Thematic Area Data and Digitalization
In a world that is increasingly shaped by digital technologies, data plays a central role in research, teaching and social development. In Bonn, we are working intensively on the opportunities and challenges presented by the digital transformation. Interdisciplinary approaches promote the exchange of knowledge and innovation, while working together on solutions for a sustainable and digital future. On this page we bundle our expertise in BORA.
As one of eleven German Universities of Excellence, the University of Bonn is one of the strongest research universities in Europe. It is known for its internationally networked top-level research, which is based on a collaborative, innovative and international research culture.
Joint research projects (funded by the DFG, BMBF, NRW) and collaboration with one or more BORA members since 2018 on the topic of data and digitalization are presented here.
Joint Research Projects
Subproject Computer Science
Prof. Dr. Stephan Wrobel
Chair of Computer Science
Endenicher Allee 19A,
53115 Bonn
Summary
The full economic and societal exploitation of the enormous potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) requires high technical reliability and sufficient trust on the part of consumers. In order to enable sustainable digitization, the collaborative project CERTIFIED AI will develop quality standards for the trustworthy application of AI as well as a certification process for the expert verification of (technically) assured properties. The holistic approach of the consortium, which combines expertise from computer science, economics, law and philosophy, ensures the social acceptance, feasibility and marketability of the testing methodology to be designed. At the same time, a special focus on the North Rhine-Westphalian economy will sustainably strengthen the local location by giving companies the opportunity to actively participate in shaping the corresponding standards and to develop new business models.
The Chair of Computer Science at the University of Bonn contributes to the joint project the research and (further) development of assurance methods for Kl systems. On the one hand, methods for the verification of neural networks are being developed, which can be used as part of a statistical security argumentation for AI functions. This research may also result in testing approaches for the verification of specific security properties of a neural network. On the other hand, transparency procedures that allow users to understand how an AI system works or explain certain outputs are developed and evaluated. Furthermore, the newly developed methods will be implemented in corresponding demonstrators and made available on the platform for testing tools.
Duration
2021 - 2025
Subproject Philosophy
Prof. Dr. Markus Gabriel
Chair of Epistemology, Philosophy of the Modern and Contemporary Era
Poppelsdorfer Allee 28,
53115 Bonn
Summary
The full economic and societal exploitation of the enormous potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) requires high technical reliability and sufficient consumer trust. In order to enable sustainable digitization, the collaborative project CERTIFIED AI will develop quality standards for the trustworthy application of AI as well as a certification process for the expert verification of (technically) assured properties. The holistic approach of the consortium, which combines expertise from computer science, economics, law and philosophy, ensures the social acceptance, feasibility and marketability of the testing methodology to be designed. At the same time, a special focus on the North Rhine-Westphalian economy will sustainably strengthen the local location by giving companies the opportunity to actively participate in shaping the corresponding standards and to develop new business models.
The Chair of Epistemology, Philosophy of the Modern and Contemporary Era at the University of Bonn will work at its Center for Science and Thought (CST) to first analyze the use cases of Kt applications with regard to challenging ethical and philosophical aspects. This individual case analysis will be consistently documented in a system of use contexts to be developed in-house. In doing so, we will cooperate particularly closely with our partners at Fraunhofer !AIS and the Chair of Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure Law at the University of Cologne in order to constantly take into account the technological framework and legal aspects in the analysis and development of the systematics. From the analysis, the full economic and societal exploitation of the enormous potential of artificial intelligence (AI) requires a high level of technical reliability and sufficient trust on the part of consumers. To enable sustainable digitization, the collaborative project CERTIFIED AI is developing quality standards for the trustworthy application of AI as well as a certification process for the expert verification of (technically) assured properties. The holistic approach of the group, which combines expertise from computer science, economics, law and philosophy, ensures the social acceptance, feasibility and marketability of the testing methodology to be designed. At the same time, a special focus on the North Rhine-Westphalian economy will sustainably strengthen the local location by giving companies the opportunity to actively participate in shaping the corresponding standards and to develop new business models.
