Ideas connect. Policy moves. Responsibility leads.

Our Initiatives

We are home to a network of labs, each focused on a unique area of inquiry.

As a university-wide platform, the TUM Think Tank is uniquely positioned to draw upon the diverse perspectives, disciplines, and students of Europe’s leading university. Our initiatives are built on the belief that tackling complex issues requires an interdisciplinary approach and a willingness to rethink directions of learning.

Labs

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

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

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.

The Creativity Lab at the TUM Think Tank is a research-driven collaborative space that brings together scholars, young people, artists, and decision-makers to study, experiment with, and translate human creativity.

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.

The Law and Tech Lab researches the intersection of law and emerging technologies to shape technology-driven legal innovation and enable its forward-looking governance.

Uniting diverse perspectives to explore the societal and ethical frontiers of the quantum revolution.

The Government Innovation & Technology Lab is Munich’s catalyst for public sector innovation, bridging government, academia, and industry to build future-ready institutions.

The Transformation Finance Lab mobilizes capital, ideas, and alliances to finance a just and sustainable future.

Exploring updates of institutional infrastructures for resilient and future-proof democracies

The Civic Machines Lab explores the full lifecycle of artificial intelligence, from the semiconductors powering computation to the algorithms shaping human experience.
Situated within the TUM Think Tank, the lab views AI as a socio-technical system rather than a purely technical challenge.
By integrating perspectives from computer science, social sciences, and public policy, the Civic Machines Lab aims to shape technologies that are democratic, sustainable, and globally inclusive.

The Ethical Data Initiative is a non-partisan platform fostering open discussions on data ethics. The initiative focuses on equity and engagement across different domains of data work for public interest.

Projects

AI4POL

AI4POL is a Horizon Europe project designed to equip European regulators and policy makers with the tools and knowledge needed to effectively govern and regulate AI technologies.

Project

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

QuantWorld

What happens when quantum meet your 9 to 5?

Project

Young Quantum Social Scientists

Using challenge-based learning and design sprints, research clinics and other formats, the Young Quantum Social Scientists at the Quantum Social Lab offer the opportunity to tackle important governance challenges of Quantum applications. Each cohort consists of up to 20 students who can put their theoretical knowledge to use by addressing real-world problems. The Young Quantum Social Scientists is an initiative open to students of all study programs within Munich.

Project

Fellowships

Integrating experienced practitioners into the work of the TUM Think Tank

Fellowship

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

Public Policy Impact Program

With the Public Policy Impact Program, we support student initiatives with a political mission in achieving their goals - by providing funding, facilitation and networking opportunities.

Fellowship

Former Initiatives

From incubation to innovation

We foster innovation and growth by incubating a wide range of labs and projects. These initiatives are designed to evolve over time, push boundaries and eventually transition into independent ventures beyond the TUM Think Tank. Below, we introduce our former initiatives that have made a lasting impact, each having contributed to the advancement of knowledge, technology, and society.

Generative AI Taskforce

Educating decision-makers and offering an open discussion forum on the risks and benefits of generative AI.

Mobilität.Leben

Shaping the transformation of mobility for Munich’s metropolitan area and beyond by producing innovative insights about everyday mobility of the people.

Reboot Social Media Lab

The Reboot Social Media Lab reimagines social media by exploring and developing ways that can transform and redesign its functioning for users. The collaborative initiative unites stakeholders from academia, media, civil society, and the public and private sectors under one common goal: making social media platforms a better place for everyone.