German-Polish-Czech conference builds bridges across borders

Join us at the high-level German-Polish-Czech Conference on R&D&I organised by the BMBF – German Federal Ministry of Education and Research on Friday 8 October and Saturday 9 October 2021. Among others, there will be two prominent speakers, both members of the RICAIP Steering Committee and founders of the centre – Prof. Wolfgang Wahlster (CEA, DFKI) and Prof. V. Mařík, (Scientific Director, CIIRC CTU). They will present our centre and also introduce new scientific visions for industrial AI.

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Conference
Deutsch-polnisch-tschechische Konferenz © BMBF

We recommend the following highlights of the programme:

Day 1: Friday 8 Oct 2021
15:45 – 16:30Plenary session: Regional innovation initiatives for Central Europe
“Building an AI ecosystem together”
Vladimír Mařík, Scientific Director, Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics CTU in Prague (CIIRC CTU)
16:45 – 16:55Signing Ceremony
Memorandum of Understanding in the field of industry 4.0 and artificial intelligence
Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics (CIIRC): Vladimír Mařík (Scientific Director)
German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI): Antonio Krüger (Chief Executive Officer)

Supporters: Wolf-Dieter Lukas (BMBF), Petr Očko ((Czech Ministry of Industry and Trade), Wolfgang Wahlster (DFKI)
Day 2: Saturday 9 Oct 2021
10:30 – 11:15The digital transformation in industrial production – Artificial Intelligence as a key enabler for future industry 4.0 applications

Industrial AI from the perspective of science
RICAIP – European Centre of Excellence for Advanced Industrial Production
Wolfgang Wahlster, Chief Executive Adviser, German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI)
Vladimír Mařík, Scientific Director, Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics (CIIRC CTU)
Livestream BMBF live!

The German-Polish-Czech Science Platform will take place in Dresden on 8 and 9 October under the theme “Cross-border innovation for the Central European region(s)”. The conference is organized by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research in cooperation with the Free State of Saxony and will bring together high-ranking representatives from politics, science and research from all three countries.

Government representatives from Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic to provide fresh impetus for regional development

The countries want to intensify the pooling of forces in research and innovation in order to strengthen Central European innovation regions and provide new impetus for regional development across all of Europe. At the invitation of Federal Research Minister Anja Karliczek in cooperation with the Minister-President of Saxony Michael Kretschmer, the conference at the Gläserne Manufaktur will bring together the President of the German Bundestag, Wolfgang Schäuble, the Prime Minister of Poland, Mateusz Morawiecki, and a high-ranking representative from the Czech Republic as well as further representatives from politics, science and research in the border triangle.

Central European cooperation as a driver of forward-looking innovation

The central objective of the conference is to prepare for tackling the joint challenges facing Germany, the Czech Republic and Poland in the border triangle and coal mining regions in particular. Successful, economically and socially sustainable structural change requires smart links between science and industry. This can only be achieved through networking and cross-border cooperation in research and innovation. In this context, Central European partnerships can serve as a stepping stone for encouraging innovation and advancing regional development.

Agenda German-Polish-Czech Science Platform

Day 1, 8 October 2021

Central European Funding Advisors and Managers Networking Event
(upon separate invitation by the Saxon State Ministry for Science, Culture and Tourism and ZEUSS EU-Service Saxony)
Moderator: Wolfgang Kill, Head of Division, Saxon State Ministry for Science, Culture and Tourism, Free State of Saxony
Conference language: English

9:30–10:00Arrival and registration of participants of the networking event
10:00–12:00Networking event of funding advisors and managers according to separate agenda
12:00~14:00Light lunch and optionally
tour of the Gläserne Manufaktur (car production)

Main programme: Science Platform part 1
Moderator: Alexandra Gerlach, journalist, Deutschlandradio
Conference languages: German/ Polish/ Czech/ English

