Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz says: “The nationally and internationally well-connected research at CISPA is a driving force for structural change in Saarland and in Germany. The federal and state governments are investing here in a targeted and forward-looking manner. I was able to get to know a major research institution that wants to make the digitalized world of tomorrow more secure through innovative, cutting-edge research. The topics of cybersecurity, data protection, and trustworthy artificial intelligence concern us all.”
Minister President of Saarland Anke Rehlinger says: “Digital sovereignty and innovation are fundamental to our economic future and national security – in Saarland, we are working on this successfully and with global resonance. CISPA stands for digital innovation and excellent research. The state government is providing up to €350 million euros for a new building to give this flagship institution in Saarland room to grow.”
During their visit, the Chancellor and the Minister President gained insights into how, within just a few years of its founding, CISPA was able to become a world-leading research center for cybersecurity and trustworthy AI, as well as a magnet and training ground for talent from around the world. There was also a showcase of selected cutting-edge research projects at CISPA. Among other things, this included an early warning system for cyberattacks, which analyzes global attack activity and strengthens resilience against threats such as distributed denial-of-service attacks. Other researchers demonstrated how innovative methods can be used to test the security of embedded systems – for example, by measuring energy consumption in industry and vehicle control systems. A third station was dedicated to new AI-based methods for the detection of deepfakes, which help to expose manipulation and disinformation at an early stage. The visit was rounded off with a live demonstration of a surveillance system for unmanned aerial systems that enables the safe and reliable use of drones in critical applications, for example.
CISPA Founding Director and CEO Professor Dr. Dr. h.c. Michael Backes says: “Excellent research lays the foundation for digital sovereignty in Germany and Europe. At CISPA, we want to not only generate new insights, but also translate them into excellence-driven innovations that open up new markets and secure the long-term prosperity of our country. The visit by the Federal Chancellor underscores the federal government's desire to strengthen Germany's position as a location for research, development and the application of artificial intelligence in international competition, recognizing cyber resilience as a key issue of our time. As a world-leading research center for cybersecurity and with our cutting-edge research on trustworthy artificial intelligence, we are making decisive contributions to this effort.”
