The Hessian Minister for Digital Strategy and Development, Prof. Dr. Kristina Sinemus, together with the President of the Technical University of Darmstadt, Prof. Dr. Tanja Brühl, signed the cooperation agreement for the establishment of a Hessian Competence Centre for Responsible Digitalization in Darmstadt today. As a network, it is intended to bundle and strengthen research expertise in the state on key issues of digital change in society.

The research work of this competence center is intended to implement a central project of the coalition agreement and thus form a key pillar of the Hessian state government's digitalization and AI strategy. The aim is to exploit the opportunities of digitalization for people and to develop intelligent solutions in all areas of application, whether business and work, mobility and housing, medicine and social participation. In addition to promoting innovation and technology, research and development, training skilled workers and supporting start-ups, the ethical, legal and socio-political aspects are now also becoming the focus of attention. The research results are intended to provide impetus for shaping digitalization and deepen the social discourse on the opportunities and challenges of new technologies.

Minister of State Prof. Dr. Kristina Sinemus thanks TU Darmstadt

"Digitalization should serve people, not the other way around. That is why we must also place people at the center of research and innovation in the digital transformation - in dialogue, interdisciplinary and networked with all our expertise. The Hessian Competence Centre for Responsible Digitalization is intended to explore ethical, legal, psychological, economic, ecological and technical aspects of digitalization in our state by means of overarching research projects. Together with the 'Council for Digital Ethics', it will act as a driving force for science, business, politics and society to promote a human-centered approach to shaping digital change." She thanked the Technical University of Darmstadt for its active support in setting up the competence center, which is to be expanded into an overarching network of university and non-university research institutions in Hesse.

President Prof. Dr. Tanja Brühl on digitalization and society:

"The new virtual and interdisciplinary center is an excellent fit for TU Darmstadt in several respects: TU Darmstadt works with partners across disciplines and across borders - with other universities in Hesse, with stakeholders from society, business and scientific institutions. Thinking technology and responsibility together - TU Darmstadt has been demonstrating this time and again in research and teaching for decades. After all, digitalization and artificial intelligence are part of our nationally and internationally visible research profile. TU Darmstadt is therefore the natural place to combine digitalization and responsibility and to bring the research results to society."

TU Professor Ruth Stock-Homburg, who is a member of the Hessian state government's "Council for Digital Ethics" as an expert and has been commissioned with the conceptual preparatory work for the design of the research field, will lead the establishment of the center as founding director.

Prof. Dr. Dr. Ruth Stock-Homburg relies on Hesse-wide research expertise

"The digital transformation represents a unique opportunity for our society and for Hesse, through which we can innovatively and sustainably change our daily lives and work. In order to shape this opportunity, the newly founded Hessian Competence Centre for Responsible Digitalization aims to research and help shape digitalization responsibly and sustainably from an ethical, legal, psychological, economic, ecological and technical perspective right from the start, i.e. "by design". By establishing a Hesse-wide network, we can bundle Hesse-wide research expertise and provide important impetus for science, business, society and politics."

The Hessian state government is providing the competence center with €300,000 for the start in 2019. In subsequent years, basic funding of € 2.1 million is planned, which can be increased depending on the level of development and scope of research at the competence center. The establishment of collaborations and the acquisition of third-party funding for individual projects beyond Hesse will also be pursued.