While the topic of artificial intelligence has been the subject of intensive research for some time, it is only slowly finding its way into commercial applications. However, there are many sectors that could benefit from the use of AI. In addition to applications in medicine, artificial intelligence will also be used more and more in manufacturing companies in the future. The ability to intelligently evaluate complex amounts of data offers the potential to develop new business models.

The AI Hub Saxony initiative aims to support this development and promote cooperation between business, science and administration. The declaration of intent describes the motivation for strengthening artificial intelligence as follows: "Access to AI technologies, implementation expertise and adaptation skills as well as the speed of adaptation will have a decisive impact on the competitiveness of our Saxon companies. Scientific institutions, companies and public administration bodies face this challenge in the same way."

By founding the hub, the signatories are pursuing a common goal: The hub acts as an interface between AI-relevant universities, research institutions, companies offering AI and companies using AI, as well as public institutions. It focuses on the areas of data, infrastructure, interoperability and services and supports research, training and transfer in the field of artificial intelligence and machine learning. One of the basic principles of the AI hub is to interlink research, teaching and, in particular, the transfer of innovations in such a way that an active contribution is made to increasing value creation in the Free State of Saxony.

"Artificial intelligence is one of the key topics of the future. How we use it will have a major impact on production and value creation processes. It is therefore important that business and science work closely together to exploit the full potential of the technology," said Dr. Bernhard Blüthner, CEO of Salt Solutions.

The AI Hub Saxony is due to start work in summer 2019. The initiative was initiated by the Leipzig Institute for Applied Computer Science.

The supporters of the AI Hub Saxony
Leipzig University, HTWK Leipzig University of Applied Sciences, HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management, HTW Dresden, Staatsbetrieb sächsische Informatik Dienste, Fraunhofer Center for International Management and Knowledge Economy, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research UFZ, Kompetenzzentrum Mittelstand 4.0 Chemnitz, AOK PLUS, ACOD GmbH, Mitteldeutsche Flughafen AG, IT Sonix GmbH, Avantgarde Labs, SpinLab Accelerator GmbH, Smart Infrastructure Hub Leipzig, SALT Solutions AG, Institut für Angewandte Informatik e.V. as