Business Development & Strategy

We aim to be a driving force in the overarching discourse on AI safety, using our expertise to provide important content and impetus to science, industry, policy and society at large. Our work involves researching and analysing the entire field of artificial intelligence. Accordingly, we are always looking at current developments that go beyond technical and computer science activities in order to keep our roadmap as an institute up to date.

As with the Institute as a whole, we are focusing on safe and standard compliant AI, cyber security and AI in open data and service ecosystems and automation. We are prioritising research into trustworthy AI solutions for the autonomous mobility and logistics facilitation of the future. The results will be transferred to all DLR research areas, but the initial focus will be on ground-based transport on roads, railways and waterways. We are working on assistance and automation functions for all modes of transport. In addition, we consider the entire production processes within the mobility-related value chain up to the user or end consumer.

In the context of the need for cyber-security, we are working on issues such as general data security and the protection of individual privacy. Both are essential for the development and use of open data and service ecosystems. Only if they are highly secure - and therefore trustworthy - and at the same time easy to use, can they become the basis for new business applications that are accepted by industry, politics and society. As a result, topics such as the standardisation and certification of algorithms and AI applications for cross-application and international use are also coming into focus.

In the interests of research, but also in order to jointly implement specific projects of economic and social relevance, we work on building an active network and on maintaining and expanding our contacts in industry and science across application areas. Activities in the field of technology transfer and the associated public relations and science communication are therefore part of our department's remit.

In the context of artificial intelligence, we are actively involved in the scientific discussion of ELSA issues (ELSA = Ethical, Legal and Social Aspects) and contribute to inter- and transdisciplinary research and development projects. This includes the development of a holistic approach to the acceptance and risk assessment of artificial intelligence. For these reasons, we have established ourselves as a multidisciplinary team: The Institute for AI Safety and Security brings together scientists from computer and data sciences, mathematics, physics and engineering, sociology, psychology, philosophy and law.