The effective transfer of research results into practice was the focus of the visit by Volker Wissing, Federal Minister for Digital Affairs and Transport, to DFKI in Kaiserslautern.
Practical examples were presented from various industry collaborations and transfer labs at DFKI, including
Federal Minister Volker Wissing: "Germany is already an AI country. We have well-trained researchers, a lively AI start-up scene and a growing digital economy that is attracting international investors. I want to further expand our leading role in Europe in this key technology. With a positive, open view of the opportunities that AI and digitalization offer us. And with innovation-friendly policies that support entrepreneurs, researchers and inventors. We will therefore set up an AI test center in Kaiserslautern, where start-ups, researchers and SMEs will have the opportunity to test AI applications in practice, also with regard to the European requirements for trustworthy AI. DFKI is the ideal partner for this and Rhineland-Palatinate, with its many bright minds, is the best location."
Successful transfer from the research ecosystem
The transfer lab model is a successful DFKI cooperation concept for effectively and sustainably transferring know-how and technologies from the AI ecosystem to companies and social applications. Employees from partner organizations and companies are integrated into the DFKI research teams. There they work in DFKI's "research ecosystem" and develop concrete solutions and products for the partners in the protected data room. The identification and development of relevant technologies is thus closely interlinked with scientific progress. DFKI already maintains transfer labs with industrial companies from various sectors, such as BASF, Müncher Rück, John Deere, Hitachi, Ricoh, IAV, Sartorius, the Deutsche Bundesbank and the Rhineland-Palatinate State Criminal Police Office and the Federal Criminal Police Office.