Modelled after Silicon Valley, Cyber Valley’s aim is to translate findings from basic research into concrete industrial applications. “Machine learning and artificial intelligence are key competencies in shaping the connected world,” said Bosch CEO Dr. Volkmar Denner at the Cyber Valley kickoff in Stuttgart. “In the international competition for innovation, Germany should not sit back and allow major IT companies from abroad to dominate these areas.” Bosch is supporting the Cyber Valley venture to the tune of some seven million euros.

To drive forward research in machine learning, Bosch is establishing an endowed chair at Eberhard Karls University in Tübingen, near Stuttgart. Over a period of ten years, the company will fund the chair with a total of 5.5 million euros. “We want to attract the best minds to this region. World-class research will make Baden-Württemberg even more attractive for up-and-coming scientists from around the world,” said Denner, who is also in charge of research and advance engineering at Bosch. Located in the Stuttgart-Tübingen region, the Cyber Valley Center will bring together top researchers from a range of disciplines, such as software engineering, physics, biology, materials science, and neuroscience. In addition to the endowed chair, Bosch will be providing funding to Cyber Valley in the amount of some 1.3 million euros over five years. “The interplay of industry, research, and government will make this regional cluster a global hotspot for top researchers,” stressed Denner.

Besides expanding scientific excellence and fostering young talent, Cyber Valley also aims at enhancing the start-up scene in the Stuttgart-Tübingen region. Young researchers working in Cyber Valley will be encouraged to found their own companies, so that they may quickly transfer scientific findings to product and service development. “Artificial intelligence must also prove worthwhile financially. A vibrant start-up scene in Cyber Valley will play a key role in this regard,” said Denner. Alongside Bosch and five other companies, founding members of Cyber Valley include the Max Planck Society, the state of Baden-Württemberg, the University of Tübingen, and the University of Stuttgart.