The Technical University of Munich is entering into a partnership with Google. One focus of the collaboration is artificial intelligence. Google is also the first non-European company to become a “TUM Partner of Excellence” and is supporting the TUM University Foundation with one million euros.
Also UnternehmerTUM, the start-up center at the Technical University, benefits from the cooperation and will receive a quarter of a million euros from the Munich Google branch over the next three years for its “AppliedAI Initiative” program. Eric Schmidt, long-time Executive Chairman and Technical Advisor of Google parent Alphabet, said today in the Audimax of the Technical University of Munich:
"Automation and robotics are essential elements of the fourth industrial revolution, which we are currently experiencing through the advancement of artificial intelligence. The concept of Industry 4.0 was developed here in the motherland of all industries, Germany. We are pleased to be able to work together on this central topic within the framework of our partnership with the Technical University of Munich and UnternehmerTUM."
That evening, Schmidt appeared before approximately 1,000 students alongside TUM President Wolfgang A. Herrmann. The former Google CEO delivered a lecture on technology and innovation as part of the Munich Security Conference.
Cooperation has existed for several years
Robotics and machine intelligence will fundamentally change all areas of life, said Herrmann:
"Our mission as a university is to anticipate the future and help shape technological change in a way that serves the well-being of humanity. Therefore, we are delighted to be working with one of the most innovative and visionary companies in the future. The fact that Google is showing its trust in us by making a significant, unrestricted endowment is a good start to this partnership."
Google has been present in Munich since 2006 and opened a new Development Center at Hackerbrücke. More than 500 employees already work there. Google's activities in Munich focus on data protection, data security, and artificial intelligence in the cloud. The Technical University of Munich and the internet giant have been collaborating for years on topics including augmented reality and AI.
