Press release of September 1, 2025

“Building Bridges 2025” on the topic of “Latest Findings in Artificial Intelligence” on September 11-12 in Dresden

The international science conference “Building Bridges” has become an integral part of Dresden's conference calendar. This year, the conference, organized by the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) on behalf of the Saxon State Chancellery, will take place from September 11 to 12 and will focus on the latest findings in the field of Artificial Intelligence. Around 300 scientists from Germany and Europe as well as leading representatives from politics and business are expected to attend.

The focus on Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be examined in the fields of health, energy, and microelectronics. This year's guest country is Lithuania. The venue is new: the Festspielhaus Hellerau.

The opening evening on September 11 is dedicated to the guest country Lithuania. The State Secretary of the Saxon Ministry of Science, Culture and Tourism, Prof. Heike Graßmann, together with HZDR´s Scientific Director, Prof. Sebastian M. Schmidt, and international political representatives, will open the conference and focus on the importance of AI for the research policy of individual European countries.

The second day of the conference on September 12 will be opened by Saxony's State Minister for Science, Culture and Tourism, Sebastian Gemkow, and Prof. Sebastian M. Schmidt together with international science policymakers.

Archimedes Science Award

The highlight of the second day of the conference will be the first-ever presentation of the Archimedes Science Award for outstanding achievements in science, starting at 10 a.m. The award will be presented to internationally renowned computer scientist and AI researcher Dr. Cordelia Schmid. Following the award ceremony, she will deliver the keynote address on “Artificial Intelligence: Past, Present, and Future.”

Another highlight will be the panel discussion with Saxony's Minister-President Michael Kretschmer and high-ranking representatives from several European partner countries, as well as a representative from a major research project. Together, they will discuss the interface between science policy and research funding. They will shed light on national strategies and common goals in promoting international cooperation and scientific excellence.

The afternoon program on September 12 will feature lightning talks in which scientists will present their groundbreaking AI research in the fields of health, energy, and microelectronics and open it up for discussion. In addition, the newly introduced format “Matchmaking – Kickstart Your Collaboration” will give scientists the opportunity to share project ideas with other participants and, in this way, initiate new collaborations or receive suggestions for funding. This format will be moderated by proven experts from the Central EU Service Facility Saxony (ZEUSS) and representatives of the National Contact Point (NCP).

Statements

Michael Kretschmer, Minister-President of the Free State of Saxony: "Scientific progress requires exchange and cooperation. The International Science Conference offers the opportunity to develop new ideas and projects with excellent researchers across national borders. Our neighboring countries Poland and the Czech Republic, as well as Lithuania and the Baltic states as a whole, are important partners and role models for a dynamic research landscape. I am very much looking forward to engaging in dialogue with our international guests on the future-oriented topic of Artificial Intelligence in microelectronics, energy, and medicine, and to learning from each other."

Sebastian Gemkow, Saxon State Minister for Science, Culture and Tourism: "Artificial Intelligence is a multifunctional tool that will profoundly change all areas of our modern society. This affects, for example, the way we communicate, the methods we use to overcome problems and challenges, and the way we change or completely redesign industrial processes. The primary question here is not which jobs will be done by robots in the future. It is about finding ways to make the enormous potential of AI even more useful for all of us. As an independent authority, science is called upon and in demand here, as this conference clearly shows."

Prof. Sebastian M. Schmidt, Scientific Director of HZDR: "This year's conference theme has been chosen with care. Artificial Intelligence will fundamentally change the future of science, industry, and everyday life. At the Building Bridges 2025 conference, we want to discuss how it is revolutionizing research in all areas, from energy systems to healthcare to microelectronics, how we can use artificial intelligence, and what its limitations are. I am very pleased that we can welcome so many guests from Germany and abroad."

Note for the media:

Media representatives are cordially invited to attend the entire conference. The conference language is English. Please register by September 10, 2025, at k.magister@hzdr.de.

The complete program can be found at https://building-bridges-conference.eu/.

Following the Archimedes Prize award ceremony on September 12 at 10 a.m. and the keynote speech by Dr. Schmid, there will be a break at approximately 10:35 a.m. This will provide an opportunity for brief sound bites/statements from the award winner, the Minister-President and other dignitaries such as the Minister for Science, Culture and Tourism, the Rector of TU Dresden and the Scientific Director of HZDR.

Media contact:
Simon Schmitt | Head
Communications and Media Relations at HZDR
Phone: +49 351 260 3400 | Mob.: +49 175 874 2865 | Email: s.schmitt@hzdr.de

Saxon State Chancellery I Press Department
Phone: +49 351 564 10326 I Email: presse@sk.sachsen.de

This measure is co-financed by tax revenue based on the budget approved by the Saxon State Parliament.