Robots weblog | Land NRW promotes German Museum Bonn with 2 million euros yearly

Handover of the funding notice by Minister Ina Scharrenbach

The state government of North Rhine-Westphalia is expanding the cooperation with the German Museum Bonn: From 2025, the Ministry of Homeland, Local, Construction and Digitization will support the “Ki Forum North Rhine-Westphalia” with two million euros a year. As part of a ceremony in the German Museum of Bonn, Ina Scharrenbach, Minister for Home, Local, Construction and Digitization of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, handed over the approval notice to General Director Wolfgang Heckl from the German Museum in Munich on February 21, 2025. Numerous high -ranking guests of honor from the region expressed their congratulations to the team of the German Museum Bonn under the direction of Andrea Niehaus.

“Mission of artificial intelligence: North Rhine-Westphalia is a leading region for digitization-and artificial intelligence is the focus of this development. But technology alone is not enough. The full potential of the KL-based key technologies can only be exploited with the public through an open dialogue. It is important to take worries to open up together perspectives. This is where the German Museum Bonn comes in: as a nucleus for the central information, educational and placement location, which North Rhine-Westphalia needs to take people into the digital future. In extracurricular learning locations, the offspring for technological progress are enthusiastic, applied and practical AI methodology are presented in experience rooms and strengthened the AI competence of public administration with further training offers. The expansion of digital competencies in the population and public service is a necessary set -up for the use of artificial intelligence in our state. With the promotion of 2 million euros, we secure the mission of artificial intelligence, ”explains Ina Scharrenbach, Minister for Home, Local, Construction and Digitization of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia.

“With the forum for artificial intelligence, a AI lighthouse with national radiance is created in the German Museum Bonn. However, this vision is not alone, it is a joint project. With two million euros a year, we give this unique facility a stable foundation. For long -term success, however, it is important that we can continue to count on the support of the local and municipal partners of the German Museum. We can only successfully master the challenges of the future together-as a large ‘AI family’. “

“With the funding, the German Museum Bonn is finally getting a long -term perspective,” said Wolfgang M. Heckl, General Director of the German Museum, which had traveled from Munich to receive the approval notice from Ina Scharrenbach. The only facility of the world -famous German museum outside of Bavaria has been through a fundamental change since 2020. Founded in 1995 as an exhibition location of new German inventions, it has successfully developed a unique place of experience for artificial intelligence exactly 30 years later-and just in time for the 100th anniversary of the German Museum itself.

“The past few years have been very shaped by permanently securing our location in Bonn together with municipal and private partners. Only through the promotion by the Ministry for Home, Local, Construction and Digitization of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia has now been successful, ”said Heckl.

Numerous guests of honor congratulated in the German Museum Bonn to hand over the approval notice by Minister Ina Scharrenbach | Photo: German Museum / Lichtenscheidt

Mayor Katja Dörner welcomes the country’s decision: “I would like to thank the state of North Rhine -Westphalia for this further support. With the other partners, the city of Bonn has intensively accompanied the efforts for the further development and continued existence of the museum in recent years and will continue to provide the agreed grant in the future. I am therefore pleased that with the promotion of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, the German Museum Bonn receives a long-term perspective in the region and that successful educational and mediation work on artificial intelligence can expand. ”

The district councilors Sebastian Schuster and Cornelia Weigand personally congratulate museum director Andrea Niehaus. The Rhein-Sieg district, the district of Ahrweiler and the district of Euskirchen have been contributing to the financing of the German Museum Bonn for several years, since the house of the entire region offers great added value in many ways. For schools in particular, it is an important educational partner for transfer of knowledge. Companies from the Bonn economic and knowledge region also appreciate the German Museum Bonn as the place of information and exchange. “It is crucial to prepare children, young people, schools and companies for digital transformation and to actively accompany them,” said Sebastian Schuster, District Administrator of the Rhein-Sieg district. “The German Museum Bonn is an ideal place for this and does valuable work that deserves reliable support.”

Private and municipal sponsors such as Dr. Hans Riegel Foundation, thanks to the Stifterverband for German Science and the Rhineland Landscape Association. “Today is also a big day for us that we have worked towards for a long time,” said Antonio Casellas, CEO of the Förderverein Science (f) t fun for education and innovation in the Rhineland. “For us as a support association, the backing that the German Museum Bonn is now receiving through the state of North Rhine -Westphalia is a great motivation for our further work. For almost exactly ten years we have tirelessly campaigned for stable financing from the German Museum Bonn. We now have the important task of supporting the museum permanently and promoting its long -term further development. ”

With the funding from the state government of North Rhine-Westphalia, the team of the German Museum Bonn can now further intensify its already very successful work. Museum director Andrea Niehaus and her team have had a lot to do for the future. “Our joy is huge. We are now starting the next renovation phase and would like to celebrate our 30th birthday in the finished forum for AI in November.

About the German Museum Bonn – Forum for Artificial Intelligence

Experience, understand, help shape – that is the “Mission Ki” of the German Museum Bonn. In the only branch of the world -famous German museum outside of Bavaria, dynamic experience spaces invite you to immerse yourself in the world of artificial intelligence. Interactive and entertaining exhibits and demonstrations make the basics and current developments of AI understandable. Autonomous driving plays a role as well as the use of AI in basic research and medicine.

The German Museum Bonn was opened in 1995 and receives up to round every year
100,000 visitors on around 1700 square meters. The house has been changing since 2020 – from a museum of new German inventions to a unique place of experience for artificial intelligence. In order to further expand this position, the Ministry of Homeland, Local, Construction and Digitization of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia promotes the “Ki Forum North Rhine-Westphalia” at the German Museum Bonn from 2025 annually.