VfB Stuttgart is the first professional soccer club to become member of innovation platform IPAI. IPAI, a unique innovation ecosystem for applied artificial intelligence based in Heilbronn, Baden-Württemberg, connects companies, institutions, start-ups, and academia with the goal to sustainably strengthen the efforts in creating ethically responsible AI on site and thus enabling the entire economic and research location of Baden-Württemberg and to beyond to be part of the AI future.
As part of its innovation activities and digital transformation, VfB will increasingly rely on AI applications to optimize its organizational processes and continuously improve its service and product quality. VfB aims for a triad of empowering people, agility through technology, and growth through digital business models. AI-supported technology is already being used at VfB in both sports and corporate contexts. In cooperation with IPAI, it is planned to further enable employees to handle artificial intelligence ethically and responsibly. AI-based educational offerings and fan products are to be developed, and the MHP Arena will be further modernized technologically. Additionally, educational offerings are planned through the VfB Foundation and the VfB Academy to promote sustainable and responsible use of artificial intelligence.
“AI is the key technology for the future”
“Artificial intelligence is a key technology of our time, increasingly permeating all areas of life, including sports and professional football. At VfB Stuttgart, we primarily want to focus on human-centered, applied AI solutions – preferably made in Baden-Württemberg – that are developed responsibly and sustainably. As by far the largest sports club in the state, we are a natural bridge-builder and multiplier in practically all areas of our society. At the same time, we offer the IPAI network, which already includes Porsche and other VfB partners, a project environment for AI applications with our modernized MHP Arena and our strong partner and sponsor structure. Our focus is on sports, improving the fan experience, and thus our service offerings, as well as supporting educational work on artificial intelligence. We are very pleased to now be part of the IPAI innovation ecosystem,” emphasizes Alexander Wehrle, CEO of VfB Stuttgart.
“With its strong regional DNA, IPAI benefits from being part of a larger innovation-promoting ecosystem with numerous forward-thinking players. Today, we are delighted to welcoming VfB Stuttgart to this network, another strong regional player with impressive tradition and innovative strength. VfB's membership marks a significant step, bringing artificial intelligence into the realms of professional sports. The opportunity to test and develop AI solutions in such a dynamic environment, to really connect AI with the world of football, will provide exciting new insights in the future and will make a valuable contribution to promoting the responsible use of AI”, says Moritz Gräter, CEO of IPAI.
About IPAI
Baden-Württemberg is positioning itself to play at the forefront of the global artificial intelligence (AI) league. With IPAI, a center for AI with international stature is being created, supported by the state of Baden-Württemberg with up to 50 million euros. IPAI aims to cover the entire AI value chain – from the qualification of specialists to research, development, application, and commercialization of ethically responsible AI. In a unique, innovation-promoting ecosystem in Europe, various companies, start-ups, research and science, and public sector actors will come together. Based on the IPAI foundations of sustainability, digital responsibility, and European sovereignty, research, AI development, and business applications will be closely integrated with established partners and networks.
Since September 2022, IPAI has been operating on rented premises in the Zukunftspark Wohlgelegen. With the commissioning and occupancy of its first own building, the IPAI SPACES, IPAI entered its second development phase in June 2024. Additionally, an about 23-hectare large international AI campus is being developed in the north of Heilbronn as a European hotspot for artificial intelligence.