The forward march of artificial intelligence in Bremen in 2019

For the last 18 years, the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Künstliche Intelligenz) in Bremen has been at the forefront of research into artificial intelligence, robotics and cyber-physical systems. The researchers are developing innovative solutions that will help human beings, whether on land, sea, in the air or in space.

AI at any cost or proportionate regulation? Silicon Valley is divided on the subject, as shown not least by the conflict surrounding OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman in the past few weeks. By visiting Silicon Valley as a delegation, we are personally going to find out how things are exactly.

What does the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank mean for tech start-ups in San Francisco? Our USA expert, Tim Ole Jöhnk, investigates. Also in our Spring letter: Chat GPT is conquering the world – but is it a sustainable business model?

ChatGPT is on everyone's lips. But the ingenious artificial intelligence has its flaws and limitations. What can the next step look like? In Bremen, a completely different AI is being created with MUHAI - which for the first time really understands what it says, sees and does. And thus solves an old problem.

Artificial intelligences are becoming more and more sophisticated and at the same time easier to use. We took this as an opportunity to ask an AI: How do you see Bremen?

The federal state of Bremen is home to approximately 676,000 people on 420 square kilometres. Almost 22,000 companies provide more than 336,000 jobs. We present the strong sectors of Bremen as a business location.

What is the best place for a European high-tech expansion? Berlin? Paris? London? The Turkish robot producer Searover has chosen Bremen. Because there's something here that the megacities can't compete with. Welcome to Bremen - Bremen'e hoşgeldiniz!

3D printers have been in use in industry for quite some time now. Large corporations such as Airbus, as well as small manufacturers, rely on additive manufacturing. Here comes an industry overview with companies from the Hanseatic city.

Online trade is booming, and not only since the start of the Coronavirus pandemic. We present 11 e-commerce companies from Bremen that are market leaders in their niche areas.

Bremen is a stronghold of robotics. From medium-sized companies to global players, the corporate landscape is broadly based. What is striking here is the numerous areas of application - we have 10 examples

This robot's job doesn't start until the last member of staff leaves the store at the end of the working day: Roaming through the shelves, he helps physical stores to compete with online retailers.

Intelligent robots, self-driving cars, smart chatbots – is this what our world will look like in 2030? We asked representatives from the research and business sectors in Bremen for their thoughts on the future impact of artificial intelligence.

Working from home instead of in the office? A boom in online rather than retail business? The coronavirus pandemic is accelerating many trends. Silicon Valley is often seen as a forerunner in this development, but also finds value in old practices. Our insights into the United States.

Industry 4.0 describes one of the most comprehensive revolutions in our production landscape - so comprehensive, in fact, that it has been awarded the title of fourth industrial revolution. But what is it all about?

There’s a huge market for wearable computing solutions – especially ones that are able to provide virtual assistance as well. One of the global leaders in this field is Ubimax, a company from Bremen.

Embarking on digital transformation is a bit like setting sail without a map and GPS – no one knows where the journey will take you and what to expect along the way. Fortunately, there are a number of places in Bremen where you can find the support you need to ensure your digital journey is a safe one. We have created a list for you.

Experience Silicon Valley at first hand with Bremeninvest! Tim Ole Jöhnk, our man in Silicon Valley, is inviting representatives from the food and supply chain industries to join a delegation on a visit to Silicon Valley. More on this and other exciting stories in the September newsletter.

Will it soon be our robot colleague who greets us in the mornings? Robots will be helping us out at our desks in future, and this is already becoming a reality in Bremen.

Coworking, agile working, design thinking: what do these buzzwords mean? We put this question to expert Sven Hermann, who talks to us about the concept known as ‘New Work’ and what kind of companies might benefit from it.

Steel producer ArcelorMittal is employing a digital strategy that could also be of interest to SMEs – including when it comes to artificial intelligence.

Werder goalkeeper Jiri Pavlenka owes his job to artificial intelligence. He was designed by the team of JUST ADD AI. Founder Roland Becker tells us how other medium-sized companies already benefit from AI today.

