1 July 2026 |

Success stories from the Cyber Valley Innovation Campus: April–June 2026

Transforming excellent AI and robotics research into a better future for all

The Cyber Valley Innovation Campus brings top scientists to Baden-Württemberg to advance AI and robotics research. These scientists are paving the way for the application of their research for the benefit of people, industry, and society.

Members of the Cyber Valley Innovation Campus include the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems (MPI-IS), Universities of Tübingen and Stuttgart, Fraunhofer IAO and IPA, ELLIS Institute Tübingen, and Karlsruhe Institute for Technology (KIT). As leading research institutions, they have announced the following exciting developments between April and June 2026.

Aamir Ahmad’s research group develops algorithms to monitor endangered wildlife

Researchers at the University of Stuttgart are advancing species conservation by making animal identification easier. By combining AI with ecological data, the Flight Robotics and Perception Group, led by Aamir Ahmad, has developed algorithms that enable faster, more precise monitoring, unlocking new possibilities to protect endangered species. Read more.

Three scientists from MPI-IS serve on the EU AI Act Scientific Panel

Sahar Abdelnabi, Maksym Andriushchenko, and Zhijing Jin (all MPI-IS) are joining 60 experts on the AI Act Scientific Panel, which will advise the EU AI Office on the implementation of the AI Act. The Scientific Panel’s main responsibilities include alerting the AI Office to systemic risks, advising on GPAI classification and evaluation methodologies, and supporting market surveillance activities. Read more.

Kristof Meding becomes a member of Die Junge Akademie

Kristof Meding, head of the Computational Law Lab at the University of Tübingen’s CZS Institute for Artificial Intelligence, has been appointed to Die Junge Akademie. The academy admits outstanding young academics from different academic disciplines and creative fields to explore interdisciplinary work and encourage dialog between academia and society. Read more.

ELLIS Institute Tübingen and Kyutai launch KE:SAI

KE:SAI is a non-profit open science research laboratory dedicated to the next frontier of artificial intelligence: systems that can understand and act in the real world. The research is being led by a founding team of renowned experts, including Andreas Geiger (University of Tübingen), and Bernhard Schölkopf (MPI-IS, ELLIS Institute Tübingen, and University of Tübingen). Read more.

MPI-IS and University of Stuttgart scientists build an easy-to-control and energy-efficient flying robot

Researchers have developed a bird-inspired robot, nicknamed “Floaty”, that stays airborne by adapting its shape and exploiting wind currents, rather than relying on propellers. Using a learned aerodynamic model, it can remain stable, recover from disturbances, and has potential applications such as inspecting industrial sites or helping control rockets during re-entry. Read more.