Feb 8, 2022

Future cluster NeuroSys: technological basis for future European AI hardware

Source: pixabay

Feb 8, 2022

Computer hardware is increasingly reaching its limits – especially when it comes to applications related to artificial intelligence (AI). Help will come from innovative hardware concepts such as so-called neuromorphic systems. Based on the two basic building blocks of the brain – neurons and synapses – neuromorphic systems can serve as powerful and resource-saving hardware of the future.

Future cluster "NeuroSys - Neuromorphic hardware for artificial intelligence applications"

The Future Cluster “NeuroSys – Neuromorphic Hardware for Artificial Intelligence Applications” will conduct research in this area. By transferring excellent basic research from RWTH Aachen University and Forschungszentrum Jülich to companies and start-ups in the regions, it aims at developing a viable technology-basis for neuromorphic hardware dedicated to artificial intelligence applications. NeuroSys is funded with €45 million by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research as part of the “Cluster4Future” initiative, which contributes the High-Tech Strategy 2025 of the German government.

Artificial intelligence guided by European values

“Our vision is to develop the Aachen-Jülich area into a world leading location for research, development and applications in the field of neuromorphic computing. NeuroSys is a great opportunity for our region and for the structural change of the Rhineland. We will transfer excellent science to local companies and start-ups,” explains the Cluster coordinator Professor Max Lemme, head of the Chair of Electronic Devices at RWTH Aachen University and scientific managing director of AMO GmbH. “We want to develop a complete ecosystem – from materials science to dedicated software – that demonstrates the power of the new technology. This development will be accompanied by research on the crucial ethical and socio-economic issues related to AI. Artificial intelligence must be guided by European values: security, privacy and sovereignty must be ensured already by design.”

Paradigm shift from conventional to neuromorphic computing

AI is a key technology of the future and will be a building block for the next stage of global development – not only in terms of economic growth, but also for tackling major societal challenges such as climate change, health, work and mobility. The paradigm shift from conventional to neuromorphic computing offers the opportunity to achieve the technological independence of Europe in this ethically and economically sensitive area.

Stakeholders in the Cluster NeuroSys are RWTH Aachen University, Forschungszentrum Jülich, AMO GmbH, IHK Aachen, and the companies AixACCT Systems GmbH, AIXTRON SE, AppTek GmbH, ELMOS Semiconductor SE, RWTH Innovation GmbH and STAR Healthcare, as well as the startups AiXscale Photonics UG, Black Semi-conductor GmbH, Clinomic GmbH and Gremse-IT GmbH.