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Collaboration Catalyst Program

Connecting research excellence with regional innovation Ecosystems

Mission

The Collaboration Catalyst Program connects ZEISS with leading universities in the regions surrounding its Innovation Hubs. Through collaborative research projects, the program addresses strategic technology challenges while fostering strong local innovation ecosystems.

By funding early-stage research collaborations, ZEISS gains access to emerging scientific developments, universities gain industrial relevance and long-term partners, and regional innovation networks are strengthened through lasting connections between academia, industry and talent.

Facts & Scope

  • Fund size: 500 k€ / year

    Supporting ambitious early-stage collaborations

  • Up to 5 projects per Year

    Creating pathways towards long-term collaboration

  • Research Excellence & Ecosystem Building

    Advancing science while strengthening regional innovation networks

  • 6 Partner Universities

    Connecting leading researchers across the ZEISS Innovation Hub network

  • 12 Months Seed Projects

    Fast, focused and impact-driven research

Focus Areas 2026

The Collaboration Catalyst Program transforms strategic technology challenges from across ZEISS into collaborative research projects with leading universities. Each year, selected technology clusters serve as a guiding framework for identifying research opportunities and building new partnerships between industry and academia. In 2026, the program focuses on Next Generation Materials and Next Generation Computing.
A transparent, porous material with irregular holes stands next to a round petri dish. The petri dish contains a thin, translucent layer with blue branching patterns. Out-of-focus laboratory equipment, including a microscope, is visible in the background.

Bio & Sustainable Materials

01 Xeno-free organoid matrix — Enable reproducible organoid growth without animal-derived inputs.​

02 Tunable optical polymers — Tailor refractive properties for advanced biomedical imaging.​

03 3D microscopy condenser — Create freeform illumination for sharper 3D microscopy.​

04 Lead-free piezoelectrics — Replace toxic lead while preserving electromechanical performance.​

05 Circular aluminium intelligence — Track material history to optimize reuse and recycling.​

06 Porous carbon materials — Engineer pores to capture, store or transform carbon.​

07 Inline battery characterization — Measure material quality during continuous battery production.​

A circular wafer with a grid pattern is positioned beneath a metallic device. Blue laser beams intersect and focus on the wafer's surface, creating a network of illuminated lines. The scene suggests a high-precision process involving advanced machinery and optical technology.

Functional surfaces & Simulation-driven Engineering

08 UV-transparent polymers — Create durable polymers for deep-UV transmission.​

09 2D diffusion barriers — Block diffusion with ultrathin material layers.​

10 Self-organized surfaces — Guide spontaneous patterns toward useful surface functions.​

11 Nanomaterial e-noses — Identify vapours with selective nanoscale sensors.​

12 Buried metasurfaces — Hide optical functions beneath protected surfaces.​

13 Metasurface manufacturing — Turn optical designs into scalable production.​

14 Ultrafast laser modification — Control material changes from ultrashort pulses.​

15 Laser welding & additive — Stabilize laser processes with heat-and-flow models.​

16 Cavitation mechanics — Simulate bubbles and deformation in soft matter.​

17 Acoustic black holes — Dissipate vibration through engineered structures.​ 

A transparent cylindrical container holds a vertical electronic circuit board with glowing, multicolored lines forming interconnected wave patterns. The board features rows of small rectangular components along its edges. The background shows a blurred laboratory setting with metallic surfaces and cool lighting.

Next Gen Computing

18 Photonic accelerators — Demonstrate a 10× system advantage over electronic accelerators.​

19 Co-packaged optics — Raise performance and yield through in-line process control.​

20 Neuromorphic sensing — Convert continuous optical data into sparse event streams.​

21 Quantum-optimized optics — Benchmark quantum-assisted optimization for imaging design.​

22 Quantum-device manufacturing — Link process variation to device performance at scale.​

23 Diffractive neural networks — Prove microscope gains through optical-domain inference. 

Project Selection Process

  • University Network
    The Collaboration Catalyst Program is open to researchers from universities connected to the ZEISS Innovation Hub ecosystem:

    Funding
    ZEISS invests €500,000 annually into the Collaboration Catalyst Program.

    • Up to five projects funded per year
    • Funding volume: up to €100,000 per project
    • Project duration: 12 months
    • Annual call for proposals
    • Joint supervision by ZEISS and academic partners

  • The Collaboration Catalyst follows a two-stage application process designed to foster interaction between researchers and ZEISS experts from an early stage.

    1. Expression of Interest

    Researchers submit a short project concept outlining the scientific idea, objectives and expected impact.

    2. Expert Round Table

    Selected applicants are invited to present and discuss their ideas with ZEISS experts and the Scientific Committee. The goal is to refine the project scope and identify opportunities for collaboration.

