The “Data Platforms” sub-project of the KI-Allianz Baden-Württemberg, led by Fraunhofer IOSB, will lay the technical and organizational foundations so that companies and start-ups have low-threshold access to the data and AI models of others. This is intended to establish a market for data that promotes the development and application of innovative AI solutions. The funding notices for this first sub-project of the KI-Allianz BW – totaling 5.1 million euros – were handed over to the nine participating institutions on July 20, 2023 in Stuttgart.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is only as good as the data it is fed with. Our medium-sized companies often lack a high-quality data basis to try out or develop AI solutions themselves. This is where the ‘KI-Allianz Baden-Württemberg’ comes in and provides companies throughout the state with precisely tailored data,” said Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut, Minister for Economic Affairs, Labor and Tourism, on the occasion of the handing over of nine funding decisions to representatives of the KI-Allianz Baden-Württemberg eG (KI-Allianz BW) today (July 20). In total, the funding amounts to around 5.1 million euros.
“Data Platforms” project led by Fraunhofer IOSB
As part of the funding of the KI-Allianz BW, AI innovation clusters are being established, expanded, and networked in various cities and regions of the state. They should further develop the potential of AI in the area of Baden-Württemberg. The state funds that are now available are being used to set up a comprehensive data platform. The data is collected thematically by local experts and processed in such a way that businesses throughout the country can access it. Above all, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and start-ups should have easy access to high-quality data sets that are essential for the development and application of AI solutions. Further projects of the KI-Allianz BW together with the partner group are to follow.
The networking of AI expertise from the regions is essential for the successful development of an AI ecosystem in Baden-Württemberg. However, in order to be able to systematically develop and operate AI applications, businesses, authorities, and science also need a reliable data basis with clear rules for data access and data use. That is why we rely on open standards and technologies for data rooms in the data platforms project.
The project to set up the comprehensive data platform is managed by Dr. Thomas Usländer, head of the information management and control technology department at the Fraunhofer Institute for Optronics, Systems Engineering, and Image Exploitation IOSB in Karlsruhe. When the funding decision was handed over, he emphasized the importance of open standards and technologies for data rooms. For Baden-Württemberg, this now needs to be shaped regionally and specifically for various industries in order to create a reliable data basis with clear rules for data access and data use.
The lack of an AI database is a major hurdle for medium-sized companies
Based on the monitoring report Economy DIGITAL Baden-Württemberg 2023 published on June 22, 2023, 40 percent of the companies in Baden-Württemberg want to use AI solutions by 2033. “This potential needs to be leveraged and increased in all parts of the country,” said Hoffmeister-Kraut, praising the alliance’s cross-regional approach in particular. So far, representatives from Freiburg, Karlsruhe, Neckar-Alb, Northern Black Forest, the Ostalb district, and Stuttgart have joined. Cooperation measures are sought.
dr Walter Rogg, Managing Director of the Stuttgart Region Economic Development Corporation (WRS) and board member of the KI-Allianz says: “We would like to thank Economics Minister Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut for supporting our idea of bringing together the top-class AI competencies of the six regions and making them visible as the Baden-Württemberg AI Alliance. The state funding for our projects, above all the data platforms, is a decisive step in consolidating our cooperation.«
David Hermanns, Managing Director of Digitalen Innovationszentrum GmbH and board member of the KI-Allianz, says: “The fact that the cross-industry data platforms are now the first central project to be funded within the framework of the KI-Allianz is of particular importance for the economy. The currently missing AI database is a major hurdle, especially for medium-sized companies. The data platforms create low-threshold access that enables rapid development of the high economic potential of the future technology AI.«
Information on the funded institutions:
Specifically, the approximately 5.1 million euros are allocated to nine partner institutions, which, driven by synergies, contribute their expertise to the development of the data platform:
- Aalen University researches the basics of high-quality data, advises the project partners on measures to improve data quality and is funded with 900,000 euros.
- The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is responsible for project management and a major part of the implementation costs and is being funded with a total of around 1.15 million euros, divided between funding from Fraunhofer IOSB (Karlsruhe) amounting to 675,847 euros and Fraunhofer IPA (Stuttgart) 474,963 euros.
- The FZI Research Center for Information Technology receives a grant of 725,980 euros, in particular for the development of the governance ecosystem and the search for suitable data sets.
- The University of Stuttgart – High Performance Computing Center (HLRS) evaluates the data platform with regard to potential for improvement and receives a grant of 326,060 euros.
- The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) takes over management of the data platform for mobility data and receives funding of 487,017 euros.
- The city of Freiburg is driving forward the opening of the regional municipal data space and is being funded with state funds amounting to 785,120 euros.
- The University Medical Center Freiburg (UKF) contributes the expertise for the medical data platform and receives a grant of 614,000 euros.
- The University of Tübingen received funding of 128,473 euros for the evaluation and consultation of the project with regard to data ethics and innovation in the sense of human-centered development.
Information on the regional AI centers of excellence:
The state of Baden-Württemberg is providing up to 15 million euros for the establishment of regional AI centers of excellence in Stuttgart, Karlsruhe, Neckar-Alb, Freiburg, Ostalbkreis and Ulm as well as cooperation measures with the northern Black Forest.
The regional AI centers of excellence aim to be contacts for companies, founders, consulting institutions and science. They support the country’s companies, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, along the entire AI innovation chain, from basic research to market-ready application. The regional and national projects work towards diversifying the economy in the region and in the state in a targeted manner and opening up new growth potential. In doing so, they make a significant contribution to the expansion of the AI ecosystem in order to secure Baden-Württemberg as a location for AI value creation in the long term.
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