Foreword by the Director

Dear readers,

the year 2024 was marked by the rapid development of artificial intelligence, particularly generative AI. This technology is transforming value chains, work environments, and our everyday lives. In order to retain digital sovereignty and secure our long-term competitiveness, Germany and Europe must actively shape this transformation.

This is where Fraunhofer FIT comes in. Together with our partners, we are working to shape this change. We harness the potential of AI in a responsible, people-centered way that is tailored to the needs of industry and society. The symbiosis of industrial excellence and artificial intelligence is key to our future.

Last year, we made important contributions to this goal: To accelerate innovation, we empower specialists and managers through training and advise companies on developing AI strategies. In projects such as “Work & AI – Creating a symbiosis”, we use state-of-the-art virtual and extended reality (VR/XR) technologies to show how AI can meaningfully support workers – in line with our motto, »We understand humans«.

The foundation for our control over AI and digital innovations is the secure and fair exchange of data. Therefore, trustworthy data spaces are a second central pillar of our work. We are helping to lay their groundwork through initiatives such as FAIR Data Spaces and by contributing our expertise even to top-level political discussions.

Our European Health Data Space (EHDS) pilot demonstrates that these concepts work, even in challenging fields like healthcare. In this way, we are building bridges between research, industry, and regulatory bodies and shaping the digital spaces of the future – a basis also for future sustainability applications.

These successes stem from the interdisciplinary nature of our institute and the commitment of our exceptional young scientists.

I would like to thank the entire Fraunhofer FIT staff for their dedication, as well as our partners from industry, science, and politics for their valuable collaboration. Together, we are creating Germany's future digital spaces: self-controlled, innovative spaces that benefit people and society.

Sincerely, 
Prof. Dr. Stefan Decker