The Friedrich Schiller University Jena (FSU Jena) is an essential partner of the ELLIS Unit Jena, contributing to AI research across various disciplines.
Within the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science, the Institute for Computer Science is home to several key research groups within the ELLIS unit Jena.
The Visual Computing division includes the Computer Vision Group, led by Professor Joachim Denzler, which specializes in machine vision and image recognition. Additionally, the Visualization and Explorative Data Analysis Group, led by Professor Kai Lawonn, focuses on developing advanced visualization tools and data analysis techniques. The Theoretical Computer Science department is represented by the Theoretical Computer Science II Group, led by Professor Joachim Giesen, which explores areas like algorithms, complexity theory, and computational models.
In the Faculty of Chemistry and Earth Sciences, the Institute of Geography houses the GIScience Group, led by Professor Alexander Brenning. This group applies AI techniques to environmental science, geoinformatics, and geographical data analysis.
The Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry (MPI-BGC) in Jena, as a core member of the ELLIS Unit Jena, is at the forefront of leveraging AI to tackle some of the most pressing environmental and climate challenges. The institute is dedicated to understanding the complex interactions within the Earth system, including the atmosphere, biosphere, and geosphere, and how they influence the global climate. Researchers at MPI-BGC are increasingly integrating AI techniques, particularly machine learning, to advance climate modeling, analyze large datasets, and improve predictions about Earth’s changing systems.
At the heart of MPI-BGC’s AI-driven research is the Department of Biogeochemical Integration, led by Professor Markus Reichstein. The department focuses on how biogeochemical processes, such as carbon and water cycles, interact with climate dynamics. Group leaders within the department, including Alexander Winkler, Nuno Carvalhais, and Shijie Jiang, apply AI and machine learning to enhance Earth system modeling, explore causal relationships in climate processes, and analyze large-scale observational data.
The German Aerospace Center (DLR) serves as Germany’s national hub for research in aerospace, energy, and transportation. At its Jena site, the Institute of Data Science, a key partner of ELLIS Unit Jena, is at the forefront of data-driven innovation across diverse domains, including aviation, space exploration, energy, transportation, and security. The institute’s work emphasizes the development of methods to enable sustainable processes, resilient supply chains, and robust decision-making, often in collaboration with other DLR institutes and external partners through joint projects and technology transfer initiatives.
The Department of Data Analysis and Intelligence plays a pivotal role in uncovering insights from complex datasets. By employing cutting-edge techniques in machine learning, artificial intelligence, causal inference, and the integration of physical and process-based knowledge, the department drives advancements across its three focus areas: Machine Learning, Causal Inference, and Process Knowledge Integrating Data Exploration.
Among these, the Causal Inference group, specializes in identifying and analyzing cause-and-effect relationships to better understand dynamic processes. With a particular focus on time series data, the group addresses challenges such as analyzing space weather (PLASMA) and explaining anomalies in the CausalAnomalies project. These efforts have broad applications within DLR, including in unmanned aerial vehicles and transport infrastructure.
The Michael Stifel Center Jena (MSCJ) was founded in 2015 to bring together scientists from the fields of data analysis, simulation science and model-data integration in Jena. Participants are the Friedrich Schiller University Jena with University Hospital, the Max Planck Institutes for Biogeochemistry, the Max Planck Institute for Geoanthropology, and the German Aerospace Center – Institute of Data Science.
The MSCJ offers a platform for joint research to bring together activities in the above-mentioned areas under one roof and achieve synergy effects. It leverages the development of joint projects and the acquisition of third-party funding. The MSCJ supports the transfer of results from fundamental research in the areas of working with big data, artificial intelligence, data management and analysis as well as simulation and high-performance computing to applications in all disciplines. Other important goals are the development of educational programs in these areas, for undergraduate teaching, the training of doctoral students and advanced training, as well as for industrial training and transfer.
The MSCJ supports the Executive Board of the university with advice concerning all questions of digitization. It is in close contact with the Vice-President for Digitization and the Office for Digital Transformation, and is represented in the CIO (Chief Information Officer) Board of the Friedrich Schiller University Jena.
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The Carl Zeiss Foundation (CZS), established in 1889, is one of the oldest private science-funding organizations in Germany. Its mission is to promote excellence in science and technology, fostering innovation that drives societal progress. Named after the pioneering optician Carl Zeiss, the foundation has its roots in the advancement of optics and precision engineering. Today, it is recognized for supporting groundbreaking research in a variety of fields, with a growing emphasis on artificial intelligence (AI).
AI has emerged as a transformative force across industries, and the Carl Zeiss Foundation is at the forefront of advancing AI research and applications. Through strategic funding programs, the foundation seeks to enable cutting-edge AI projects, foster interdisciplinary collaboration, and address key societal challenges.
Through its support of the ELLIS Unit Jena with the funding of the CZS Junior Research Group „Knowledge Integration for Spatio-Temporal Environmental Modeling,“ the foundation empowers researchers to create AI-driven solutions for urgent global challenges like climate change and sustainable resource management.
The Carl Zeiss Foundation also funds projects focusing on explainable and trustworthy AI, fostering public trust in AI technologies. These initiatives aim to ensure that AI systems are transparent, fair, and aligned with ethical principles.
By emphasizing interdisciplinary collaboration, sustainability, and talent development, the Carl Zeiss Foundation continues to shape the future of AI research, ensuring that it serves as a tool for progress and societal benefit.
