Prof. Claudia Eckert

What does “cognitive internet” mean, and in what way does it differ from the "normal" internet?

Progressing digitalization makes one thing clear: Simply focusing on traditional web-based digital processes is not enough by far. Today, competitive applications, products and services require trustworthy use of the diverse sensor data of the Internet of Things, their cross-company semantic integration and the provision of highly intelligent, learning services in order to thereby create a "Cognitive Internet" (CI) from a user point of view.

What is the position of industry in this field, and how can Fraunhofer support enterprises?

Industry is currently in the process of developing and gradually introducing solutions for digital transformation within companies. The digitalization and continuous interlinking of machines, products, but also logistics workflows, ordering, storage and accounting systems has an enormous potential for improving the flows and individualization of products adapted to individual requirements. At the same time, this increasingly results in hardly manageable systems of immense complexity. With the Cluster of Exellence Cognitive Internet Technologies CCIT, Fraunhofer would like to assist enterprises throughout the entire transformation process and together with them develop tailor-made solutions which allow complexity to be controlled. This support extends from analysis via the planning of a future-proof business strategy to agile technology development and testing in the CCIT innovation and application centers.

What are the long-term goals of the Fraunhofer CCIT? What would you like to achieve with your work?

The long-term goal very clearly consists in creating a new internet for industry through  research into cognitive technologies. Key technologies along the value creation chain, from sensors via intelligent learning processes to the Cloud, should lead to highly intelligent solutions and products in the enterprises, guaranteeing their competitiveness, strengthening their innovative power and assuring their digital sovereignty. This is what we want to achieve as we assist enterprises with the future-oriented shaping of their business.