AI Alliance Aachen: Shaping the Future of AI Together
Ceremonial founding of the AI Alliance Aachen (AAA).
On May 20, 2025, a significant step for the Aachen region was taken in the White Hall of Aachen City Hall. The AI Alliance Aachen was launched by the city's Department of Economy, Science, Digital City, and Europe with the clear goal of positioning Aachen as a leading address for artificial intelligence (AI) and forward-looking technologies.
A strong partnership for digital transformation
The AI Alliance Aachen pursues a clear vision: Aachen should establish itself as a hotspot for excellent AI expertise and innovative technologies and is an open platform for anyone who wants to contribute their expertise and commitment in the field of artificial intelligence.
The members of the alliance see themselves as active partners who want to strengthen the region as a competitive location through exchange, development, and the implementation of concrete projects.
"With the AI Alliance Aachen, we are sending a clear signal: Aachen wants to and will play a key role in the European AI landscape. Only by working closely together can we expand the appeal of our region and provide real impetus for technological breakthroughs," emphasized Thomas Hissel, Deputy Mayor of Aachen for Economic Affairs, at the founding event.
Close cooperation between research and practice
The AI Alliance Aachen stands for active exchange between research institutions and industry.
Mayor Sibylle Keupen explained: "What makes our location special is the direct exchange between research and practice. Innovative start-ups are emerging from RWTH Aachen University and FH Aachen University of Applied Sciences, and companies are directly translating new research findings into practical applications."
This close interlinking of science and industry is a unique selling point that makes Aachen a unique location for AI developments.
Professor Ulrich Rüdiger with Thomas Hissel and Aachen's Mayor Sibylle Keupen
Innovation through interdisciplinarity
Another important aspect of the AI Alliance Aachen is the promotion of interdisciplinarity. Professor Ulrich Rüdiger, Rector of RWTH Aachen University, underscored the importance of AI for innovation and growth and emphasized how important it is to be at the forefront of this development: "The AI Alliance Aachen is another step toward positioning Aachen as a leading location for artificial intelligence."
Professor Holger Hoos, Director of the AI Center at RWTH, added that Aachen, with its excellent conditions and a clear focus on secure, sustainable AI research, is ideally positioned to drive the transformation from the coal industry to AI technology.
(here in conversation with aiXbrain - CIO Prof. Dr. Rudolf Mathar)
AI in Aachen: From research to application
Concrete AI projects are already being implemented in Aachen today. An outstanding example is the NeuroSys future cluster coordinated by RWTH, which is working on the development of brain-inspired chips for European AI hardware. In close cooperation with aiXbrain GmbH, AI is being used in real-world applications: With the development of MachineGPT, aiXbrain shows how machines can become partners through AI. This technology enables machines to monitor their own status, detect problems at an early stage, and provide precise maintenance recommendations.