12:00~14:00  Arrival and registration of participants of the Science Platform without prior participation in the networking event, light lunch and optionally
Tour of the Gläserne Manufaktur (car production)
14:00–14:20Opening of the conference
 Welcome speeches
Wolf-Dieter Lukas, State Secretary, German Federal Ministry of Education and Research
 Sebastian Gemkow, Saxon State Minister for Science, Culture and Tourism
14:20–15:20Roundtable: Border triangle Germany – Poland – Czech Republic: Historical developments and recent challenges
 Roundtable
Oliver Schenk, Chief of the State Chancellery and State Minister, Saxon State Chancellery
 Wojciech Murdzek, Secretary of State, Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education
 Petr Očko, Deputy Minister, Czech Ministry of Industry and Trade
 Arndt Freytag von Loringhoven, Ambassador, German Embassy Warsaw
 Andreas Künne, Ambassador, German Embassy Prague
15:20–15:40Signing Ceremony (tbc) 
15:40–16:00Coffee break
16:00–16:45Plenary session: Regional innovation initiatives for Central Europe
Keynote speeches with subsequent discussion
“Research and innovation perspective with a view to the regional specifics in the border triangle”
Welf-Guntram Drossel, Executive Director, Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology IWU
“Best practice in cross border cooperation”
Stefan Dziembowski, Head of Cryptography and Blockchain Lab, Copernicus Award 2020, University of Warsaw
“Building an AI ecosystem together”
Vladimír Mařík, Scientific Director, Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics and CyberneticsCzech (CIIRC)
16:45–17:00Break
17:00–18:30Strengthening regional innovation in Europe – Special challenges for the border triangle Germany – Poland – Czech Republic
17:00–17:20Welcome speeches
Anja Karliczek, Minister, German Federal Ministry of Education and Research
 Michael Kretschmer, Minister-President, Free State of Saxony
 Wolfgang Schäuble, President, Bundestag (German Parliament) 
17:20–18:30Political roundtable
Anja Karliczek, Minister, German Federal Ministry for Education and Research
 Michael Kretschmer, Minister-President, Free State of Saxony
 Wolfgang Schäuble, President, Bundestag (German Parliament)
 Mateusz Morawiecki, Prime Minister, Republic of Poland
 N.N., Representative of the Czech Republic
18:30~21:00Joint dinner for all participants
Day 2, 9 October 2021

Main programme: Science Platform part 2
Leading through the day: Frithjof Maennel, Deputy Director-General, German Federal Ministry of Education and Research
Conference language: English

