Parliament - Rockets, maglev trains, AI university: Söder focuses on high-tech
A test center for rocket propulsion, a test track for a maglev train in Nuremberg and a university solely dedicated to artificial intelligence: Bavaria's Minister President Markus Söder (CSU) wants to place a clear focus on future research and technologies in the new legislative period.
"We are Europe's Silicon Valley and want to develop Bavaria into the leading high-tech location on the European continent," said Söder on Tuesday in his first government statement in the new legislative period in the state parliament. The state government will therefore continue the High-Tech Agenda as announced and "even top it". The Free State is not in competition with other federal states, but "with our friends from the USA and partners from Asia".
In order to give the High-Tech Agenda an additional boost, Söder announced a new future prize from 2024 - the "High-Tech Oscar" for the brightest minds and start-ups in Bavaria.
"We will also establish Germany's first AI university in Bavaria, in Nuremberg," announced Söder. "We are turning the TU Nuremberg into Germany's first university specializing purely in AI: the Franconian University of Artificial Intelligence."
In his own words, Söder wants to develop the German Space Operations Center in Oberpfaffenhofen into the "Houston of Germany" - Houston is the headquarters of the US Space Operations Center. It is "very likely" that the European Moon Control Center will be located in Oberpfaffenhofen. Söder had already expressed this idea in the past. In addition, Bavaria is now also aiming to establish a test center for future-oriented rocket propulsion systems. "May the force be with us."
Söder also wants to examine new transportation projects on the ground. "Similar to Berlin, we want to investigate a magnetic levitation train. It is cheaper than a subway train, silent and climate-neutral," said Söder. "To this end, we have considered a possible test route in Nuremberg between the university, exhibition center and hospital."
Söder did not initially comment on specific timetables.
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Source: www.stern.de
