The Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR), together with European and Japanese partner organizations, has published a new international funding announcement within the framework of EIG CONCERT-Japan. The focus is on the topic "AI-supported robotics for applications in the real world."

What is it about?

International research and development projects that develop adaptive and intelligent robotic solutions for real-world application scenarios are funded. The aim is to create robotic systems that can learn, make decisions, and adapt in dynamic, human-centered environments.

The call particularly addresses applications in:

• Industry & Production

• Logistics & E-Commerce

• Agriculture

• Environmental Monitoring

• Healthcare & Nursing

• Disaster Relief

Interdisciplinary approaches at the interface of AI, robotics, sensor technology, and human-robot interaction are in demand.

Eligible to apply are:

• Universities

• Non-university research institutions

• Other institutions in the field of non-economic research

A prerequisite is a transnational consortium with:

• At least one Japanese partner

• And at least two European partners from different countries.

Projects with four or more partner countries are rated particularly positively.

For German partners, funding of up to 180,000 euros is planned for a duration of up to 36 months. Universities can also receive a project lump sum.

Submission of project outlines

July 22, 2026, 10:00 AM

Submission is done electronically via the PT-Outline System.

The project outlines are particularly evaluated according to the following criteria:

• Scientific excellence

• Innovation potential

• Social impact

• Quality of international cooperation

• Sustainability and interdisciplinarity

Contact & Further Information

The project sponsor on the German side is the DLR project sponsor. Interested institutions should get in touch early.