For this very reason, the three institutions in Bavaria specializing in transfer – the Ingolstadt University of Technology (THI), the East Bavarian University of Technology Amberg-Weiden (OTH), and the Research Institute of the Free State of Bavaria fortiss – have joined forces under the leadership of fortiss to form the Bavarian Center for Software Innovation. On Tuesday, 18.07.23, the cooperation was successfully opened in the fortiss offices on the 15th floor of the Highlight Towers in the presence of representatives of the three cooperation partners, associations, and SMEs.
Opening of the Bavarian Center for Software Innovation
"As an application-oriented research institute with a strong focus on transfer into practice, we are proud to bundle our competencies with the two outstanding addresses in this field – the THI and OTH – and to strengthen the innovative power of Bavarian SMEs," said Prof. Alexander Pretschner, Scientific Director of fortiss.
Manuela Lambacher, Manager Technology Transfer at fortiss, underlined this and emphasized: "The center brings together the diverse expertise of the partners and their existing established regional networks and develops from this a broad and low-threshold offer in the areas of software engineering and AI that is accessible to SMEs throughout Bavaria."
The Bavarian Center for Software Innovation focuses on the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and industrial communication, AI and machine learning, platform engineering and knowledge-based software engineering, software quality and data quality, and cyber security.
The cooperation also benefits from the AI mobility node AImotion Bavaria at THI with its focus on digitalization and AI for mobility, industry, and trade, as well as from the Innovation and Competence Centre for Artificial Intelligence (IKKI) at OTH for bundling and networking AI expertise at the university. Prof. Dr.-Ing. Daniel Großmann (THI) and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ulrich Schäfer (OTH) presented both university initiatives, whose expertise will also flow into the center now.
Afterwards, Prof. Dr. med. Christoph Dodt, Head of the Emergency Centre at Munich Hospital Bogenhausen, presented the first interesting use case for the "Virtual Emergency Clinic" research project. In this project, existing hospital data enables predictive clinical resource planning for all Munich clinics via an AI solution, so optimal and timely patient care can be guaranteed in an emergency.
During the opening, the guests were able to experience the environment during a fortiss Labs tour with the application fields IloT, Mobility, Robotics, Energy and Neuromorphic Computing, in which the most modern research methods from the various disciplines are developed under realistic conditions and prepared and tested as prototypes until they are ready for application.
A shop window for knowledge transfer
Through the close cooperation of the three partners, efficiently targeted research cooperations are initiated together with SMEs in the field of software engineering and AI in order to accelerate the transfer of research results and thus innovations into practice.
"Transfer has always been a high priority at the THI. This topic is firmly anchored in the university's self-image in the triad of research, teaching, and transfer. We place great value on practice-oriented research as the basis for transfer to industry and society," said Prof. Dr.-Ing. Daniel Großmann from the THI. Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ulrich Schäfer from the OTH added: "This transfer must not be a one-way street either. Challenges, trends, and industry developments influence OTH's research activities, flow into teaching, and back into industry. In this way, we are in constant two-way dialogue with business and society."
The Bavarian Center for Software Innovation's successful opening underlines the partners' commitment and this unique environment for innovation and technology transfer. The center's offerings will soon be reflected in a wide range of activities and are open to SMEs from all sectors. Contact us.
