There was a lot happening at Cyber Valley last month. Here’s a roundup of our highlights, showing how Cyber Valley is translating excellent research into real-world applications for a better future.
Delegation visit from Sweden and the Netherlands in Tübingen
On October 1, Cyber Valley welcomed a delegation from Halland, Sweden, and Noord-Brabant, the Netherlands, to its campus in Tübingen. With representatives from regional innovation ecosystems, universities, research institutions, public authorities, and businesses, the visit focused on robotics, healthcare, and opportunities for international collaboration.
After an introduction to the Cyber Valley Innovation Campus and a welcome address by Baden-Württemberg International (BW_i), three members of the Cyber Valley Start-up Network presented their work: Martin Phelan (EndoSurge), Andreas Arnegger (OSORA medical GmbH), and Nik Rai (SKAI).
The delegation then visited the Amazon Research Building for a presentation from Michael Hirsch, before a networking lunch and discussions on future collaboration opportunities concluded the program.
SPRIND’s Next Frontier Robotics Challenge in Tübingen
Cyber Valley had the pleasure of hosting the Next Frontier Robotics Roadshow, organized by SPRIND, Germany’s Federal Agency for Breakthrough Innovation, in Tübingen on October 5. More than 50 robotics researchers and aspiring founders came together to learn about SPRIND’s challenge and explore new approaches to multipurpose robotics.
The Next Frontier Robotics Challenge aims to support exceptional teams developing breakthrough robotic technologies, offering up to €7.2 million in non-dilutive funding across four stages. Following an introduction to the program, participants discussed potential applications, asked questions, and received feedback on their ideas during one-to-one sessions.
The event also highlighted the entrepreneurial opportunities emerging from Baden-Württemberg’s AI ecosystem. Mikel Zhobro, co-founder of Ontic Labs, shared his experience after his start-up was selected for the first stage of SPRIND’s Next Frontier AI Challenge, receiving €3 million to develop foundational AI technologies beyond today’s models.
Frontier AI Innovation Summit at Messe Stuttgart
Cyber Valley joined the All Hands Meeting of the German AI Centers during the Frontier AI Innovation Summit at Messe Stuttgart on October 6 and 7.
The summit brought together leading voices from research, politics, and industry to discuss the future of AI. Highlights included keynotes by Raia Hadsell of Google DeepMind on modeling dynamic worlds and Veronika Eyring of connAIx Heilbronn and the Tübingen AI Center on AI for climate and physical systems.
The summit also offered an opportunity to present emerging ventures from the Cyber Valley Innovation Campus. Moritz Hardt introduced grubel, a new start-up developing AI systems that adapt automatically to individual legal matters. Wieland Brendel presented KE:SAI, a Franco-German partnership for open science in physical AI, with offices in Paris and Tübingen.
At the information stand, visitors could learn more about Cyber Valley and its opportunities. Paul-David Bittner also led a mentoring session, sharing insights into the early stages of building a start-up and the challenges founders may encounter along the way.
Transformationsgipfel at ARENA2036 in Stuttgart
On October 8, Cyber Valley took part in the Transformationsgipfel 2026 at ARENA2036 in Stuttgart. Organized by the InnovationsCampus Mobilität der Zukunft (ICM) and the CARS 2.0 transformation network, the event brought together more than 300 participants from research and industry.
The event focused on strengthening Baden-Württemberg’s automotive and mechanical engineering sectors and transferring research results into industrial applications.
The program covered topics including software-defined mobility, digitalization in production, internationalization in electromobility, and skills development. Presentations on successful AI integration highlighted the practical steps needed to translate technological advances into real-world impact.
At Cyber Valley’s exhibition booth, we connected with participants interested in the role of AI and research-driven innovation in industrial transformation.
AI Incubator Batch #9 concludes with Demo Day
October also marked the successful conclusion of Batch #9 of the Cyber Valley AI Incubator. On October 16, seven emerging AI start-ups presented their innovations to an audience of founders, investors, and researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems (MPI-IS) in Stuttgart.
The Demo Day marked the culmination of two weeks of intensive workshops designed to help participants turn research-driven ideas into viable start-up ventures. The program covered customer needs, business models, funding, prototyping, and pitching, equipping the teams with practical tools to advance their entrepreneurial projects.
The Cyber Valley AI Incubator is organized by the MPI-IS and the International Max Planck Research School for Intelligent Systems (IMPRS-IS), with funding from the Carl Zeiss Foundation. Through this initiative, Cyber Valley continues to strengthen the connection between cutting-edge AI research and entrepreneurship, supporting innovators bring new technologies from research to market.
Read more about the Cyber Valley AI Incubator and its latest Demo Day here.
Congress of the European Metropolitan Region of Stuttgart at Stadthalle Reutlingen
On October 20, Cyber Valley participated in the Metropolitan Congress of the European Metropolitan Region of Stuttgart at Stadthalle Reutlingen. The congress brought together almost 300 representatives from business, research, politics, and public administration to discuss the region’s development and shared priorities for the future.
Cyber Valley presented its activities at the accompanying exhibition alongside regional partners, including NEURA Robotics. The congress provided an opportunity to exchange ideas with stakeholders aiming to strengthen the region’s innovation capacity and competitiveness.
Visit of Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of the US Embassy in Berlin to Stuttgart
On October 29, Cyber Valley had the honor of welcoming Alan Meltzer, Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of the US Embassy in Berlin, alongside Consul General Brian Heath and Political-Economic Section Chief Molly Rivera-Olds, from the US Consulate General in Frankfurt, to the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems (MPI-IS) in Stuttgart.
MPI-IS Director Katherine J. Kuchenbecker provided an overview of the institute before leading the delegation to Christoph Keplinger’s Robotic Materials Department. Humboldt postdoc Lawrence Smith then presented the department’s research on artificial muscles.
The delegation then proceeded to the Haptic Intelligence Department, where Kuchenbecker, Humboldt postdoc Andrew K. Schulz, and doctoral researcher Naomi Tashiro demonstrated their research on elephant whiskers and vibrotactile feedback.
Connecting researchers across borders accelerates the journey from research to transfer to real-world impact, helping turn AI and robotics breakthroughs into sustainable benefits for society.
Note on AI use: Cyber Valley GmbH developed this document using generative AI as a supporting tool. Cyber Valley GmbH is responsible for its content and conclusions.
