025

JURI Committee Visit to the TUM Think Tank

What can the EU learn from other regions of the world when it comes to governing emerging technologies, especially in the fields of AI, data, and the digital economy? This guiding question shaped the exchange between the TUM Think Tank and a visiting delegation from the European Parliament’s Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI).

Publication

AI Sandboxes – A Key Tool for Adaptive AI Governance

As AI increasingly shapes decision-making in our daily lives, traditional governance frameworks struggle to keep pace. How can we ensure regulation keeps up with technological change?

Publication

Frontiers in Digital Child Safety

Designing a child-centered digital environment that supports rights, agency, and well-being

26. Jun 2025
Publication

AI Adoption Across Mission-Driven Organizations

Exploring how mission-driven organizations are engaging with AI—from real-world applications to ethical dilemmas and governance questions.

05. Aug 2025

Initiatives at the TUM Think Tank 

Our initiatives

We are home to a network of labs, projects and fellowships, each focused on a unique area of inquiry. Our initiatives are built on the belief that tackling complex issues requires an inter-disciplinary approach and a willingness to explore new directions of learning.

Frontiers in Digital Child Safety

The Frontiers in Digital Child Safety initiative seeks to contribute to ongoing debates about novel ways to advance child safety through a series of open-source materials, including research briefs, issue spotters, or technical descriptions. It is complementary to existing and emerging child protection efforts. The transatlantic multi-stakeholder initiative at the TUM Think Tank is made possible by financial support from Apple. It invites collaboration among scholars at TUM, Harvard University, and the University of Zurich, and facilitates contributions by a global research community. The initiative will explore a range of innovative technological, educational, and other approaches to prevent and respond to digital child safety issues.

Project

The Content Moderation Lab explores how digital platforms regulate online speech—and how these choices influence user behavior, public attitudes, and democratic engagement.​

Lab

Integrating experienced practitioners into the work of the TUM Think Tank

Fellowship

Engaging today with the ethical, legal, societal and political implications of tomorrow’s quantum technologies.

Lab

The Urban Digitainability Lab is a transdisciplinary lab focused on empowering municipalities to drive the sustainable and digital transition.

Lab

Beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries, we seek fellows from diverse backgrounds who are dedicated to address societal challenges by developing approaches to advance the public good.

Fellowship

The Youth and Media Lab is an international hub for participatory research and policy innovation that empowers young people to co-create a safer, fairer, and more inclusive digital world.

Lab

The Immersive Realities Working Group pioneers responsible innovation in XR and social agents, bridging academia, industry, and policy to shape human-centered, equitable digital futures.

Lab

Stay updated

Join us

Events
Discussion

Coffee Talk Series

Hot topics. Great people. Strong coffee. In just 45 minutes, our Friedrich Schiedel Fellows present their projects and discuss them in an open, informal and creative setting with participants from a wide range of disciplines.

TUM Think Tank
27. May 2025 — 11. Nov 2024
Workshop

Future-proof data protection: From data protection law to the right to use data

How can data protection in the digital age be thought of, lived and shaped in a future-proof way - what contribution can new approaches such as a data usage right make - what is required for innovation, research and progress?

TUM Think Tank
26. Jun 2025
Roundtable

Who pays for the transport infrastructure?

Alternatives to traditional taxation in the transition to electro mobility

TUM Think Tank
30. Jun 2025
Discussion

AI readiness across mission-driven organizations

Join us for the launch of a new white paper exploring how mission-driven organizations are navigating the rise of AI. Based on interviews with stakeholders across mission-driven organizations, the paper highlights real-world use cases, key challenges, and future directions for AI adoption in the service of social and environmental goals.

TUM Think Tank
03. Jul 2025