Hightech Agenda Bavaria: FAU successful in AI competition

University receives four new professorships in the area of artificial intelligence.

FAU proves its excellence in the area of artificial intelligence (AI) once more, winning four new professorships in the second round of the AI competition Hightech Agenda Bavaria. Bavarian Minister of Science Bernd Sibler announced the good news during a press conference on 15 May 2020.

A total of 175 applications were submitted by universities across Bavaria to the research competition. FAU was successful and is now able to set up four new professorships: one in sensor technology and speech processing, one in nano and materials sciences and two in the area of AI and medicine.

‘These four professorships raise the profile of AI at FAU and allow us to focus specifically on cutting-edge areas of research. As a result, FAU will be able to continue to expand its leading position in the area of AI research – which I am of course delighted about,’ says FAU President Prof. Dr. Joachim Hornegger.

With the four new professorships and the eight from the first round, which are attached to the new Department of Artificial Intelligence in Biomedical Engineering (AIBE) established at the beginning of May, FAU is one of the Bavarian AI hubs together with the universities in Munich, Würzburg and Ingolstadt. Not only that, it also acts with the University of Bamberg to strengthen Middle Franconia as a location for AI. In the first round, FAU was promised a total of 50 professorships.

The AI competition Hightech Agenda Bavaria

A committee consisting of 18 scientists and chaired by competition expert Prof. Dr. Peter Strohschneider assessed the proposals submitted by the university in a two-stage evaluation process. Thereafter the committee made a recommendation to the Minister of Science for funding projects that will bring the greatest benefits to promoting Bavaria as a key location for AI research.

Further information

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