MISSION KI is a key initiative aimed at strengthening Germany’s digital competitiveness through better data utilisation, trustworthy AI standards and the promotion of innovative AI solutions. In this interview, Simon Boffen, Deputy Project Manager of MISSION KI, shares insights into the goals, challenges and concrete measures for establishing Germany as a leading AI location.
Mr. Boffen, AI is on everyone’s lips, but what makes MISSION KI special? What is the core idea?
MISSION KI – the National Initiative for Artificial Intelligence and Data Economy – aims to strengthen Germany’s digital competitiveness. To achieve this goal, our initiative focuses on three pillars: We want to create a better data foundation for AI, strengthen the development of trustworthy AI and support the growth of AI innovations.
As a flagship project of the German federal government’s digital strategy, MISSION KI addresses key areas of action: It supports the development of uniform standards and improves the availability and discoverability of data. The initiative is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Digital and Transport with 32 million Euro until the end of 2025. The project is implemented by acatech – the German Academy of Science and Engineering.
How does MISSION KI plan to implement the cross-sectoral networking of data spaces, and what challenges do you see in doing so?
Germany faces the challenge of using the potential of its data even more effectively in order to keep up with the global AI competition. However, isolated data silos, regulatory requirements and an insufficient data culture are slowing down innovation.
A major shift is urgently needed here to facilitate the use of valuable data. Against this background, data spaces are becoming increasingly important. We are working intensively to better network data spaces. To this end, we are working with partners to develop open-source products and services that ensure the discoverability, usage and sharing of data across data spaces. The developed solutions are tested in data spaces – for example, in the Mobility Data Space or Pontus-X – and are designed so that they can be used flexibly by other actors.
To what extent are the developed AI quality and testing standards harmonised with existing European initiatives to ensure widespread acceptance?
The EU AI Act defines strict requirements for high-risk systems. However, most AI applications pose a low risk. To strengthen the quality and trustworthiness of AI applications below the high-risk threshold, MISSION KI has developed a voluntary AI quality standard. We presented a first version to the public in October 2024.
Our quality standard is aligned with the requirements of the EU AI Act and is designed to ensure quality and trustworthiness without hindering innovation. AI providers can benefit from an efficient quality certification, which is usable for both large companies and start-ups. Since companies that use the standard stand out positively in the market through comparable quality criteria, they can improve their competitiveness. AI operators, in turn, benefit from higher market transparency and more reliable AI applications. By testing the standard in real-life applications, we make sure that it is both user-oriented and practical.
What measures are you taking to ensure that the developed AI solutions are not only technologically advanced but also ethically sound and socially acceptable?
Our AI quality standard is based on the “Ethics Guidelines for Trustworthy AI”. These were developed by the high-level expert group on artificial intelligence convened by the European Commission. The expert group has defined key principles that serve to evaluate the trustworthiness of AI systems.
How does MISSION KI promote collaboration between established companies and AI start-ups to accelerate the transfer of knowledge and the market launch of innovative AI products?
To strengthen collaboration between medium-sized businesses and AI start-ups, we launched the matchmaking format. We first implemented the programme in Heilbronn in July 2024, bringing together SMEs from Baden-Württemberg and AI start-ups from across Germany. The event was a great success and has already led to fruitful collaborations. We will be holding a matchmaking event in Bavaria in May, followed by another event in North Rhine-Westphalia in June. Interested SMEs from Bavaria can already apply to participate via our website – the deadline for applications is 3 April 2025.
For many SMEs, it is a time-consuming process to assess their own AI needs and to find the right AI solution. Our team analyses the individual AI needs of the participating companies and identifies suitable AI start-ups. Companies and start-ups are brought together for one-on-one meetings during an event to evaluate specific application possibilities and get to know potential technology partners.
What long-term strategies are you pursuing to strengthen the international competitiveness of “AI Made in Germany” and make it more visible globally?
We have strong prospects of taking a leading role in the development of trustworthy and secure “AI Made in Germany”. Germany is internationally one of the leading countries in AI research – but it still has some catching up to do when it comes to implementing AI in marketable applications. That is why we are strategically tackling three core tasks: standardisation and comparability should make the quality of “AI Made in Germany” visible, matchmaking should strengthen cooperation between innovative companies, and our AI start-up programme should facilitate the leap from development to market. It is also crucial to make the data resources of our economy discoverable and usable while protecting business interests – here, data spaces can play a central role. Through MISSION KI, we are therefore working in various areas to strengthen Germany as a location for AI.
Image credit: © MISSION KI / Laschitzki