The Chair of Epistemology, Philosophy of the Modern and Contemporary Era at the University of Bonn will work at its Center for Science and Thought (CST) to first analyze the use cases of Kt applications with regard to challenging ethical and philosophical aspects. This individual case analysis will be consistently documented in a system of use contexts to be developed in-house. In doing so, we will cooperate particularly closely with the partners of Fraunhofer !AIS and the Chair of Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure Law at the University of Cologne in order to constantly take into account the technological framework and the legal aspects in the analysis and development of the systematics. From the analysis,operationalized, on the other hand, in concert with the legal minimum requirements, they form the basis for the final design of the other dimensions of the test framework to be technically tested.
Duration
2021 - 2025
The Competence Center ML2R became the Lamarr Institute for Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence. All the latest information about the Lamarr Institute can be found here.
The Competence Center Machine Learning Rhine-Ruhr aims at bringing Machine Learning (ML) technologies in Germany to a worldwide leading level. The ML2R Center is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) as one of six nationwide nodes for AI and ML research and transfer. The Technical University of Dortmund, the Fraunhofer Institutes for Intelligent Analysis and Information Systems IAIS in Sankt Augustin and for Material Flow and Logistics IML in Dortmund and the University of Bonn are involved.
The scientists at ML2R conduct research on Machine Learning (ML) solutions and thus on the technological foundations for Artificial Intelligence. The guiding idea for our research is to build hybrid and modular systems that use both data and knowledge and can be flexibly adapted to a broad range of applications. We design ML applications that are trustworthy, resource-efficient, and work on a wide variety of platforms – from mobile devices to quantum computers.
Participating Institutions
University of Bonn
TU Dortmund University
Fraunhofer Institute for Intelligent Analysis and Information Systems IAIS
Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IML
Sprokespersons
Prof. Dr. Katharina Morik
Professor of Computer Science at the Technical University of Dortmund
Prof. Dr. Stefan Wrobel
Professor of Computer Science at the University of Bonn
Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Intelligent Analysis and Information Systems IAIS
The project “digitainable” investigates possible positive and negative impacts of the rapid progress in digitalization and artificial intelligence on sustainable development. For this purpose the project will map the different aspects of digitalization and artificial intelligence systemically onto the more than 200 indicators of the UN Agenda 2030 (and national sustainability strategies derived from the Agenda 2030). The results of the projects should support and objectify the discussions on the relation between digitalization and sustainability.
Duration
Juli 2019 – Juni 2022
Coordination
Bonn Alliance for Sustainability Research, University of Bonn
Beteiligte Institutionen
Bonn Alliance for Sustainability Research:
BICC (Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies)
German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS)
Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg, University of Applied Sciences (H-BRS)
Institute for Environment and Human Security of the United Nations University (UNU-EHS) and the University of Bonn with its Center for Development Research (ZEF)
Coordinator
Prof. Dr. Jakob Rhyner
Scientific Director /
Professor of Global Change and Systemic Risks at the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Bonn
Meckenheimerallee 172
D-53115 Bonn
Marvin mainframe computer at the University of Bonn
With the new supercomputer, one of the fastest mainframe computers (currently ranked 423rd in the top 500 worldwide) has moved into the University of Bonn. High Performance Computing resources are offered by the University IT and Data Center as a central service for working groups / scientists of the University of Bonn. This supports highly parallel numerical simulations, especially for applications in the fields of artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Bonn's scientific landscape has a strong research infrastructure in various specialist and subject areas. Many of these have been developed in cooperation or are accessible to external parties. These infrastructures in the field of data and digitalization are collected here and listed by type.
Research Infrastructure
- High Performance Computing (HPC), Großrechner Marvin (University of Bonn)
With the new supercomputer, one of the fastest mainframe computers (currently ranked 423rd among the TOP 500 worldwide) is moving into the University of Bonn. [Press Release]
- NFDI4DataScience – National Research Data Infrastructure for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (Fraunhofer Gesellschaft)
The overarching objective of NFDI4DS is the development, establishment, and sustainment of a national research data infrastructure for the Data Science and Artificial Intelligence community in Germany. This will also deliver benefits for a wider community requiring data analytics solutions, within the NFDI and beyond. The key idea is to work towards increasing the transparency, reproducibility and fairness of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence projects, by making all digital artifacts available, interlinking them, and offering innovative tools and services. Based on the reuse of these digital objects, this enables new and innovative research.
