October 23, 2026
The renown Technical University of Munich (TUM) has opened its new TUM Convergence Center at LabCampus, the innovation-hub at Munich Airport. Bringing together students, researchers, partners from industry and society, the new facility is designed to accelerate the development and application of future technologies, with a particular focus on robotics, artificial intelligence and mobility.
A new key component is the TUM RoboGym powered by NEURA, a pioneering real-world laboratory developed by the TUM Munich Institute of Robotics and Machine Intelligence (TUM MIRMI) and NEURA Robotics. The facility provides a scientific training environment for physical AI and humanoid robotics, enabling robots to learn and refine skills under realistic conditions. It is also the first location in the global NEURA Gym network.
The TUM Convergence Center combines interdisciplinary research and teaching with real-world laboratories, student projects and direct collaboration with industry. Alongside the RoboGym, the new ecosystem includes initiatives such as the KI.Fabrik, the TUM Future Work LivingLab and the TUMorrow Hub for student innovation projects.
Thomas F. Hofmann, President of the Technical University of Munich: "With the TUM Convergence Center, we are creating a place at LabCampus where scientific excellence translates into tangible impact. Here, students, researchers, and partners do not meet only at the end of a development process. They work together on responsible technologies from the very beginning. This is what an entrepreneurial university means to us: nurturing talent, overcoming disciplinary boundaries, and translating knowledge into innovations for society."
Advancing Physical AI Through Real-World Training
Physical AI refers to intelligent systems that can perceive, learn and act in the physical world through robotic platforms. At the TUM RoboGym, researchers investigate how robots acquire new capabilities, interact safely with people and their environment, and transfer learning from one scenario to another.
The facility is among the most advanced training and research environments for embodied artificial intelligence in Europe. Initially, around 100 humanoid and service robots will train in 48 dedicated training cells, performing tasks such as folding boxes, assembling components and operating tools. The resulting data will be collected in a curated cloud-based data lake, providing a unique scientific resource for developing scalable AI models, advancing safe human-robot interaction and accelerating practical applications for robotics. To coincide with the opening, NEURA Robotics is unveiling the next generation of its 4NE1 humanoid robot, which will also become part of the TUM RoboGym environment.
Strengthening Munich Airport as an Innovation Hub
With flexible workspaces, prototyping facilities and showroom areas, LabCampus offers an ideal setting for TUM's new campus presence. Located directly next to one of Europe's leading international aviation hubs, the site combines global connectivity with close access to Munich's thriving technology and innovation ecosystem.
"Together with TUM, we are strengthening Munich Airport as a world-class hub for innovation. At LabCampus, scientific excellence and entrepreneurial practice come together directly to turn future technologies into reality more quickly. In this way, Munich Airport will not only send passengers on their way in the future, but also ideas for the future," says Jost Lammers, Chief Executive Officer at Munich Airport.
Driving Bavaria's High-Tech Future
The TUM Convergence Center and the TUM RoboGym powered by NEURA are designed to strengthen cooperation among international universities, industry partners, scale-upsand emerging talent. As a cornerstone of Bavaria's High-Tech Agenda, TUM MIRMI combines leading research in robotics, machine perception and artificial intelligence with practical implementation.
Bavarian Science Minister Markus Blume emphasizes: "Even robots need training before they can help us in everyday life - and here at LabCampus, we are building their gym. One thing is clear: the next industrial revolution will be decided wherever knowledge is turned into reality. That is precisely where the TUM Convergence Center and RoboGym come in. TUM is a global leader in robotics research, and NEURA Robotics is one of the most exciting rising stars in an industry that is changing the world. Now, they are coming together at LabCampus. NEURA Robotics made a deliberate choice to partner with Bavaria and TUM. That speaks to the strength of our ecosystem. We have critical mass here - a concentration of talent and technology that few other locations in Europe can match. The TUM Convergence Center is more than a research site. It is an interdisciplinary powerhouse driving Bavaria's technological future and an innovation hub for all of Europe."
Further press information on LabCampus: PRESS (labcampus.de)
