Munich Startup: What exactly is AI+Munich? What are the project's goals?
Frizzi Engler-Hamm: MUC Summit GmbH has launched a new collaboration for the AI+Munich project to promote innovations for responsible startup ideas using artificial intelligence. Project partners are Strascheg Center for Entrepreneurship (SCE), the Munich Center for Digital Sciences and Artificial Intelligence (MUC.DAI) at Munich University of Applied Sciences, UnternehmerTUM, and TUM Venture Labs. The AI+Munich project is part of a nationwide AI network implemented through EXIST funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWi). The goal of the project, with MUC Summit GmbH as an ecosystem integrator in MUST—The Munich Innovation Ecosystem—and through the collaboration of the project participants, is to promote an AI ecosystem in the Munich region that is embedded in the diverse entrepreneurship activities at Munich as a center of innovation.
Munich Startup: How does the project aim to promote artificial intelligence?
Frizzi Engler-Hamm: With this project, we aim to sustainably develop Munich as a business location, support talented individuals with valuable and scalable business models, and identify potential and synergies between startups, universities, corporations, and the public sector in order to actively shape cross-sector collaborations. The project combines deep-tech innovation with social responsibility through responsible and impact-oriented entrepreneurship, thus developing Munich as a national and international location for AI startups. The core offering is a joint AI startup process in which selected entrepreneurs and startups can actively participate in collaboration with partners and other representatives of the Munich innovation ecosystem from science, business, politics, and society. Through integrated learning, design, and development between founders, startups, and the various ecosystem stakeholders in guided co-creation processes, innovative solutions are further developed into scalable and internationally successful startups.
“Creating livable cities despite major challenges”
Munich Startup: Is there a particular area of AI that AI+Munich wants to focus on?
Frizzi Engler-Hamm: Together, the project partners are defining AI challenges from various AI areas with the goal of finding and implementing solutions and business models with local, regional, and national talent and startups. Artificial intelligence approaches offer opportunities to rethink and redesign cities. Networked, self-optimizing models in the areas of mobility, manufacturing, security, health, climate protection, etc., make it possible to create livable cities despite the major challenges. By involving all stakeholders in a city and promoting networking and co-creation, the city becomes a knowledge and implementation laboratory in which all actors learn simultaneously and become active participants in the development process.
A holistic understanding of the potential uses of AI technologies aims to create added value at the societal level as well. Munich is thus taking a pioneering role by identifying societal needs at the systemic level and finding solutions with appropriate technologies.
What AI+Munich has to offer startups
Munich Startup: You want to accompany and support startups from the initial idea to the industrial partnership. What can founders expect?
Frizzi Engler-Hamm: Our activities at AI+Munich are aimed at creating startups in the deep-tech sector and are divided into four phases: scouting, matching, acceleration, and co-creation.
To this end, educational formats on relevant topics related to the use of AI will be developed and made widely accessible. The participating universities will also scout for prospective entrepreneurs through suitable teaching and accelerator formats. Finally, selected startup projects will be accompanied and supported in their development by deep tech experts in a sprint process to prepare the ideas for potential collaboration with cross-sector partners from industry, the public sector, academia, and other institutions.
The project is embedded in a growing online and offline community of MUST - The Munich Innovation Ecosystem, which engages in exchange and co-creative collaboration with the AI projects in selected formats, thus jointly advancing Munich as a location.
Munich Startup: Who is behind the project?
Frizzi Engler-Hamm: AI+Munich is a project of the EXIST funding program “Start-ups from Science” of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWi), which announced in the middle of this year that it would promote the funding of startups in the field of AI in order to “promote, in addition to concrete startup foundations, the networking of universities and research institutions with existing AI companies and the economy as a whole in selected regions.”
Munich Startup: What role does MUC SUMMIT play in this?
Frizzi Engler-Hamm: The Munich model project AI+Munich has received €5.9 million from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWi) to support AI startups in the Munich region. With MUC Summit GmbH as the lead, the partners TUM Venture Labs, UnternehmerTUM, Strascheg Center for Entrepreneurship, and Munich University of Applied Sciences have developed a joint AI startup process that establishes Munich as a beacon for AI startups.
Munich’s ecosystem makes the city the perfect lighthouse
We act as an ecosystem integrator and specialize in connecting the diverse innovation ecosystems of the Quadruple Helix (science, business, public sector, and politics) to foster further innovation potential in Munich. Given the favorable conditions found in Munich, with its existing ecosystem, its companies, excellent universities, research centers, and existing infrastructure, the city is ideally suited as a model project to establish a beacon in the field of AI.
Munich Startup: You have already advertised several positions, including on our Pinboard. What are you looking for?
Frizzi Engler-Hamm: To implement the pilot project, different roles are needed at the participating organizations, who will work together to manage the various phases of the sprint and coordinate the measures. We are looking for talented individuals who are keen to strategically develop and shape Munich, who are passionate about trends and innovations, and who want to drive issues forward in a cross-sector network.
Munich Startup: How can startups and applicants reach you?
Frizzi Engler-Hamm: Startups interested in our cross-organizational program, the network, and prototype funding are welcome to contact us at any time: contact@muc-summit.comWe also welcome applications for our current positions: AI Project Management, Educational Lead, Marketing Manager, and Ecosystem Manager. Interested parties are welcome to contact us: jobs@muc-summit.com
More on this: https://www.must-Munich.com/come-join-our-team/
