Abstract We introduce the Transregional Collaborative Research Centre “Companion-Technology for Cognitive Technical Systems” – a cross-disciplinary endeavor towards the development of an enabling technology for Companion-systems. These systems completely adjust their functionality and service to the individual user. They comply with his or her capabilities, preferences, requirements, and current needs and adapt to the individual’s emotional state and ambient conditions. Companion-like behavior of technical systems is achieved through the investigation and implementation of cognitive abilities and their well-orchestrated interplay. Keywords cognitive systems · Companion-characteristics · planning · reasoning · decision making · multimodal interaction · disposition recognition