Artificial intelligence is regarded as an absolute growth topic - should every company jump on the bandwagon now? No, says Bastian Diedrich from the Bremen digital agency hmmh, but he makes an important restriction.

Artificial intelligence is becoming part of everyday life, and Bremen-based companies are leading the way. We have put together a ‘who’s who’ in artificial intelligence in Bremen.

Whether they involve flying around virtual spaces or manipulating reality, augmented and virtual reality open up new dimensions. A number of companies in Bremen are working on these technologies, and one of them is even the global leader in its market.

From one side of the Atlantic to the other: two graduates from New York University travel to Bremen for a research internship – and immediately want to stay.

Bremen’s IT sector is an important pillar of the local industry. We introduce ten IT service providers.

The best of both worlds. A young Indian from Bremen is helping German engineering to benefit from India’s factory capacities and vice versa. And everything is completely digitalised – with one click in real time, an order can be sent straight to the Indian factory. The benefit for manufacturers is huge.

How is the role of media and other forms of communication changing in society? What are the resulting challenges? The international MA in Digital Media and Society, which launches at the University of Bremen in time for the winter semester, aims to provide the answers.

Airbus is a global trailblazer in the field of 3D printing, and the aerospace company has established a technology centre for this new production method in Bremen. This is one of many reasons why the Hanseatic city has become a hub for 3D printing in Europe.

The depths of the ocean remain one of the last great mysteries on Earth. What is the precise composition of the seafloor? What flora and fauna inhabit it? Where has the delicate balance of the ecosystem been seriously disrupted? We still don’t have complete answers to any of these questions, but four young scientists from Bremen are aiming to change that.

Even Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible would find it difficult to break into this data centre. Metre-thick concrete walls are just one of the many security measures protecting this bunker.

Unloading shipping containers requires manual work, which is pretty unusual in the automated and digitalised world of logistics. But a Bremen-based research project aims to change all this with its IRiS robot.

In December 2014, ORTEC GmbH moved from Lower Saxony to Bremen. The software specialist hoped to strengthen its market position by moving to the city’s Überseestadt district. Around three and a half years later, we got in touch with the company again to ask whether the move has been a success.

You rarely get the opportunity to try out musical instruments when you buy them online. Bremen-based start-up TonePedia has developed a piece of software that allows musicians to properly compare guitars, bass guitars, amplifiers and effect products online. This saves time and reduces the number of returns and the associated cost.

The research alliance ROBEX is sending robots up active volcanoes and down into the deepest and darkest seas. Working across disciplines, the 120 scientists of the 16 institutes involved are breaking new ground on this project. They have been eagerly waiting to find out what has happened to the TRAMPER diving robot, which has been exploring the deep seas around Spitsbergen for a year. Now they are ready to bring it back.

A growing number of companies are becoming more aware of their social and environmental footprint, and are looking for ways to act with greater environmental and social responsibility. Germany’s north-west is set to become the national centre for social entrepreneurship in logistics. A new platform is under development and the first round of events is being planned to achieve this goal.

This new master’s degree at Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences prepares students for the future and offers them excellent job prospects.

BLG Logistics Group is a major player in logistics with 18,000 employees. It established the Digilab in Bremen as a core element of its digitalisation. The company’s premises are reminiscent of start-ups in Silicon Valley, and there are good reasons for that.

FabLab Bremen invites visitors to learn about new manufacturing technologies and try their hand at everything from laser cutters to printing and programming. Digital technology enthusiasts of all ages and programmers of all abilities are welcome here. And it is not long before they can put what they have learnt to good use.

A great deal of manual labour goes into aircraft construction. Despite this – or perhaps even because of it – Airbus is changing its approach to make increased use of digital technologies. It’s also researching the applications of new manufacturing technologies such as 3D printing. And not a moment too soon, as Airbus’ site manager in Bremen, Dr André Walter, explains in our interview.