The Race for a Billion

Portrait photo of Johannes Otterbach

What does it take to build Europe’s next AI powerhouse? Discover the race for a billion.

In this episode, we dive into the ambitious European initiative offering up to one billion euros to fuel the next wave of AI innovation. I sit down with Johannes Otterbach, the so-called „billion euro man,“ to discuss how SPRIND is bridging the gap between research and industry, and what it really takes to launch a world-class AI lab in Europe. We explore the challenges of scaling, the importance of industrial-grade AI, and why Europe’s unique landscape demands new strategies for success. Along the way, you’ll hear our candid thoughts on talent, technology, and the future of frontier AI. If you’re curious about the intersection of ambitious funding, cutting-edge research, and industrial application, this conversation is for you.

Siemens

https://new.siemens.com/global/en/company/topic-areas/artificial-intelligence.html

Neura Robotics

https://www.neura-robotics.com/

NVIDIA

https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/ai-data-science/

Fraunhofer Society

https://www.fraunhofer.de/en.html

Agile Robots

https://www.agilerobots.com/

OPC Foundation

https://opcfoundation.org/

Softing

https://industrial.softing.com/

Audi

https://www.audi.com/en/innovation/ai.html

Mistral AI

https://mistral.ai/

Sprint (German Federal Agency for Disruptive Innovation)

https://www.sprind.org/en/

OpenAI

https://openai.com/

DeepMind

https://www.deepmind.com/

XAI

https://x.ai/

Next Frontier AI Challenge

https://next-frontier.ai/