Robotics Master’s Education in Germany: National Landscape and Coordination Pathways

Abstract Book of the 10th International Academic Conference on Education

Year: 2026

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Robotics Master’s Education in Germany: National Landscape and Coordination Pathways

Tim Schreiter, Mattia Piccinini, Joshua Dittes, Lisa Küssel, Johannes Betz, Achim J. Lilienthal

ABSTRACT:

Germany ranks among the world’s leading robotics nations, characterized by a high density of industrial robots and a strong research and development ecosystem. Robotics education in academic institutions forms a central pillar of this ecosystem, by training skilled graduates who drive innovation and industrial competitiveness. Germany’s federal structure, however, generates significant diversity in robotics education across universities and federal states, which poses challenges for coordination and strategic alignment at a national level. In this paper, we profile the German academic education landscape in robotics through two contributions. First, we develop an educational atlas that provides the first comprehensive mapping of master’s programs in robotics across the country. Second, we conduct a survey involving several German universities to document advanced and distinctive educational models. Our quantitative analysis highlights the strengths and limitations of the current educational landscape, identifying gaps in varying curricula, funding mechanisms, and levels of industry collaboration. Our findings emphasize the need for a unified vision, increased collaboration among universities, and dedicated support for robotics education. As a strategic response, the Robotics Institute Germany (RIG) has recently been established to consolidate and align dispersed initiatives at the national level. We position RIG within the broader European context, and describe its objective of enabling a coherent robotics education framework. We conclude with recommendations for strengthening national coordination in robotics education, and for structuring future surveys and data collection efforts to guide the development of new robotics curricula and teaching initiatives in Germany.

Keywords: Robotics Education, Higher Education, Educational Mapping