Over 120 researchers, students, and industry partners gathered at Science City Hamburg Bahrenfeld for this year's PIER Day, an annual event showcasing groundbreaking joint research and fostering new collaborations in research. Organized by the Partnership for Innovation, Education, and Research (PIER), this year's focus was on AI & Data Science, in partnership with PIER PLUS.

Highlights from PIER Research
Kicking off the event, Francesca Calegari, Head of PIER, warmly welcomed attendees before providing insights into the ongoing collaborative projects funded by PIER. Participants heard from leading researchers including Agata Azzolin (DESY), Can Dokuyucu (DESY), Michael Hecht-Bucher (UKE), Marietta Sandkamp-Kaspers (UKE), Charlotte Ruhmlieb (UHH), and Aurelien Sanchez (DESY/UHH), who presented innovative PIER Seed Projects spanning various scientific disciplines.

The following program part featured a forward-looking session on joint research opportunities, emphasizing fields such as Nanochemistry, Detector Research, and Artefact Profiling—areas identified as having significant potential for expanding Hamburg’s leadership in scientific innovation.

Keynote: From Dark Matter to Dark Triad
A highlight of the event was a keynote speech by Lucie Flek from the University of Bonn titled “From Dark Matter to Dark Triad and Back.” Her talk bridged physics and AI, illustrating how structured reasoning, robust data, and human alignment can make artificial intelligence safer. She emphasized that AI has the potential to accelerate scientific discovery across disciplines.

AI & Data Science Initiatives in Hamburg
Various initiatives under the umbrella of AI & Data Science were showcased, including the DESY/UHH AI & Data Science Platform, DASHH, and VISTA. These projects exemplify Hamburg’s growing role as a hub for interdisciplinary research and innovation at the interfact of domain sciences and AI & data science.

PIER PLUS Posterwalk: Interdisciplinary Innovation
The event featured an engaging posterwalk organized by PIER PLUS under the theme “AI and Science: Unexpected Connections and Method Innovation.” Researchers from multiple Hamburg institutions displayed projects at the intersection of AI and scientific investigation, highlighting the city’s vibrant ecosystem of interdisciplinary collaboration.

Panel Discussion: Hamburg as AI & Data Science Hub
A panel discussion concluded the day, featuring experts such as Tilo Böhmann (UHH), Martin Burger (DESY), Lucie Flek (University of Bonn), Beate Heinemann (DESY), and Luisa Lucie-Smith (UHH). They discussed strategies to position Hamburg and Science City Hamburg Bahrenfeld as an attractive hub for AI and Data Science, leveraging the city's extensive research infrastructure and scientific talent.

Photograph: Kevin Winiker/ UHH