Munich Startup: What career path have you had so far?
Stefanie Lämmle: I studied computer science at the TU München, where I also did my doctorate at the chair for computer engineering and computer organization. After that, I worked as an IT consultant in Switzerland for a Swiss IT service provider. When I learned that the city of Munich wanted to centralize its IT, I successfully applied there as an IT architect. Advancing digitalization for my home city of Munich and doing something good for citizens fascinated me back then and still motivates me today.
Innovation with societal added value
Munich Startup: What motivated you to found the KICC?
Stefanie Lämmle: During the Corona crisis, I took over management of a small team of young computer scientists in the IT department – the InnovationLab. While looking for a focus for the team and at the same time identifying a gap in our current IT operations, I came across the topic of data and machine learning. The city administration has so much data – from resident registration data, to daycare slots, to beehives on high-rise buildings or registered dangerous dogs. And at that time, there was no in-house city team dealing with ethically responsible and data protection-compliant AI-based processing of this data. Our first use cases – a showcase for image recognition of Corona rapid tests for blind and visually impaired people and counting all tree crowns in Munich’s city area – showed that our work and insights are valuable and that founding its own AI Competence Center makes sense.
Munich Startup: When and where do you get your best ideas?
Stefanie Lämmle: I like to skim through exciting blog posts at the start of each workday or on weekends, let myself be inspired by innovative Instagram posts, have subscribed to a variety of newsletters, and enjoy reading books – both specialized and general. I also get many ideas from conferences and meetups, as well as from discussions with my teams. While cycling to work, the ideas I’ve heard or read often swirl around in my head, and a few stick with me so I can discuss them in depth with my team in the coming days.
Munich Startup: What are your 3 favorite work tools?
Stefanie Lämmle: All I need to work is my notebook, my email program, and internet access. Recently, I’ve also been using MUCGPT – our in-house city GenAI tool, from which I often have text ideas generated for me.
Starting up in difficult times – or right now?
Munich Startup: Does it seem like a good time for startups to you right now? Why?
Stefanie Lämmle: I’m not sure if there are good or bad times for startups. If someone has a good idea they think is worth implementing, they should stick with it and work to make it a reality. I admire the courage and resilience of all founders, and I wish that despite our German mentality, we learn not to view the failure of ideas as a mistake. Only when we try a variety of ideas will a few turn out to be successful.
Munich Startup: What could be improved at the Munich startup location from your perspective?
Stefanie Lämmle: I wish that startup failures get more attention in communications. We can learn not only from successful founders, but especially from the challenges and setbacks. Expanding mentoring and consulting programs could provide founders with valuable support and guidance, particularly in the early stages of their business formation. Although Munich already has a vibrant startup scene, networking between different actors could be strengthened further. Regular networking events, meetups, and collaborations can promote interaction and the exchange of ideas. You’re already right in the middle of that with Munich Startup!