    3. Full Proposal

    Researchers submit a concise project proposal developed jointly with a ZEISS project sponsor.

    4. Scientific Committee Review

    Proposals are evaluated by the Scientific Committee, which selects the projects to be funded.

    5. Project Start

    Following contract finalization, selected projects begin their collaboration journey with ZEISS.

     

    Proposal Requirements

    The Collaboration Catalyst supports feasibility studies and exploratory research projects that have the potential to evolve into long-term strategic collaborations between ZEISS and academic partners.

    Projects may include additional collaborators where appropriate. However, funding is provided exclusively to the participating partner university.

    Proposals should briefly describe:

    • The research opportunity being addressed.
    • Project objectives and expected outcomes.
    • Timeline, milestones and key deliverables.
    • Budget and required resources.
    • Participating researchers, research groups and collaboration partners.
    • The designated Principal Investigator (PI).

  • The submission process following the Calls for Proposal will be a two-step process that includes an exchange between the principal investigator (PI) and the Scientific Committee (SC):

    1) Informal submission of a first project idea (500 – 1000 characters) to the Scientific committee with a rough outline of the project idea and scope.

    2) Pre-selection of ten proposals by the Scientific Committee that will be invited to the expert round table at the ZEISS Innovation Hub @ KIT. The expert round table will consist of the Scientific Committee, ZEISS experts and PIs and aims to sharpen and discuss the proposed projects goals.

    3) Submission of proposals using a dedicated short template. The proposals will then be discussed during a meeting of the Scientific Committee.

    4) Once the winning proposal(s) has(ve) been selected by the Scientific Committee, a specific contract (contract research) according to the Framework Agreement between ZEISS and the KIT will be prepared for approval by both parties. The contract has to be finalized and signed from both parties until 30th June 2026.

    5) The project must start before 31st August 2026.
Outside view of the KIT building in Karlsruhe, where the Zeiss Innovation Hub is located. The building is made up of large windows and a bright white facade with sharp angles dividing the three stories.

Timeline

14 September 2026: Publication of the call for Proposals

09 October 2026: Submission deadline letter of intent (send to CoCat@zeiss.com)

03 November 2026: Expert round table – ZEISS Innovation Hub @ KIT (or online)

18 December 2026: Deadline for the submission of proposals (send to CoCat@zeiss.com)

29 January 2027: Information on decisions by the Scientific Committee

Call for proposals

Due date is October 9, 2026

Send us your project idea (500 - 1000 characters) until October 9. We will get back to you as fast as possible.1

Submit proposal
General contact ZEISS Sophia Schmitt

CoCat@zeiss.com

General Contact KIT Innovation and Relations Management

https://www.techtransfer.kit.edu/english/team.php

Impressions from previous calls

  • 2024

  • 2023

  • Collaboration Catalyst 2024

    In 2024, the Collaboration Catalyst Call for Proposals addressed challenges and topics from the ZEISS Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology (SMT) department, focusing on the area of lithography optics technologies. Covering several research fields of mutual interest between ZEISS and the KIT with applications in process technologies in optics manufacturing, optics- / electronics- & Mechanical Design we received many interesting project ideas. The following three projects received funding for the project period 2024/2025.

    Funded Projects 2024/2025

    • Scanning Probe Lithography as a deposition technique / Prof. Dr. Aghassi-Hagmann & PD Dr. Dr. Hirtz, Institute for Nanotechnology (INT)
    • Thermal performance of cooled components / Prof. Dr. Wetzel Dr. Dietrich, Institute of Thermal Process Engineering (TVT)
    • Rarefied multi-compent flows in EUV Systems / Prof. Giegerich, Dr. Tantos, Institute for Technical Physics (ITEP)

  • Collaboration Catalyst 2023

    Already in 2023, the Collaboration Catalyst Program started as a joint project of the KIT and ZEISS with the main goal of establishing new long-term collaborations between the partners.

    In 2023 the Call for Proposal focused on the areas of medical diagnostics & visualization, simulation technologies and digital health. After a joint evaluation by KIT and ZEISS, the following four projects received funding:

    1. HighVis – A novel method for non-invasive optical imaging of blood viscosity in vivo / Dr. Simonis & PD Dr. Krause, Institute for Applied and Numerical Mathematics (IANM), Prof. Dr. le Noble, Zoological Institute (ZOO)
    2. VisioPrintTech: Transforming Vision through Direct Cornea Print Innovation / Prof. Schepers, Institute for functional Interfaces (IFG)
    3. Exploration of Earable Health Applications / Prof. Beigl, Institute of Telematics (TECO)
    4. Digital Surgical microscope concepts / Prof. Albers & Prof. Düser, Institute of Product Engineering (IPEK)
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