Networked Intelligence, Autonomy, Safety and Security
The research focus “Networked Intelligence, Autonomy, Safety and Security” at the Technical University of Applied Sciences Augsburg centers on networked intelligent systems. The researchers’ goal is to make the interaction between humans, social systems, and technical systems safer and more secure, more trustworthy, more human-centric, more autonomous, and more interoperable.
Description of the Research Focus
Networked intelligent systems link people, social systems, and technical systems with the goal of creating safer and secure, trustworthy, human-centered, autonomous, and interoperable solutions that meet the needs of both the economy and society. Therefore, the research focus “Networked Intelligence, Autonomy, Safety and Security” pursues an interdisciplinary approach that combines technological innovation with economic relevance and social responsibility. The focus is on transformative technologies that have a significant impact, particularly through digitalization and artificial intelligence (AI).
Research is conducted in the following areas
Human-Centered and Trustworthy Software and AI
The focus is on developing technical methods that make AI systems robust, transparent, and designed with people as users in mind.
Manufacturing and Services
We design AI-supported processes that increase the efficiency of industrial value chains while integrating them with intelligent energy supply technologies and smart grids.
Health Research
In areas such as digital health and medical technology, AI innovations with societal benefits are being developed—including intelligent diagnostics and digitally supported care processes.
Autonomous Systems and Physical AI
The focus is on transferring AI models to the physical world to enable safe applications in real-world environments, including autonomous mobility and the associated data communication, high-frequency data transmission, and electromagnetic compatibility.
Digital Business Transformation
AI, new technologies, and innovations are also driving changes in corporate management. The research focuses on strategically and operationally aligning and (re)designing digital business models, processes, organizational structures, and information systems.
(Cyber) Security
A cross-cutting theme is (cyber) security: Robust, trustworthy, and secure systems are essential for digital and autonomous technologies to gain societal acceptance.
Thematic connection to the DigiTech Doctoral Center
The research focus “Networked Intelligence, Autonomy, and Security” is closely linked to the doctoral center “Digital Technologies and Their Applications” (DigiTech), where doctoral candidates are trained in the megatrends of digitalization—from processes to products to services—as well as their application in society, the economy, and the environment.
At the DigiTech doctoral center, the Technical University of Applied Sciences Augsburg is represented as part of a consortium led by Deggendorf University of Applied Sciences and Landshut University of Applied Sciences.
Outlook
The research achievements in the research focus area “Networked Intelligence, Autonomy, and Security” are helping to steer research increasingly toward a direction in which agent-based systems can independently plan tasks, solve complex problems using reasoning capabilities, and explain their decisions in a transparent manner.
At the same time, Physical AI is gaining greater prominence, with the transfer of AI models to autonomous systems that perceive, act, and learn in the real world. This is accompanied by the growing importance of transformation management to integrate these technologies into the economy and society in a responsible, autonomous, and secure manner that fosters acceptance.