Bechtle supports Baden-Württemberg’s cutting-edge AI presentation during 30th German Unity Day celebrations

• Bechtle collaborates with AI company Colugo of the Cyber Valley start-up network
• Bechtle, Colugo and the state co-design a 30-day exhibit located in the heart of Potsdam

Neckarsulm, 4 September 2020 – As part of the German Unity Day 30th anniversary celebrations, the city of Potsdam will host the EinheitsEXPO beginning on 5 September 2020. Baden-Württemberg will use the occasion to showcase its clout as a future-oriented and innovative German state—together with Cyber Valley, Europe’s largest research consortium in the field of artificial intelligence. As the primary sponsor, Bechtle AG will support Colugo GmbH in providing technical equipment, as well as planning, organising and realising the installation.

Until 4 October 2020, the state, together with Bechtle and Colugo, will put a focus on the impact artificial intelligence (AI) has on society and the economy in its City Cube in Potsdam. Visitors to Baden-Württemberg’s futuristic presentation will be welcomed by a never-before-seen art installation called Grenzauflösung (roughly, dissolving borders) with a large video wall to visualise the creative process of neural networks. Artificial intelligence will interpret what’s happening outside the cube in real-time and translate it into art, allowing visitors to influence the result. The interaction will be live-streamed to AI information platform kreative-ki.de beginning on 5 September. Co-created and operated by Bechtle, this website shines a light on the social and economic aspects of AI, as well as innovative AI projects. The project introduces Bechtle and Colugo as trailblazing organisations that bring cutting-edge AI solutions to SMEs, while bolstering Baden-Württemberg’s standing as an economic hotbed.

“We are delighted to be bridging the gap between science and business together with Colugo, making advanced AI solutions available to our SME customers for a lasting effect on their digital transformation,” says Michael Guschlbauer, COO IT System House & Managed Services, Bechtle AG.

The Cyber Valley initiative brings excellence and responsibility in fundamental AI research in touch with its practical application in business. A beacon in Europe’s scientific AI landscape, Cyber Valley is considered one of the epicentres of artificial intelligence in the world. As a member of its start-up network, Tübingen-based Colugo is an authority in highly innovative solutions employing neural networks. Doubling as the Lunar Ring group of artists, the company’s founders also explore AI as a novel means of expression.

“Were it not for our interest in the aesthetic aspects of artificial intelligence, we’d have overlooked quite a few business solutions. In turn, innovative ideas in business also inspire our art. It’s a wonderful symbiosis that makes the abstract complexities attached to AI come to life so they can be experienced with our senses,” says Dr Johannes Stelzer, managing director, Colugo GmbH.

The kreative-ki.de website will remain online beyond the end of the exhibition and continue to be updated with more content.