As an "affiliated institute" of the University of Ulm, the ILM has direct academic connections. The President of the University is an official member of the Board of Trustees; two additional seats are reserved for professors of the University. Currently, two ILM scientists are professors at the University and members of the Faculty of Engineering, Informatics and Psychology as well as the Faculty of Medicine (Prof. Dr. Raimund Hibst) and the Faculty of Natural Sciences (Prof. Dr. Alwin Kienle).
The ILM regularly prepares bachelor, master and doctoral theses. Joint projects involve scientific exchange with scientists from the University and the University Hospital. The ILM is also involved in the "Pulmosense" graduate college of the Faculty of Engineering, Informatics and Psychology (DFG, GRK 2203).

Teaching
In addition to doctoral training, the ILM is also involved in teaching at the University of Ulm (Faculty of Natural Sciences; Prof. Kienle (physics) and Dr. Rainer Wittig (biology)). In addition, the ILM is also represented by lecturers in teaching at the University of Ulm (Dr. Stock) and Aalen (Prof. Steiner).

Networking
The ILM is one of 13 contract research institutions in the state of Baden-Württemberg and is part of Innovationsallianz Baden¬Württemberg and thus profits from joint public relations, information exchange and joint projects.
In addition, the ILM cooperates with universities and other scientific institutions on a national and international level and is also involved in networks.
Currently, the ILM is involved in cooperative projects:

• University of Ulm
• University Hospital Ulm
• University of Stuttgart
• University hospitals Tübingen, Munich, Freiburg, Mainz
• Universities Ulm, Aalen, Reutlingen
• NMI - Natural and Medical Sciences Institute, Reutlingen
• Hahn-Schickard, Villingen-Schwenningen, Stuttgart, Freiburg
• DITF - German Institutes for Textile and Fiber Research, Denkendorf
• HIT - Hohenstein Institute for Textile Innovation gGmbH, Bönningheim
• FEM - Research Institute for Precious Metals and Metal Chemistry, Schwäbisch Gmünd
• FZI - Research Center for Information Technology, Karlsruhe
• Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Mainz
• Fogra Forschungsinstitut für Medientechnologien e.V. 

Memberships or activities exist in the following associations/organisations:

• Photonics BW e.V.
• MicroTEC Southwest e.V.
• German Society for Laser Medicine DGLM e.V.
• WLT - Scientific Society for Laser Technology
• German Society for Non-Destructive Testing DGfzP
• EVIGEM -The European Virtual Institute of Geometry Measurement
• Bioregio Ulm e. V.
• BioProBW GmbH
• Network Dental e.V.
• BioLago e. V.