Services
- Fraunhofer Center for Digital Energy (with participation of FKIE)
Infrastructure for testing and verification of novel technologies, e.g. IT security tools, patches, network technologies. - High Performance Computer Cluster (Fraunhofer SCAI)
SCAI is a member and provider of cloud computing in the European Open Science Cloud through the participation of the German e-Infrastructure initiative NGI-DE in EGI-ACE and provides cloud infrastructure as part of the EGI Federated Cloud (FedCloud). - Research Center Machine Learning (Fraunhofer IAIS, SCAI)
The center cooperates with partners from business and industry as well as with universities and research institutions. - Bonn-Aachen International Center for Information Technology (b-it) (Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft & University of Bonn)
The Bonn-Aachen International Center for Information Technology (b-it) is one of Europe’s leading institutions for cutting-edge research and higher education in informatics. - LAMARR Institute for Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence (Fraunhofer IAIS & University of Bonn)
The Lamarr Institute focuses on the research and development of high-performance, trustworthy, and resource-efficient applications of Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). - WestAI, AI Competence Center (University of Bonn, Fraunhofer IAIS, SCAI)
WestAI gives players from business and science access to AI models and high-performance AI computing infrastructures. It supports start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises in using state-of-the-art AI technologies to turn innovative ideas into reality and open up new fields of application. - NeurotechEU, the European University of Brain and Technology (University of Bonn)
NeurotechEU, the European University of Brain and Technology, changed includes universities from nine countries. by building a trans-European network of excellence in brain research and technologies NeurotechEU increases the competitiveness of European education, research, economy, and society. - Kompetenzplattform KI.NRW (Fraunhofer IAIS & University of Bonn)
KI.NRW supports the transformation of North Rhine-Westphalia into a nationwide leading location for applied artificial intelligence (AI). The aim is to accelerate the transfer of AI from cutting-edge research to industry, to establish a model region for professional qualification in AI and to promote the social dialog about AI. - High Performance Computing and Analytics Lab (University of Bonn)
The High-Performance Computing and Analytics Lab (HPC/A Lab for short) coordinates and bundles activities relating to high-performance computing (HPC) at the University of Bonn. - Center for Earth System Observation and Computational analysis (CESOC) (University of Bonn)
A cooperation in research and teaching among the Universities of Bonn and Cologne and Forschungszentrum Jülich, working closely together with ECMWF and other cooperation partners to bundle expertise and tackle the current challenges of global environmental changes.
The University of Bonn and members of BORA cooperate in teaching, e.g. through joint professorships and in-depth courses. The cooperation is particularly multifaceted when it comes to the qualification of young scientist. In the field of data and digitalization, there are two international Master's degree programs.
Education Programs
Introduced in 2002 at the prestigious Bonn-Aachen International Center for Information Technology (b-it), this program is a collaborative effort between RWTH Aachen University, the University of Bonn, and the renowned Fraunhofer Institutes at Birlinghoven Castle in Sankt Augustin. This interdisciplinary program will educate the participant to successfully master the novel technical and economic challenges at the crossroads of computer science, software engineering, next-generation information systems, data science and all types of media. The program is distinguished by its international orientation, its focus on IT competence, and its high level of integration of teaching and research.
Participating BORA Members
Fraunhofer Institute for Intelligent Analysis and Information Systems IAIS
The international Master Program in Life Science Informatics started in the fall of 2002 at the Bonn-Aachen International Center for Information Technology (b-it). Life Science Informatics is offered jointly by the University of Bonn and RWTH Aachen in cooperation with the Fraunhofer Institutes at Sankt Augustin near Bonn. This interdisciplinary program will educate the participant to successfully master the novel technical and economic challenges at the crossroads of biotechnology, medicine, pharmaceutics and computer science.
Participating BORA Members
Fraunhofer Institute for Algorithms and Scientific Computing SCAI
Learn more
Combined expertise in BORA
People in science need a good environment. The realization of an excellent, internationally flourishing scientific landscape on the Rhine with a global orientation and perspective is the common perspective in BORA.
Lamarr Institute for Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence
The Lamarr Institute focuses on the research and development of high-performance, trustworthy, and resource-efficient applications of Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Bonn-Aachen International Center for Information Technology (b-it)
The b-it is one of Europe’s leading institutions for cutting-edge research and higher education in informatics. We shape digital transformation in exchange with economy and society.