8:30–9:00Arrival and registration of participants
9:00–10:30Strengthening regional innovation in Europe – the border triangle as motor for a sustainable European energy supply – (Green) hydrogen for the future
Moderator: Oda Keppler, Deputy Director-General, German Federal Ministry of Education and Research
9:05–9:503 x 15 min Kick-off pitch
Young scientists from Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic on “Green hydrogen as a facilitator for industrial transformation and climate protection”
 Philipp Hauser, Advisor Scientific Studies, VNG AG
 Marek Skrzypkiewicz, Department of High Temperature Electrochemical Processes (HiTEP), Institute of Power Engineering,
 Martin Prokop, University of Chemistry and Technology Prague
9:50–10:30Panel discussion
Young scientists in dialogue with stakeholders from Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic
The young scientists interrogate the other experts
Robert Schlögl, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion / Fritz-Haber-Institute
Mario Ragwitz, Fraunhofer Research Institution for Energy Infrastructures and Geothermal Systems IEG
Jakub Kupecki, Institute of Power Engineering, Center for Hydrogen Technologies (CTH2)
Petr Mervart, Plenipotentiary of the Minister of Industry and Trade for Hydrogen Technologies
Karel Bouzek, University of Chemistry and Technology Prague
10:30–11:20The digital transformation in industrial production – Artificial Intelligence as a key enabler for future industry 4.0 applications
Moderator: Herbert Zeisel, Deputy Director-General, German Federal Ministry of Education and Research
 Industrial AI from the perspective of science
RICAIP – European Centre of Excellence for Advanced Industrial Production
Wolfgang Wahlster, Chief Executive Adviser, German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI)
Vladimír Mařík, Scientific Director, Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics (CIIRC)
Industrial AI from the perspective of industry
Uwe Wieland, Head of Software Development Center Dresden, Volkswagen AG
Petr Švarc, Head of AI Team, Škoda
Signing ceremony
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to intensify cooperation between German and Czech research partners in the field of Industrial Artificial Intelligence (working title)
Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics (CIIRC): Vladimír Mařík (Scientific Director)
German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI): Antonio Krüger, (Chief Executive Officer)
Supporter: Wolf-Dieter Lukas (BMBF), Wolfgang Wahlster (DFKI)
11:20–11:30Break
11:30–12:40Large international research infrastructures and research centres
Moderator: Oda Keppler, Deputy Director-General, German Federal Ministry of Education and Research
 German-Polish cooperation in multilateral large facilities – the example of FAIR
Paolo Giubellino, Scientific Director GSI/FAIR, FAIR – Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research in Europe GmbH
Alicja Nowakowska, Vice Chair of Administrative and Finance Committee FAIR, Jagiellonian University Krakow
Maciej Chorowski, Professor, Wrocław University of Science and Technology
CASUS – Centre for Advanced System Understanding
Sebastian M. Schmidt, Scientific Director, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf
Eugeniusz Zych, Vice Rector Research, University of Wroclaw
Signing ceremony
Memorandum of Understanding
“On collaboration in accelerator and particle physics sciences and technologies and other scientific domains of mutual interest”
Wrocław University: Przemysław Wiszewski (Rector)
FAIR/GSI GmbH: Paolo Giubellino (Scientific Director), Ulrich Breuer (Administrative Director)
Supporter: Wolf-Dieter Lukas (BMBF), Pradeep Ghosh (FAIR)
Memorandum of Understanding
“On GET_INvolved Programme implementation agreement for mobility opportunities of personnel training and exchange of knowledge and expertise”
FAIR/GSI GmbH: Paolo Giubellino (Administrative Director); Ulrich Breuer (Administrative Director)
Wrocław University of Science and Technology: Maciej Chorowski (Professor)
Supporter: Wolf-Dieter Lukas (BMBF), Pradeep Ghosh (FAIR)
Memorandum of Understanding on the Framework for Cooperation in Areas of Common Interest in Science, Education and Technology Transfer
Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf: Sebastian M. Schmidt (Scientific Director), Diana Stiller (Administrativ Director)
Wrocław University: Przemysław Wiszewski (Rektor), Eugeniusz Zych (Vice-Rector for Research), Patrycja Matusz (Vice-Rector for International Projects and Relations)
Supporter: Wolf-Dieter Lukas (BMBF) 
12:40~13:00Closing of the conference
Wrap-up of day 2 and conclusions of the conference
Frithjof A. Maennel, Deputy Director-General, German Federal Ministry of Education and Research
Light lunch for all participants

Streaming advices

The event will be streamed live on this website on Friday, 8 October, starting at 14:00 and on Saturday, 9 October, starting at 09:00. In addition, the political welcoming addresses and round table discussions that are taking place on Friday, 8 October, between 17:00 and 18:30 will be broadcast live on our Twitter account @BMBF_Bund.

© BMBF

Background

Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic look back on many years of successful cooperation in research and innovation. Various funding initiatives have been launched in the past to foster regional cooperation aimed at addressing challenges such as structural change, digital transformation and sustainable development as well as knowledge sharing in Central Europe.

The Polish-German research centre CASUS, which is located in Görlitz, focuses on research on advanced systems. Its unique combination of an open centre for data-intensive and interdisciplinary systems research harbours the enormous potential for scientific discovery and technological progress.