Confederation of Indian Industry visits acatech

Munich, 21 September 2023

On 15 September 2023, acatech President Jan Wörner welcomes senior representatives of Indian companies. Alok Srivastava, Director General of the National Test House, Indian Ministry of Consumer Affairs, headed the delegation.

Those present at the meeting on 15 September 2023 in the acatech Munich Office emphasised that the global challenges could only be overcome through cooperation on an international scale. In order to do so, according to Wörner, it would be necessary to take the entire innovation process from idea through to creation and subsequent market launch into account. The interplay between science, companies, society, and social partners would always need to be actively considered – with people and their motivation at the heart of the equation.

Alexander Mihatsch, Scientific Officer at the Plattform Lernende Systeme, furthermore emphasises in his presentation that artificial intelligence (AI) and socio-technical innovations can help to optimise work processes, taking the pressure off employees and supporting them. To utilise these chances that AI applications offer, it is essential to create rules that enable a trustworthy and humane application of the technology in dialogue with the employees and their interest groups. Carolin Anderson, Manager Strategic Projects at acatech, confirms that artificial intelligence as a key technology changes both daily life and global competition. She highlighted that a strong ecosystem for data economy and artificial intelligence is necessary for an effective and long-term integration of AI-based technologies in different fields of application to grow. The National Initiative for AI-based Transformation to the Data Economy (NITD), a joint project between acatech and the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport, will make a significant contribution in this regard.

The representatives of the Indian companies, all members of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), share the view that AI innovations are of high economic and social relevance for the global challenges. Promising AI innovations must be identified and implemented – specifically tailored to the respective sectors.

Identifying shared concerns for a science-based collaboration between acatech and members of CII in future can be achieved bilaterally – also involving the Indian Academy of Science and Engineering.