First-principles pseudopotential calculations were performed to investigate atomic and electronic structures of titanium (Ti) dopants in alumina (Al2O3). It was found that a substitutional Ti3+ defect induced an extra level occupied by one electron within the band gap of Al2O3. When two or more substitutional Ti3+ defects were located closely to each other, the defect-induced levels exhibited strong bonding interactions, and their formation energies decreased with increasing numbers of Ti3+ defects. This indicates that association and clustering of substitutional Ti3+ defects in Al2O3 can take place due to the interaction of the defect-induced levels.